VOLVO XC70 - MY2007
Launch
The Volvo XC70 was developed in parallel with the second-generation Volvo V70 and was launched in autumn 2000, badged as the Volvo V70 XC. It was not Volvo’s first Cross Country model, but it did give the XC concept a stronger profile than before. The Volvo XC70 is a robust and flexible car designed for enhanced freedom of movement and demanding conditions.
The Volvo XC70 features electronically controlled All-Wheel Drive. It has the ability to make its way on very poor roads, even when towing a horse-box or boat trailer.
Business project manager: Lars Erik Lundin
Design
Cross Country – five-door estate car offering enhanced flexibility.
The Volvo XC70 has much in common with the Volvo V70, with a gently rounded nose section, a roof line that extends straight all the way to the rear of the car and an abrupt tail section. However, the higher ground clearance, larger tyres and specially designed panels and protective shields give the XC model a tough profile all its own. The grille too is unique to the Volvo XC70. The tail lamps follow Volvo’s modern form and sweep up towards the roof panel. The body, haunches and track are far wider than in previous XC models, in order to promote a more powerful stance, reassuring driving manners and a spacious interior.
Thanks to Volvo’s powertrain concept based on a transversely installed in-line engine, the driver’s compartment has been able to be located far forward. As a result, the passenger compartment benefits from generous length, offering plenty of space for five occupants and bulky luggage. Each passenger seat features a fold-flat backrest. The rear seat in the Volvo XC70 features a three-way split for maximum flexibility. With the seats folded down, the load compartment floor is entirely flat.
Safety
Volvo Cars adopts a holistic view of safety that encompasses both Preventive and Protective safety. Preventive safety is closely linked to the car’s driving properties. The body of the Volvo XC70 features immense torsional rigidity and the car has a sturdy chassis, a combination that results in consistent, predictable behaviour on the road (see also under “Powertrain and Chassis”).
Volvo Cars has developed various information systems designed to help the driver while on the move. One such system is IDIS (Intelligent Driver Information System) which for instance delays incoming phone calls in complex traffic situations that require the driver’s undivided attention.
Protective safety in the Volvo XC70 is structured around a network consisting of exterior and interior safety systems that interact with one another to reduce the risk of occupant injury in a collision. The exterior systems have the task of distributing and absorbing incoming collision forces so that the passenger compartment remains as intact and undamaged as possible. The body is therefore built in the form of a metal cage where all the components interact with one another to ensure controlled deformation. The interior safety systems aim to keep the passengers securely in place and also to reduce the risk of serious injury. In order to provide the most effective protection possible, Volvo Cars has developed a number of in-house systems, such as WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and IC (Inflatable Curtain). All are fitted as standard in the Volvo XC70. What is more, all five seats are equipped with three-point inertia-reel seat belts, belt pre-tensioners and head restraints. The highest possible safety requires that all the car’s occupants always use their seat belts.
Powertrain and chassis
The engines in the Volvo XC70 are five-cylinder, transversely installed in-line units. A five-cylinder engine gives low vibration and smooth operation. Together with large displacement, the five-cylinder configuration provides high torque across a broad rev band, and thus also swift acceleration and excellent driveability within a wide speed range.
The engine range in the Volvo XC70 encompasses two turbocharged engines – one petrol-driven and featuring a light-pressure turbo, and the other Volvo’s advanced D5 turbodiesel with particle filter.
The chassis, with spring struts at the front and Multilink axle at the rear, is set up for stable, reassuring driving manners and alert steering response. The Multilink rear axle is an independent rear suspension system featuring a number of links and it is designed to offer a good combination of controlled wheel movements and high ride comfort. Some of these links have the task of providing a certain degree of anti-skid steering effect. A long wheelbase and wide track, together with a very torsionally rigid body, contribute to the predictable, controlled driving manners. There is extra-high ground clearance for added get-you-there capability. The Volvo XC70 has Volvo’s electronically controlled All-Wheel Drive system with Instant Traction for fast and effective distribution of traction even when moving off on a slippery surface.
Volvo’s advanced DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) stability-enhancing system is fitted as standard. DSTC cuts in and helps stabilise the car if it registers any tendency to skid. An active chassis with advanced Four-C technology is available as an option. With this system, the chassis settings are adjusted automatically to suit the current driving conditions, thus improving both handling and ride comfort. Two alternative chassis settings are programmed into the system. At the touch of a button, the driver can thus alter the car’s behaviour to suit driving conditions and personal taste.
The environment
The Volvo XC70 is designed and equipped to impact as little as possible on the global environment and to offer a clean and healthy interior climate. A petrol engine with low internal friction, efficient combustion and advanced exhaust filtration technology results in low emissions. An energy-efficient diesel engine with particle filters produces low emissions of carbon dioxide and soot particles.
The engines in the Volvo XC70 can be optionally specified with a catalytic radiator coating known as PremAir®. This system converts harmful ground-level ozone into pure oxygen as the car drives. Its benefits are greatest in dense city traffic and in strong sunlight. Volvo’s IAQS (Interior Air Quality System) effectively reduces the amount of particles, pollen, gases and certain unpleasant odours in the air entering the cabin. All the textiles and leather upholsteries are certified according to ÖKO-TEX 100, an international standard that ensures that the interior trim is free from allergy-producing and hazardous substances.
