Backed by 54 years of ongoing refinement and improvement, Volvo Cars is still the global leader in the segment for large estate cars.
Now the all-new Volvo V70 has entered the market with an innovative combination of luxury and versatility.
"This segment has been our specialty ever since we invented it back in the 1950s. Our competitors can count on us remaining number one in the future too. In the all-new V70, rear passengers and luggage both ride in first class," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.
The segment for estate cars is growing and the demands on the cars themselves are increasing as more and more sedan owners appreciate the added versatility that this roomier car type offers - without having to compromise on design, comfort or driving dynamics.
"The attitude towards the estate car has undergone a significant change. With greater focus on design and comfort, the all-new V70 is both luxurious and practical, not just for families with growing children but also for all active people with high demands on their cars. In fact, we expect that half of all V70 buyers won't actually be families with children," explains Fredrik Arp.
Completely new vehicle architecture
By using a completely new vehicle architecture, Volvo's designers and engineers have gained a number of advantages:
Still a genuine estate car
Despite its injection of comfortable luxury, the all-new V70 still inherits its genes from classics such as the Volvo Duett, Volvo 245 and Volvo 745. Here too Volvo is taking a huge stride forward with a luggage area that has increased in both volume and versatility.
A number of smart new functional details and accessories allow the V70 owner to individually adapt the car to suit his or her specific needs. The rear seat's 40/20/40 split makes it the most flexible in the segment. Other smart examples include a power tailgate, sliding load floor and a storage compartment under the luggage area floor that locks when the tailgate shuts.
"In the leading estate car, the cargo should naturally ride as comfortably as the passengers do. Every little detail in the luggage compartment and all the accessories have been specially designed to give the correct feeling of luxury without compromising on the smart functionality that is and remains our mark of honour," says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin.
The rear of the all-new V70 has a more dynamic, more sculpted shape than in today's model. The eye can even discern a forward-leaning upper tailgate section.
"Using innovative design, we have once and for all put to bed the boxy shape traditionally associated with our estate cars. From the outside, the car has a dynamic stance. But with the help of the smart overlapping tailgate, which takes the tail lamps up with it, the space inside the car is larger than in the previous V70," says Steve Mattin.
Sales target 75,000 cars
The company's target for the all-new V70 is an average of 75,000 cars a year. About 80 percent of the cars will go to Europe, with the domestic Swedish market being without doubt the largest, accounting for a third of the total volume.
The all-new Volvo V70 was unveiled together with the all-new XC70 at the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2007.
"Since first-class estate cars are intimately linked with our brand name, it is vital that we retain the initiative. Personally, I am fully convinced that the all-new V70 will attract both established and new buyers. It is the ultimate estate car, more luxurious, comfortable and practical than ever before," says Fredrik Arp.
