The Volvo XC70, a jacked-up pseudo off-road estate car, remains rare in the UK. On average, Volvo sells more than four V70s in the UK for every XC70 it shifts. In an odd quirk of statistics, however, that ratio is almost exactly reversed in the US, where the XC70, along with other cars of its ilk, is five times more popular.
That’s why, alongside the Volvo XC90 and the Volvo XC60, this slow-selling soft-roader continues to have a place in Volvo’s product range.
The latest incarnation of the XC70 benefits from a range of updates and improvements shared with the current V70.
It gets a stiffer chassis, a slightly roomier cabin and a bigger boot, while this quasi off-road estate also gets a slightly less incongruous SUV-inspired bodykit. This includes plastic bumper and flank cladding, plastic wheel arch extensions, chromed scuff plates and embossed roof rails. Any off-road ability is provided by a raised ride height (74mm higher than the V70) and, in the all-wheel drive versions, a Haldex four-wheel drive system.
Power comes from the same choice of several diesel engines and one petrol now rolled out across much of Volvo’s line-up. The 300bhp, 324lb ft 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol takes the headline spot, but it is best passed over in favour of one of the diesels, either the 2.4-litre, 212bhp, 324lb ft D5 or the 2.0-litre, 160bhp D3 available with either 309lb ft or 295lb ft in the ES and eco-friendly DRIVe models.