Volvo's XC70 estate is a dark horse when it comes to power and off-road ability, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring editor
Some of you may remember the Incredible Hulk. Normally he was the mild-mannered Bruce Banner. Push him too far, however, and to the sound of ripping cloth and gutteral grunts, this small middle-aged American became a muscle-bulging green giant. Sadly for Banner's tailor, someone pushed him to the limit at least three times a week.
Volvo owners are not the sort of folk to be pushed anywhere near the limit more than once a year, except perhaps when the Aga breaks down in the cold of winter.
However, even the most mild-mannered suburbanite might fancy the idea of bursting through the seams of his Pringle sweater and showing some mettle every once in a while. So for their motoring dual identity, the Swedish car firm is happy to present the new XC70.
To most observers it looks like a regular V70 estate, albeit one that has been sent to the gym for a little toning.
However, like many of these stealth cars, it offers something more than mere muscular aesthetics.
At a time when SUVs are as socially acceptable as having Robert Mugabe as your best man, some motorists are looking for something that offers competent off-road ability but without attracting the public's ire. Enter the beefed-up estates.
Estate cars are arguably the most under-rated format on Irish roads. Offering all the practicality of a family van, the modern versions no longer mean a compromise in handling or performance characteristics. If you are in any doubt about that, simply take a spin in a BMW M5 Touring or Audi RS4 Avant.
The beauty of these particular cars is that stealth factor. You can potter along with two labradors in the back, or hurtle towards the horizon at speeds that make Ferraris seem as potent as Fiat Pandas.
Alternatively with these rugged estates, you load up for the school run before criss-crossing the playing fields with horsebox in tow. It's their dual functionality that appeals.
Dressed discreetly for the office run and the shopping centre car park, at the first sign of trouble the XC70 can shed its estate image and battle with the best of the SUVs across the muddy fields.
The most obvious limitation to its off-road ability is its ground clearance. Unlike its arch-rival, the Audi All-Road, the XC70 can't call upon a fancy air suspension system to raise and lower the car.
However, it does come with a ground clearance of 210mm. That is only 7mm lower than the proper SUV from Volvo, the XC90. It's also 25mm higher than the Audi will ever reach even with its advanced air suspension.
Volvo doesn't claim this is the ultimate off-roader, and buyers won't be trading in their Land Cruisers or Defenders for it. However, as a soft-roader, it's arguably more competent than many of the dressed-up SUVs we've driven in recent times.
Electronic gadgets include hill descent control that slows you down on steep slippy inclines and helps you tiptoe out of trouble.
It doesn't have a low-ratio transmission option, but the four-wheel-drive system is admirably capable of getting you out of the sticky stuff without too much complaint.
Think of this as a proper horsebox-pulling estate that will help you escape a rain-soaked Barbara Streisand concert without the assistance of a tractor.
It's actually aimed to sit snugly between Volvo's official SUV entrant, the XC90, and the upcoming crossover XC60. That would seem like a pretty micro-niche - but for the fact that this car is not really aimed at European buyers. Any sales on this side of the Atlantic are a boon. The bread and butter XC70 sales are in the US.
There, this version of the Volvo estate outsells the regular V70. To our American cousins, this car is the icon of Swedish family motoring.
Those sales facts should not be taken lightly: the popularity of the car in the US is relevant to European buyers in the way it has influenced the car's development.
Whatever about its off-road ability, we all know that 99.9 per cent of its time is going to be spent on tarmac. And it's here that the XC70 starts to show some interesting US traits.
For a start, the car feels quite big and bulky the moment you sit behind the wheel. That view doesn't change as you try to negotiate it through city traffic. It might resemble a regular estate but behind the wheel, it feels like a proper SUV. On long straight stretches, the car hunkers down well and gets on with the job at hand.
However, you never really forget you are at the helm of two-tonnes of metal stretching back over four metres in length.
