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2001 Volvo C70:
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| A luxurious wagon with off-road airs |
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| Updated |
Jul 7, 2004 20:32:06 |
| Rating |
 120 ( -9 -7.5% ) | | Author | Bob Plunkett |
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Description:
A luxurious wagon with off-road airs. Base Price (MSRP) $34,900
As Tested (MSRP) $42,275
Volvo's Cross Country AWD estate wagon, jacked up in the suspension and rigged with a permanently engaged all-wheel-drive device for trekking across rugged terrain, is the company's clever alternative to a sport-utility vehicle. The Cross Country boasts an elevated chassis that rivals an off-road wagon, no-dent body armor to brush aside trail debris and traction applying to all wheels. It can plow down rough routes to reach a backwater fishing hole or camping spot, yet on pavement deliver sophisticated traits of a refined road car with agile handling and a smooth ride quality. In other words, it possesses the go-anywhere attributes of a sturdy SUV when you want to venture away from pavement, but otherwise behaves like a nimble sedan while always coddling passengers in luxurious comfort. The Cross Country comes with an impressive pedigree derived from a new generational design for Volvo's mid-size V70 estate wagon. It stocks a turbo-charged engine and a five-speed automatic transmission, extensive luxury features typically found on European touring cars, plus innovative safety measures. Compared against the V70 foundation, though, the Cross Country stretches 1.2 inches longer in length and is several inches wider due to an expansion of the front wheel track by 2.3 inches. It's also 2.8 inches taller at the roof, with the chassis raised by 2.4 inches to clear 8.2 inches. Volvo's traditional focus on active and passive automotive safety devices carries over to the Cross Country with its safety cell body structure and seats that react to collision forces to thwart whiplash injuries. Occupants are shielded by airbags set ahead, beside and above. Then, to avoid a crash altogether, the Cross Country driver can draw from active safety tools like quick-to-cut steering, anti-lock brakes and a traction controller to reduce skidding and the emergency stopping time. As a bonus, the wagon format creates a generous flat-floor cargo bay in back where an optional third-row seat may be added. A second-row bench splits and folds in three sections to vary the mix of passengers and gear, and an available electric refrigerated cooler box plugs into the center seat section to chill road picnic snacks. Model Lineup The Cross Country shows up in a single body style spinning off Volvo's V70 mid-size wagon: It's a five-door estate wagon hiked higher in the suspension and outfitted with an all-wheel-drive system linked to a 2.4-liter inline five-cylinder light-pressure turbo engine with a five-speed automatic transmission. Pricing begins at $34,900 with many standard safety features aboard, including side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and a traction control system. Accessories and luxury equipment grouped in packages add to the bottom line, such as a leather upholstery kit for $1,300, touring gear for $1,250, a power sunroof at $1,200, premium audio with in-dash CD player for four discs ($1,000), and Volvo's pop-up navigation system ($2,500). Walkaround Using the basic sheetmetal structure of Volvo's V70 wagon, the Cross Country variation stretches long over a wedge-shaped shell that's cocked high at the boxy tail but slammed low in front for a tapered nose. An exceptionally wide wheel track spreads the body across a broad platform. Protective body cladding rings around the base of the body, uniting deep front and rear bumpers, wheelwell flares and door sills. The cladding contrasts against painted metal surfaces of the wagon to create the illusion of an even higher stance. The plastic compound used for the protective cladding is tinted a dark shade throughout so off-road scrapes and scratches will not be obvious. In front, the cladding rises above a massive bumper to surround a rectangular chrome grille inset with a bold egg crate pattern and Volvo's signature diagonal slash bar. Stepped creases in the bowed hood taper inward from the broad base of the windshield to sides of the grille and thrust it forward as the leading edge of the wagon. Long horizontal headlight clusters shielded by curving polycarbon lenses tuck into notched recesses on each side of the center grille, while round foglamps cut into the thick bumper. On sides above rolled shoulders, body-colored pillars and dark window glass bend inward to reach the roof panel, softening hard corners and diminishing the visual massiveness of a wagon's rear bay. The rear liftgate also bows slightly in curvy profile but maintains an essentially vertical plane to maximize interior cargo space. Composed of steel-reinforced polyresin fiberglass, the top-hinged gate mounts between rear pillars capped by long and narrow vertical taillights. On the roof, a pair of rails linked by two sliding cross braces set up a flexible car-top carrier for extra cargo or sports equipment such as bicycles and kayaks. Interior Features The plush passenger compartment of the Cross Country provides luxurious seats trimmed in a muted monochromic color scheme. Volvo has some great interiors nowadays, but the seats in our Cross Country came