For immediate release
GÖTEBORG (February 2, 2007) – Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. today announced the third generation Volvo V70 wagon, to be unveiled at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva on March 6, will go on sale in Canada in early 2008.
The all-new Volvo V70 is the latest example of the company’s aggressive new product program and the fourth new vehicle announced in the past year. The new V70 joins the C70 hardtop convertible, the S80 luxury sedan and the C30 premium compact on the company’s list of new products.
The V70 represents Volvo Car Corporation’s best-selling wagon on a world-wide basis and reflects 54 years of global wagon leadership. The new version will offer more interior room, luxury, improved driving performance, and new design innovations that ensure the 2008 V70 is more versatile than its predecessor. On the world market, the all-new Volvo V70 will be powered by a number of engines, ranging from a 197-horsepower 5-cylinder turbo to a 282-horsepower turbocharged in-line 6-cylinder and will include a couple of diesel engines. No announcements have been made on engines for Canada. All wheel drive will be available as optional equipment.
“With the all-new Volvo V70, we want to mark our position in the premium segment even more clearly than before,” says Tomas Ahlborg, Project Director for the all-new V70. “We have seen that wagons in the premium segment follow the same trend as sedans in the shift towards more specialized products. We have focused firmly on giving the Volvo V70 all the best features. In addition to design and safety, we’ve given top priority to areas such as driving pleasure, flexible function and high comfort. We know that all these properties are important to Volvo’s customers.”
Safety, a Volvo Cars mainstay, takes another step forward with the all-new V70 with an increased focus on child safety.
The all-new V70 wagon will feature a world-first safety innovation: a new, height-adjustable integrated child booster cushion installed in both outer rear seats. This new booster cushion can be set at two heights, allowing children of different sizes to see out the windows and to ensure the child is in the best position to benefit from their seat belt in the event of a collision.
The Volvo Cars’ patented Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) has been improved for the V70 with more collision protection through the application of four kinds of steel in the body structure. The Inflatable Curtain (IC) air bags have also been extended by 60 mm to provide more effective protection in side impacts. In the front seats, dual-chamber side impact air bags offer appropriate levels of protection for the hips and chest.
The front collision management structure – also designed from a Volvo Cars patent – similarly employs four different kinds of steel to distribute collision energy throughout the body structure and away from the passenger cabin.
“The best way to protect the car’s occupants is to avoid accidents,” says Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “That’s why we’ve developed a number of advanced driving and support systems that interact intelligently to assist the driver in difficult situations, yet without taking over the driving itself or usurping the driver’s responsibility for safe progress. The task is to assist the driver to take the right decisions by alerting him or her and indicating how best to get out of the situation.”
The all-new V70 will also be equipped with technologies designed to help the driver be more aware of the environment around the car, many of which made their debut on the S80 luxury sedan in 2006. Available features such as Collision Warning with Brake Support can warn the driver if the V70 is approaching the vehicle ahead at a rate where a collision seems likely. It can also pre-charge the braking system to shorten the stopping distance when the driver reacts.
Systems such as Adaptive Headlights respond to the car’s speed and steering wheel input to illuminate more of the road in corners while the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) utilizes cameras in the side mirrors to warn the driver if a vehicle has entered the driver’s blind spot.
The V70 will also be available with the Volvo-developed Personal Car Communicator (PCC). Within 100 metres, the PCC key fob can communicate with the Volvo car to determine if the alarm has gone off and if a heartbeat is detected inside the car.
Versatility is key for wagon owners so Volvo Cars built its new wagon with more interior room. All three rear seats fold independently as does the front passenger seat, making the V70 flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of cargo. Available modifications, such as a power tailgate and sliding load floor, expand the versatility.
“Flexibility is something of a mark of honour for the all-new Volvo V70,” says Ahlborg. “Plenty of space, a three-part rear seat and a number of intelligent functions make loading and travel a real pleasure, both with and without luggage.”
As a luxury car, the V70 can also be equipped with the very latest in Volvo Cars’ choice of audio equipment. Utilizing Dolby Pro Logic II Surround sound processing, speakers from Danish manufacturer DynAudio and digital amplifiers from Alpine, the audio experience in the new V70 is world-class.
Volvo Cars is anticipating a volume of 75,000 units per year with approximately one third to be sold in Scandinavia. Prices have not been announced.
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 44 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company’s product range includes the elegant C70 hardtop convertible, the versatile V70 wagon, the S60 sport sedan, the compact and sporty S40 and V50, and an XC-line of vehicles that includes the rugged XC70 and the award-winning XC90 sport utility vehicle. For 2007, the company is introducing two new models: the second-generation S80 luxury flagship sedan and the stylish and sporty C30.
- 30 -
Contact:
Chad Heard
416-540-4229
chadheard@rogers.com
