Volvo V70 D5 SE Lux—each sign is a story
Before starting to describe the model, let’s point out its main pluses and minuses. Among the advantages the following should be enumerated: it is highly economical, has big load bay, highly performative and has CO2 emissions. Against the car say its control layout which is less convenient, its fussier appearance and diesel’s clattering.
Following the history of Volvo’s development we can see the tendency of constant growth. The 1953 was the debut time for Duett PV445 wagon, growing with the classic Amazon, the year of debut is 1963, and the 145 of 1967 year of debut.
The firs big front-drive estate became the American-esque 740/760 and 940/960 in 1985. The smaller one was 850, having appeared in 1993, transformed into the first V70. S80-derived V70 came into the market in 2000.
In spite of many similarities with the previous version V70, the new model has different fundamentals. The new V70 has the base of EU-CD building block. By the way, the Mondeo, S80 and S-Max have the same base. In comparison with the old one, it has P2x platform.
Little is taken from its predecessor: front-drive layout, the transverse, multi-link rear suspension and MacPherson struts. The standard units are traction control and stability control. The new things are: the body, which is stiffer tan in the previous unit, having four grades made of high-strength steel.
This is made for improving the crash behavior. In fact, the impact protection is upgraded.
Thinking about children, now the side curtains are deeper to protect the heads of children. The booster seats are optional and two-position built-in ones. The new option is also an optional collision mitigation system, which has the official name as Collision Warning with Brake Support. It works with the radar. They provide both visual and audible warnings if the distance between the car in front and the driver’s car is too close. Another very helpful system is a second-generation anti-whiplash system. It was improved the pedestrian protection performance.
Though the body of the car now is bigger in size, it gives some advantageous opportunities to the interior room and luggage capacity which is now swelling by 60 liters. In some cases it influenced the car’s weight which is now 1761kg, 1835kg as tested, against the 1640 kg of the old model.
The car can develop six speeds and has 197bhp five-cylinder petrol.