We suspect on the smooth sweeping roads of New England, this car would feel perfectly poised and reassuring. However, on the badly cambered boreens around Newbridge, it sometimes felt out of sorts.
One compensating factor for European motorists is Volvo's five-cylinder diesel engine.
The well-engineered diesel engines from Germany have often overshadowed Volvo's own oil burner. That's unfortunate for, in the right mix, this hearty diesel is impressive. Here it is developing 182bhp and 400Nm of torque, with an official combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3-litres per 100km (38.7 mpg).
The engine sounds meaty when idling, and it's only when you kick-down that you appreciate its ability. It's fitting for a big hefty car like this to have an equally hefty engine.
The ideal combination, you would think. Yes, if it were not for one element: the transmission. The test car featured Volvo's six-speed automatic Geartronic gearbox. Simply put, it doesn't seem to speak the same engineering language as the engine.
If anything the engine seemed to snarl in frustration at the amateur cog choices of the transmission. Think of the D5 as a Michelin-star chef and the transmission as his spotty college placement sous-chef. While it might seem odd for a car of its size, we'd opt for the manual. It's a pity, because most buyers in this class expect automatic.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WILL NOT mean savings in terms of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) come July, when the new emissions-based system comes into effect.
With a 32 per cent tax due on cars between 191g/km and 225g/km, unfortunately the manual version has a combined rating of 193g/km while the automatic has a rating of 219g/km.
The good news for Volvo is that, while the Audi may have slightly more on-road ability, it's significantly more expensive than its Swedish counterpart. The Audi is priced at €70,750, which is more than the top-level specification version of the XC70. Even when the new VRT regulations come in, both cars are going to be lumped into the same 32 per cent tax band.
In terms of living with the XC70, there's little to fault this Volvo.
For a start, the Swedish brand can certainly lay claim to having the most comfortable seats in the motoring world at present.
Bootspace is very impressive and the rear seats and front passenger seats flip down to offer enormous loadspace, if so required.
As with the regular V70 estate, there's plenty of rearseat legroom and the bench-seat will easily fit three adults.
At €58,500, the XC70 is relatively good value but the SE version is arguably the best buy, coming in at €61,500 that includes leather seats, a power tailgate and automatic wipers.
There's only a few added features between it and the top-level Lux version, and they are arguably not worth the extra €4,000 outlay.
In terms of competitors, the Volvo wins out on price compared to the Audi or more traditional off-road rivals from the premium segment. It also comes with a very impressive list of standard features. On paper, at least, it seems very impressive.
Yet owners must ask themselves whether they will ever use all that added off-road technology. If you regularly find yourself spending weekends lugging a horsebox around, then it's probably worthwhile.
However, if you simply fancy the practicality of it all then it's hard to see why you would pass up on the regular V70 version and save about €5,000. That's the price you pay for adding some hulk to your mild-mannered middle class motoring image.
ENGINE: 2400cc five-cylinder common-rail diesel engine offering 182bhp @ 4,000rpm and 400Nm of torque from 2,000rpm.
SPECIFICATION: Dual stage front and side airbags; kneebag; inflatable curtain airbag; whiplash protection system; ABS braking with anti-fade system and electronic brake distribution; traction and stability control; hill descent control; tinted windscreen; daytime running lights; electronic parking brake; air-con with pollen filter and rear B-pillar ventilation; cruise control; 16" alloys; roof rails.
SE version adds: leather seats; power tailgate; auto wipers.
SE Lux adds: power and heated front seats; 17" alloys; bixenon lights; rear park assist.
Factfile
L/100KM (MPG):
Urban: 10.5 (26.9)
Extra-urban: 7.0 (40.4)
Combined: 8.3 (34.0)
CO2 EMISSIONS:
219 g/km
CURRENT VRT RATE: 30 %
VRT FROM JULY 1ST: 32%
PRICE: €61,750 (plus €2,365 for auto gearbox)
S version - €58,500;
SE version - €61,500;
SE Lux - €65,500