Volvo V70

Model year 1998 (in North America), saw the V70 appear as a mid-size, five-door wagon/estate. The Volvo 70 series — both S70 sedan and V70 wagon — descended from the very popular Volvo 850.

First Generation V70

The 1998 V70 replaced the boxy, square corners of the 850 with rounded edges and a more “family friendly” appearance package and design, an example being the window controls moving from the spill-prone center console to both front doors.

In 1999 Volvo offered the V70 in base, GLT, and T5 versions, all with front-drive. V70 R and XC (Cross Country) wagon featured all-wheel drive. Output of the R wagon engine rose from 236 to 247 horsepower.

For the model year 2000 Volvo trimmed its V70 wagon lineup, dropping the base AWD version and the front-drive performance-oriented T5.

Second Generation V70

The second generation of V70 wagons was introduced in 2001 model year (North America) and continued through MY 2007. Built using the P2 platform, the V70 mimicked the curved edges of the Volvo S60/S40 models, making it more sporty in appearance. In 2004, a facelift slightly changed the tail lights, grille, bumpers, and offered more comfortable seating.

This V70 shared Volvo’s P2 platform with the S80, S60, XC70, and XC90.

This V70’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than the first-generation V70, and it’s 2.4 inches taller and 1.7 wider. Those extra inches provided a pleasant increase in interior space over the older model.

The introduction of the 2001 redesign saw the V70 lineup include the entry level 2.4T, all wheel drive XC, and the higher performance T5. A rear-facing seat is available for all V70s, and boosts the passenger capacity to 7.

In 2002, the Volvo V70/XC lineup got a new “regular” all-wheel-drive model named 2.4T AWD which featured a standard suspension and trim. Also in 2002, Volvo’s stability system — DTSC — was available for all models except the base 2.4 wagon, while being standard on the T5. Traction control was standard on all front-drive models.

The Volvo V70 2.5T AWD and XC70 got a power boost to 208 hp in model year 2003 wagons, up from 197. The fast T5’s power was up as well, to 247 horsepower. This lofty horsepower rating was once the sole property of the very fast and very rare R model 850, but in 2003 it became standard on the T5. After a 5-year hiatus, the Volvo R wagon was available once again with a 300-hp engine.

This second-generation V70 is still being produced in Europe as the V70 Classic.

Third Generation V70

The third generation model was hailed as a more up-market car than the previous generation models. The newest model offers a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, with front or all-wheel drive options. The third generation moved to a Ford EUCD platform, although it shares many of the interior features with the second generation V70.

Considered one of the most luxurious interiors in its class, the newest V70 wagon boasts comfort and safety features such as self-opening tailgate, an automatic parking brake, climate control, front and rear parking sensors, automatic windshield wipers, and heated seats.