Road Test: 2008 Volvo XC70

Volvo's new spacious, versatile vehicle manages to avoid the worst sins of big, truck-bred SUVs

We Americans are a bit reverse-snobbish. We want our Budweiser without its pesky Cesky roots. We like our bullets to be real, not rubber. And when it comes to SUVs, it damn well better look like one, even if it's fundamentally a station wagon that's lapsed from its catholic roots.

Clever Volvo, then, for giving us what we want, while delivering what we really need with the new XC70. What began its life three lifetimes ago as the more universalist Cross Country—really, a Volvo wagon with a little lift in its loafers—has been recalibrated for our more brash tastes. Now it's all up front and personal, with an in-your-face face and some choice rugged accouterments.

At its core though, it's still a smart way to carry five people and their effects without the typical aftereffects: poor gas mileage, poor visibility, and poor standing among the greens. And it's all in smart tough-guy disguise. You can swagger like a real left-lane cowboy and still respect yourself in the morning.

Keeping the Pace

Mechanically, there's little air between the XC70 and the new V70—or, for that matter, the S80 sedan itself that donated its core to the pair of new wagons.

As in the new S80, the XC70's in-line engine is turned transversely in the engine bay. The 3.2-liter, 238-horsepower six-cylinder engine is the only engine available, though, while the S80 offers a turbo six and a V-8. An in-line five-cylinder turbodiesel with 185 hp will be available in markets outside theU.S.; the gasoline turbo six is under consideration for the U.S.

A six-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is Volvo's all-wheel drive system, which uses a Haldex clutch system to shuttle power from a 95/5 ratio up to a 35/65 rear bias, depending on traction.

So assembled, Volvo predicts a top speed of 134 mph, and a moderate pace of 8.6 seconds to get to 60 mph.

This new engine is smooth, but it's not butter-smooth. There's a faint vibration at lower speeds and a throaty resonance at the top of its range. And while it makes reasonable power, it's not as rippingly sweet as, say, the big six in the Acura RL. The six-speed transmission shifts well on highways, and in manual-selection mode, answers the call for power with a brisk gear change.

Fuel economy figures for the crossover haven't been determined, but a recent drive in an S80 with the same powertrain and a curb weight nearly 400 pounds less yielded a nearly 350-mile cruising range.

Minimizing Sprawl

The XC70 has roughed up its image, but moving off the former S60 architecture to the new S80-derived running gear hasn't changed its light, deft touch.

It has grown, though. The XC70 now has more leg room and more interior space than the outgoing model. There's an extra 2.4 inches of wheelbase applied, which grants more middle-row room. Still, the second-row passengers ought to be small, not strapping: two six-footers riding tandem in the XC70 will find their knees close to the dash and the front seatback. While larger, the XC70 hasn't succumbed to suburban sprawl.