Voila! It’s again the Volvo!!!
To be honest, it reminded me of root beer! Now, that’s not because I want to portray Volvo as a velvet fist in iron gloves, but simply because to give an estimate of the excitement (imagine a child and the factor that compels him to choose root beer over coke; there you are!) that the Volvo XC70 delivers.
As a die-hard SUV fanatic, I had faced a lot of criticism from my family; while my elder son is a chip of the old block, his mom and sister are ardent worshippers of everything – in their words – cute and cozy and cuddly and pink. Both grumbled all these years looking forward to a family car but we both are men with an outlook like – ain’t a car if not a SUV; well, we didn’t compromise - until we saw the strong and shapely and AWD Volvo XC70. No, it’s not a SUV – you got it right – but the next best thing to one!
The Volvo XC70 underwent a lot of changes in these eleven years but kept its strong point intact i.e. it’s still the even blend between a station wagon and a SUV. The cladding is rugged; the ground clearance has been slightly elevated – perhaps, it’s the new, refined definition for the crossover market? However, if I have to give an honest opinion, the second-generation Volvo XC70 didn’t require the contemporary, new dashboard to match the plush, supportive seating; with the entire wafer-thin lower panel, it appears more gimmicky and ultra-modern than its real capabilities. The world is itself a complex one; we don’t need another round of complexity while out on a drive! But then again, it was much pleasing to find that Volvo worked hard to keep complexities on the outer side at bay; the tail lamps, no more confined to the body, now have lenses bigger than before. Translated, that’s an added safety measure.
The 208-hp inline-five-cylinder powerhouse is now a straight 27 hp greater and smoother engine that measures a whole 3.2-liter in a V-6 configuration. To match with it, there’s a six-speed automatic transmission counter-balanced by an all-weather-traction system. Another additional feature is the hill-descent control; it brings the vehicle automatically to a safe speed when driving on steep grades. And my, my, I shall require plenty of that, for with a ground clearance of 8.3 inches, I have no doubts that I shall be heading the hills all the more. And that’s for $36,420; I think I’m quite happy to pay that price for something that’s a V-6 with a six-speed automatic transmission and a revamped all-wheel-drive system.