Volvo has made a real effort to improve both the practicality and luxury of the V70 cabin, though this has been a stiff challenge, given the excellence of the old car.
The texture of the upper dashboard and some splashes of aluminium improve the quality aura, as does the sumptuousness of the seats. They look particularly luxurious in the Cranberry leather of our test car, whose so-called ‘Modern wood’ decor also appeals.
More important for many will be the extra 60 litres of luggage capacity and the myriad convenience features that can be had to ease the load-carrying task.
Standard across the range are a 40/20/40 split folding rear seat, aluminium cargo-fixing rails, a folding steel load protection grille hinged from the roof, a concealed tray below the boot floor that locks when the tailgate shuts, a forward-folding front passenger seat (for long loads) and rear seat headrests that dip automatically when the backrest is folded.
There’s ample space up front (though the driver’s footwell is narrower) and back-benchers enjoy decent leg, head and kneeroom, as well as air vents in the B-pillars.
Standard on all V70s are an excellent eight-speaker stereo, rain-sensing wipers, six airbags, a steel load protection grille, a lockable load floor, climate and cruise control, a trip computer, a powered driver’s seat and a forward-folding passenger seat.
The SE Lux tested here also gets leather trim, Modern wood and extra chrome decor, a power tailgate, rear parking sensors, an electric front passenger seat and bi-xenon lights.
Good news is the D5’s decent fuel economy (32.1mpg overall and nearer 40mpg at a steady cruise, with 172g/km CO2 outputs), as well as its low benefit-in-kind exposure and a promising depreciation performance, all of which should make it relatively economic to run for its type.
