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Auto Trader Ten Point Test Rating – 80%

The invasion of new types of people carriers in recent years has cut into demand for conventional estates. More drivers are being wooed by the status symbol of a towering SUV.

But estate cars with their lower rooflines can usually be relied upon to handle better, without the lurching bodyroll of SUVs. Volvo have a healthy pedigree of building fine estates – they even raced them in the 1990s – so the V70 should be a fine drive.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The Volvo brand is not exactly synonymous with dramatic styling. The V70 is on the conservative side of bland from top to tail. The signature tall rear light clusters are attractive, though, and the bulging waistline is nicely proportioned. It’s not bad, it’s just not outstanding.
7/10

2.Looks inside

Behind the wheel the functional-but-dull theme continues. The centre console completely lacks character, but it’s perfectly coherent and intuitive.

I did find the driver’s arm rest obstructive when reaching for the handbrake. But apart from that the cabin was a comfortable and pleasant place to be – especially with the air conditioning and leather seats on our model.t
6/10

3. Practicality

This is the V70’s trump card. Even with five people in the car you can still chuck a vast amount of luggage in the back. Lie the rear seats down and you’ve got yourself a small van. The statistics say you have 485 litres of storage space with the seats up which balloons to 1,641 with them down.

That long rear end must make parking a nightmare though? Not a bit of it. The wide, low rear windows make reversing a doddle and the parking assistance bleeper (a £350 option) makes cardiac arrest noises whenever you get too close to a wall. I’ve driven superminis that were harder to park than this.
10/10

4. Ride and Handling

The decidedly motorway-tuned ride was definitely comfortable but lacked a little feel. But the trade-off in its favour was that the ride stayed smooth even with the passenger seats and boot filled – aided by the £500 Load Compensation Suspension, which helps even out the ride when the car is heavy.

In almost all respects the controls were pleasantly light for such a big car, particularly the lithe steering and reassuringly refined gearbox. But the clutch felt over-weighted and it wasn’t until I’d spent five minutes carefully adjusting the seat that I felt able to operate it comfortably.
7/10

5. Performance

We tested the D5 diesel engine version with a six-speed gearbox which has to be the best combination of performance for outlay and running costs.

From a standing start you’ll be at 60 mph in eight seconds with up to 140 mph available. That compares with 6.4s and 155 mph for the top-of-the-range T5. With 185hp at its disposal the D5 is not exactly breathless, but the 260hp T5 devours hills for breakfast.
8/10

6. Running Costs

The D5 clearly offered the best combination of fairly frugal fuel use (41.5 mpg combined with, importantly, 51.4 mpg extras urban) and reasonable pollution levels of 179g of CO2 per km.
7/10

7. Reliability

With Volvo you know you’ve got a well-built car with dependable backup behind it. The V70 gives a tangible impression of all-round sturdiness and solidity.
9/10

8. Safety

You can always rely on Volvo to screw a car together properly and then fill every available space with airbags.

Sure enough all V70 models feature driver, passenger and side airbags, plus curtains and whiplash protection. Electronic systems to keep you from losing control in the first place include dynamics stability and traction control, and electronic brake distribution.
10/10

9. Equipment

The V70 flashes its rep-mobile credentials with a cornucopia of cupholders: Four between the front seats plus another mounted on the centre console, easily capable of grasping a proper, super-sized mega-latte.

Alongside the usual gadgets are a few neat extras, such as the air vents in the centre door pillars which are a boon for rear passengers on long journeys. Our model came with the ‘winter pack’ which included some useful upgrades including bright Bi-Xenon headlights and heated front seats.
8/10

10. X-Factor

If you’re unimpressed with the plodding girth of SUVs but have the need of a lot of carrying space, the V70 is an excellent solution. A charm to drive unladen it can manage heavy loads with ease as well. It lacks a little sex appeal, but you buy a V70 with your head, not your heart.
8/10