By Peter Bleakney
 2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Click image to enlarge |
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2009 Volvo XC70
Toronto, Ontario – With the full-sized luxury SUV being a vehicula non grata these days, it stands to reason the full-sized luxury station wagon should be the default choice for those shying away from the big sport-ute stigma.
So, where does one suffering from Canyonero withdrawal go? I’d suggest the Volvo store: the 2009 XC70 T6 seems perfectly tailored for this crowd. First off, this large all-wheel-drive wagon is the most SUV-looking non-SUV you’ll find. With its raised ride-height, 17-inch wheels shod in high profile rubber, lots of tough-guy body cladding and front and rear skid plates, it appears ready to tackle the Rubicon Trail – or at least that bumpy road to the cottage.
  2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Click image to enlarge |
Backing up the $51,595 XC70 T6’s visual presence is some new-for-2009 under-hood oomph. A transversely-mounted turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six generates 281 hp and a 295 lb.-ft. torque plateaued from 1500 to 4800 r.p.m. The standard XC70, at $44,095, continues with last year’s 235 hp, 236 lb.-ft. 3.2-litre naturally aspirated six. While the base car feels just adequate in the get-up-and-go department, this blown version flies down the road with ease. There’s no perceptible turbo-lag and power delivery is smooth and linear. Volvo claims fuel economy is down only slightly; I saw a reasonable 12.5L/100 km over my test week.
What hasn’t changed is the XC70’s interior, which remains a lovely place to spend time. Built on the S80 sedan’s platform, the XC70 gets a high quality and very roomy cabin, featuring Volvo’s stylish and ergonomically sound floating centre console. Sweeping across the dash and door panels are swaths of unique etched metallic trim. Factor in this tester’s Sandstone Beige treatment with perforated Espresso Brown leather seats (part of the $3,500 Luxury Package II), and you’re about as far away from the default all-black luxury interior as possible. For coffee lovers, sitting in this T6 is like having a bath in a mocha latte.
 2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Click image to enlarge |
Standard in the 2009 XC70 T6 are dual-zone climate control, sunroof, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity and Sirius satellite radio.
Volvo has always done good seats, and the eight-way heated chairs here strike a fine balance between comfort and support. Back seat room is generous. This wagon featured clever two-stage integrated child cushions that, for any parent who has wrestled with the traditional kids chairs (been there, done that), will seem like a gift from the angels of mercy. The bottom seat cushions flip up to two different heights, accommodating tykes of all sizes. These are part of the aforementioned Luxury Package II that also includes active bi-xenon headlights, rain sensor, park assist and Four-C Active Chassis.
The 40/20/40 split rear seats fold forward with headrests in place, creating a cavernous 2,042-litre flat load space. In comparison, the BMW 5 Series Touring offers 1,650 litres; the Subaru Legacy Wagon 1,851 litres. Lifting the floor panel reveals a handy partitioned storage area. Additionally, there are two rails in the floor with four sliding and lockable tie-down hooks. All this utility is accessed via a large powered liftgate.
 2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Click image to enlarge |
If for any reason you’re not feeling loved, an XC70 T6 equipped such as this is a sure fix, fussing over you like an overprotective parent. Along with the expected raft of airbags, all-wheel drive, brake assist, traction control, stability control and active head restraints, Volvo offers the $750 Blind Spot Information System (BLIS… get it?) and the Collision Avoidance System ($1,795) that adds Distance Alert (DA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB) and Driver Alert Control (DAC).
Using the active cruise control’s radar, Distance Alert gives an audible warning and flashes red bars at the base of the windscreen when you get too close to the car in front. CWAB takes this a step further by applying the brakes if a collision is imminent and the driver does not react. (Statistics show rear impacts represent a third of all reported collisions, and in half the cases the brakes weren’t even applied.)
BLIS warns of cars in blind spots via lights at the base of the A-pillars. Lane Departure Warning chimes in when the driver drifts from the lane or changes without signalling.
 2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Click image to enlarge |
Driver Alert Control monitors the vehicle’s progress down the road, and if the computing powers that be determine you’re tired, distracted or have eaten too much pickled herring, audible chimes and a coffee cup icon on the central display politely tell you to get it together. And Park Assist beeps incessantly when manoeuvring in tight spots. Yes indeed, Big Swedish Mamma is watching, although unlike HAL, Helga can be silenced.
For the truly paranoid, the $950 Personal Car Communicator (PCC), which is a multi-function remote fob, will, among other things, warn you if the wagon’s heartbeat sensor detects a person lurking in the car.
Enough already. How does the 2009 Volvo XC70 T6 go down the road? Very nicely: the engine is strong, the six-speed Geartronic manumatic transmission operates smoothly, and the ride can be tailored, via the three-position active dampers (Comfort, Sport, and Advanced), to go from a nostalgic 70s era wagon-wallow to taut body control with a jittery ride. I found Sport to be the best compromise, but in truth, there is nothing sporty about this tall wagon. The steering remains uncommunicative no matter what.
 2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Click image to enlarge |
But sporty is not what the XC70 is all about. With the Audi Allroad no longer available here, this Volvo and the Subaru Outback are the stand-alone rugged wagons. And it’s no poseur. It shares its platform, Haldex all-wheel-drive, 211-mm ground clearance and standard hill descent control with the Landrover LR2. Blending this ability with sybaritic appointments and innovative safety makes the XC70 a unique animal indeed.
If you want more on-road involvement in a full-sized Euro wagon, look to the $71,000 BMW 535 xDrive Touring, the $77,300 M-B E350 4Matic and the upcoming 2009 Audi A6 3.0T Avant, which should start around $65,000.
This Swede handily trumps the Germans on carrying capacity, and with an as tested price of $64,295, my loaded XC70 T6 could be considered a relative bargain.
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Pricing: 2009 Volvo XC70 T6
Base price: $51,595
Specifications
Related articles on CanadianDriver
Test Drives
2008 Volvo XC70, by Chris Chase Day-by-Day Reviews
2008 Volvo XC70, by James Bergeron
Competitors
Manufacturer’s web site
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