2009 Volvo V70 Review

Safety was a priority. With the current V70, Volvo refined its whiplash-limiting seat design, called WHIPS. During a rear-end impact, the seatbacks move rearward to reduce acceleration forces on the occupant's back and neck, while the headrest pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head as they are thrust backward.

The V70 driver sits before a fat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, looking at big, crisp gauges with bright-white backlighting and number gradients that are easy for the brain to absorb. The standard trim is etched aluminum, but the optional genuine wood is gorgeous. The overall effect is very Scandinavian.

The coolest element may be the thin-panel center stack. It's no more than two inches thick, with open space behind it. Most controls are placed here, with audio above climate and a display at the top, arranged in a neat, symmetrical pattern. The primary knobs are big and raised substantially from the surface, and the airflow controls are fashioned in an icon shaped like a seated person, so there's absolutely no confusion about directing air toward the face, feet or windshield.

It's all quite clean and pleasing. Most significantly, measured by function and simplicity of operation, the V70's various controls are better than most other luxury brands, and particularly German brands, which still insist on layering more menus in their interfaces while adding more buttons. This might be enough reason for some to choose Volvo.

The navigation system was new last year as well. The screen pops up vertically from the center of the dash, though it's canted forward at what seems like a strange angle. The driver surfs through menus and makes choices with buttons on the back of the steering wheel spokes, almost where you'd expect paddle shifters for an automatic transmission. Our initial reaction is that it's better than other systems (unless, of course, you absolutely need those paddle shifters). The menus are no more difficult to learn, and they're managed without taking hands from the steering wheel and fishing for the controls. Passengers can control the system with a remote.

The seats are excellent. It's hard to find a better mix of comfort and support for daily driving. The optional leather upholstery is smooth and stretched tautly over the front seats.

The value of the fold-flat front-passenger seat should not be underestimated as it allows hauling of long items, such as a ladder or a nine-foot fly rod rigged and ready to move to the next spot upstream. The design seems to do nothing to diminish the seat's comfort, yet its back can fold forward to a level on the same plain as the folded rear seat and cargo floor. In-cabin storage tends to be short in modern Volvos, though it's decent in the V70. The center console and glovebox hold quite a bit of stuff. The pockets behind the front seatbacks are handy and the cupholders work well.

The rear seats are not the roomiest, given the apparent size of the vehicle. We wouldn't recommend six-footers sit back there for a cross-country trip. However, there is enough room that someone 5-foot, 9 inches won't get claustrophobic or cramped riding across town, and we think it would be fine for families until the kids are well into their teens. The rear DVD system puts a screen in the back of both front headrests, which we prefer to those that drop from the headliner.

The cargo area is one of the V70's strengths. The rear seat folds easily, 40/20/40, allowing lots of flexibility with passengers and long cargo. Folding just the center section, for example, can work like a pass-through for skis or hockey sticks. With a maximum cargo capacity of 72.1 cubic feet, the V70 surpasses the Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon (68.9 cubic feet). The V70 also compares favorably with larger, heavier SUVs such as the Mercedes ML350 (72.4 cubic feet) and BMW X5 (59.7).

There's a bit of storage under the load floor, though the locking bin there is no more than six inches deep. The cargo floor has aluminum rails with movable anchorage points for securing loads. The anchors can be tucked down into the rails when they're not used, to keep the floor perfectly smooth, and there are more anchorage points in the side panels. There are also a host of load-related accessories, such as hooks, nets and space dividers.

One disadvantage of the V70 compared to a taller SUV is its lower ceiling; potentially, an SUV could accommodate taller items. Our experience, however, is that that extra height is rarely needed. In short, the V70 excels as a cargo hauler. The V70 also features a lower liftover height than most, so it's easier to load heavy objects. One of our favorite features is a sliding floor that locks into the rails and pulls out beyond the bumper for easier loading. It will easily support 50 pounds. Other accessories include a cargo fence that could add safety when hauling the dog around.