in dark brown leather that wasn't as appealing. A conventional layout puts two bolstered buckets up front on either side of a multi-purpose console. The second-row bench seat features three-point safety belts for three positions. These seats feel extremely comfortable, but they can also perform tricks when necessary for safety or saving space. For instance, each front seatback contains a device designed to minimize the whiplash effect during a collision from the rear. At the onset of such a crash, the seatback moves rearward to reduce acceleration forces induced on the rider's back and neck, as the headrest pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head thrust backward. The broad rear bench fits three adults comfortably. It splits into three sections of 40/20/40 percent, and each seatback can be flipped forward to form an extension of the flat cargo floor in the rear. Also, the smaller center section may be removed entirely, creating either an aisle for access to the rear bay or space for an accessory, such as a removable softside gear bag or the hardside electric refrigerated box for stashing car snacks. You'll need to spend some time reading the owner's manual to fully appreciate versatility of the rear seat design. For infants and toddlers, anchors are in place in the bench seat to secure two designs for rear-facing child's safety seats that use a base frame to house a cradle-style padded seat with integrated safety straps. One style fits infants weighing up to 20 pounds and another suits a child up to 40 pounds. The generous cargo bay can be fitted with convenience items like a container for shopping bags ($125) or an optional third seat sized for children. The third seat is included in a Versatility Package ($1,150) that also brings a cargo net divider draped vertically behind the second seat and a horizontal cargo security cover. Cross Country appointments include power controls for virtually all equipment and an automatic climate system, with deluxe audio equipment available including one kit with an in-dash compact disc player for four CDs ($1,000). The stereo is a challenge to learn how to use and the operation is fussy. Most of us don't need to save 20 stations. Driving Impressions On pavement, the Cross Country behaves like an agile European touring car with a lush but firm ride quality and quick steering responses, due to a stiff structure anchoring independent suspension elements with front MacPherson struts and a rear multi-link axle, plus rack and pinion steering. Away from pavement on rough terrain, it changes character and acts more like an off-road vehicle, thanks to the elevated chassis, nubby Pirelli Scorpion tires and an all-wheel-drive system that automatically channels engine torque to the set of wheels that gets good traction. The Cross Country we steered up a rugged two-rut trace on Mount Manchester in Vermont maintained steady forward progress, despite trail obstacles like rain-slick rocks and tire-sucking mud traps. With the higher suspension we cleared all bumps and debris without fear, and the automatic traction distributor kept tires rolling so driving became no-brainer easy. Volvo's all-wheel-drive apparatus normally directs about 95 percent of the engine torque to the front wheels, although when on-board sensors detect wheel spin the mechanism can redirect the power to whichever set of wheels has the best tire bite. It's a seamless system that functions automatically, so a driver never must make a conscious decision to shift into four-wheel-drive mode. A traction controller for all four wheels operates in conjunction with the all-wheel-drive system to brake a spinning wheel, and anti-lock controls for the disc brakes also work when needed to help maintain stability on pavement as well as dirt. For muscle, the Cross Country draws from a 2.4-liter inline five-cylinder light-pressure turbo-charged engine that generates 197 horsepower. It produces high torque at relatively low engine speed without the typical turbo lag, bringing fast off-the-line starts and still enough juice retained at highway speed to inspire a quick pass around slower traffic. The engine mates to a five-speed electronic automatic transmission equipped with Volvo's Geartronic mode that allows shift-it-yourself maneuvers. Simply slap the gear lever to the left and lock it in the gate, then push the stick forward to move to the next higher gear or tip it rearward to drop to a lower gear. It's useful for working through heavy traffic or undulating terrain. All mechanical aspects of this vehicle work together to create a stable stance and proficient manners, whether on the road or off on a trail. It's easy to maneuver, rather frisky in a run through some esses on a hill course, and, with the stretched wheelbase and refined suspension elements, still plush on pavement. The aggressive Pirelli Scorpion tires make slightly more noise than a regular all-season tire, but are well within acceptable bounds. Final Word Based on the V70 station wagon, the all-wheel-drive Volvo Cross Country comes with body armor and a tall suspension for easy off-road forays. Yet on pavement it delivers the plush ride of a refined European touring car. It features luxurious appointments in a spacious passenger compartment. The Cross Country delivers many of the sure-footed benefits of a rugged sport-utility wagon, but without an SUV's poor ride quality and sluggish handling traits. |
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