Practical V70 sports a wild side
Who knows the madness that lurks in the midnight soul of the Swedish auto engineer?
Writers such as Strindberg and Bergman have allowed us glimpses into the dark side of the Swedish psyche, but only rarely into its essential opposite.
When it does, it tends to manifest itself in such observances as the Midsummer celebration, which is fueled by drinking games and involves Maypoles, maidens and a quaint little ritual known as the frog dance. The front dance is a children’s dance — sort of like the Hokey-Pokey but without apparent rules. Having consumed sufficient quantities of schnapps, adults join in, too.
Little-known fact: Should you ever receive the Nobel Prize, you will be invited to join in a round of the frog dance.
Yes, it’s all a little odd, but it’s charming and you’d probably act like that too if you lived in a country where the warmest day of the year is, by default, considered summer.
Volvo’s V70 R station wagon may be the ultimate expression of the duality of the Swedish soul. It is unassuming, understated and practical in every obvious way but has a wild streak as wide as the Mississippi.
The V70 is a midsize luxury wagon that seats four adults comfortably (although rear-seat legroom is a little tight) and offers optional rear-facing third-row seating. In its plain-Jane form (from $29,805, including destination), it’s powered by a 2.4-liter, five-cylinder engine that produces 168 horsepower; one step up, the 2.5T ($33,165) is turbocharged and makes 208 hp.
In either trim, the V70 is sturdy and well equipped, including such standard features as dual-zone climate control, trip computer, power-fold rear headrests, keyless remote door locks, one-touch power front windows and a tilting-and-telescoping, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The 2.5T adds a power driver’s seat with memory, automatic climate control and faux wood interior accents.
Because it is a Volvo, the V70 boasts a full complement of airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control and receives uniformly high ratings from the safety-testing agencies.
Thanks to the gods of all things good, in neither form does the V70 hearken back to the lusterless vehicles Volvo once made, cars that mirrored the grimmer side of the Swedish character. On the contrary, they’re attractive, comfortable and a pleasure to drive.
With sufficient Aquavit, The 2.5T might even do the frog dance.
But there is another actor in this family, one that doesn’t need to be urged to join the kids on the lawn.
The V70 R distinguishes itself from its brethren with its bored and stroked and more heavily turbocharged engine, which turns out 300-hp, and by a suspension that is surprisingly tenacious during swift sessions through the twisties.
Equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, the V70 R storms from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds; with the optional six-speed automatic, it makes the run in 6.5 seconds, off down nearly a full second from last year, when the automatic had only five cogs.
The V70 R is balanced, nimble and oh-so-willing, though you wouldn’t know it at first blush. Around town, the steering feels light and is less than engaging. There’s some slop at center and very little feedback. The suspension is deceptively slack – too much so for my tastes – but there’s some computer-aided magic in that shock valving.
Volvo offers a range of R-series cars, each of which receives Volvo’s Four-C system for Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept. It combines electronically controlled all-wheel-drive with a semi-active suspension based on a unique valve, made by a Swedish company called Ohlin, which allows shock damping to be adjusted up to 500 times per second.
In layman’s terms, that means the V70 R can behave just like the typical Swede; low-key and soft-spoken one moment and wild and impulsive the next.
Even the AWD system has dual personalities, holding in reserve 59 foot-pounds of torque, which can be allotted instantly to the rear axle when needed for additional traction, such as during hard acceleration. This trick virtually eliminates all symptoms of the squirrelly handling characteristics that afflicted high-powered Volvos of the past.
Of course, in most cases, buyers who opt for the R will do so for bragging rights only – rare is the wagon-master who will head out for a lickety-split session on the back roads – and fortunately the V70 R is well suited for the rigors of everyday motoring.
From the driver’s seat, the interior feels spacious and bright. The seats are broad and supportive and, although it can be confusing at first glance, the switchgear works as advertised.
As befits the flagship of the 70-series family, the R is equipped with high-intensity discharge headlights, 17-inch performance tires, bolstered sport seats and aluminum interior trim.
Like the prototypical Swede, who soberly goes about his business 360 or so days a year, and keeps in reserve his secret side for those Midsummer and Christmastime blowouts, the Volvo V70 R is one of the true twin-personality cars on the market.
If Volvo could figure out how to make it run on schnapps, it might also provide solutions to the world’s energy problems.