Volvo's
stellar new XC90 SUV has gotten a lot of attention lately, particularly from the
motoring press that has filled the Volvo trophy case with award after award this
year for excellence in SUV-ness. Yet, the XC90 isn't the Volvo's only offering
worth considering for people who like what SUVs do. The XC70 (formerly known as
the Cross Country, or the V70 XC) is based on Volvo's excellent V70 wagon, which
has gotten a suspension lift and some all-season tires to give it some on-road
attitude and off-road credibility. Like
Audi's significantly more expensive allroad, the Volvo XC70 retains all of the
inherent goodness of its mid-sized wagon sibling, including the V70's gorgeous,
ergonomically brilliant interior. Go ahead, treat your tush to these delectable
seats. Slide your feet across the snazzy Berber carpets. Send your ears into aural
bliss with the XC70's high-fidelity sound systems. Seriously, this is one nice
place to spend time. And
that's a good thing, since we spend so much of our lives in cars
usually
moving (sometimes slowly, but moving nonetheless). And to get us moving, Volvo
equips the XC70 with a 208-hp inline-five-cylinder turbocharged engine-not an
autobahn-stormer, but quick enough, and besides, how many of us will be driving
our crossovers on the autobahn. All-wheel-drive is standard (as it usually is
on anything with "X" in its name). To stop us from moving, or at least
from moving in a direction we don't want to be going, Volvo offer stability control
on the XC70 as an affordable ($695) option. World-class brakes with ABS, as well
as front, side and curtain air bags are standard. Prices
start in the mid $30K range, and go up to the mid $40K range if you're heavy on
options.
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