Volvo XC70 Wagon

 Volvo XC70 Wagon
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Full 2011 Volvo XC70 Review

What's New for 2011

For 2011, the Volvo XC70 gets more horsepower, an available front-wheel-drive version and a minor shuffling of standard and optional features. Volvo also drops the XC70's price by several thousand dollars to make it more attractive against more modern and efficient crossover rivals.

Introduction

Introduced more than a decade ago, the Volvo XC ("Cross Country") is essentially a Volvo V70 wagon with increased ground clearance, all-wheel drive and rugged SUV-like styling cues. In its younger days, the Volvo XC was a viable alternative for folks who wanted the foul-weather ability, cargo capacity and look of an SUV without the attendant hard-to-park exterior size, sloppy handling and appetite for fuel. These days, the 2011 Volvo XC70 will have a harder time winning over shoppers.

The XC70 hasn't changed much through the years, but even so, there's a lot to like about it. It offers 8.3 inches of ground clearance, more than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLK crossovers, and it's available with a turbocharged, 300-horsepower inline-6. The latter, seen in the T6 trim level, gives the XC70 some welcome pep.

Cargo capacity is pretty impressive, and its total capacity of 72 cubic feet is about 11-15 cubes larger than a typical compact luxury crossover. And of course, safety is paramount when you're talking about a Volvo. Though no government or independent crash tests have been conducted as of this writing, the XC70 offers a wide variety of safety features, ranging from the practical (integrated rear booster seats) to the paranoid (a keyless entry system that alerts you to the heartbeats of potential attackers lurking in your backseat) and the preoccupied (driver inattention alert system).