Published in the San Jose
Mercury News
Posted at 12:46 p.m. PST
Thursday, December 11, 1997
Volvo Cross-Country wagon
thinks it's a sport-ute
BY MATT NAUMAN
Mercury News Auto Editor
Whether you think it's a
great car or a good car with a great marketing campaign, there's no doubt that
the Subaru Outback line has been a great success.
What Subaru is selling is
a station wagon that packs a sport-utility image without the sport-utility baggage
-- like a truck-like ride, poor gas mileage and general bulkiness when it comes
to doing necessary things like parking and getting in and out of the vehicle.
You can tell it's a good
idea because people are starting to copy it. Subaru itself has extended the Outback
name from its mid-size Legacy line to its smaller Impreza wagons. It also now
offers something called the Forester, another variation on the same theme.
Audi will soon offer all-wheel-drive,
or quattro, versions of its wagons. Expect others to follow.
Including Volvo, which is
on the market this fall with three all-wheel-drive versions of its V70 wagon:
the $34,420 base model; the $37,385 Cross-Country version; and the $40,995 R version.
The base model and the Cross-Country share the 190-horsepower engine. The R is
for people who want a fast, practical Volvo wagon. It gets a 236-horsepower motor.
The XC, or Cross-Country,
model is the one getting all the attention, and it's the one we drove. It takes
a very functional Volvo wagon and adds amenities, like wood and a CD player, and
some greater functionality, like an all-wheel-drive system and increased ground
clearance and -- presto -- you have a Volvo wagon that thinks it's a sport-utility.
Bo Annvik, a Volvo product
strategy vice president, says the Cross-Country makes sense in the current market.
It has all the safety that Volvo long has offered; about the same storage capacity
as a Nissan Pathfinder; a smooth, on-highway ride; some off-highway capability;
a price tag that's in line with premium sport-utilities; and even a third seat,
rear-facing, to hold a couple more kids.
Volvo's all-wheel-drive
system engages automatically once wheel slip is detected. A driver never has to
flip a switch or push a button. Ground clearance on the XC is 6.5 inches, about
an inch more than the base V70 wagon, which means it's a bit better suited for
a dirt road or slightly muddy trail.
On the road, the XC has
that sturdy, steady feel that I've come to expect from Volvos. The light-pressure
turbo engine moves the car easily.
The car is full of neat
touches, like a drapery that folds out and over from the rear of the car so that
you can load it without getting road gunk from the bumper on your clothes.
The rear features plenty
of cargo nets for orderly storage of your stuff. There's a screen that pulls up
so that a dog could occupy the rear without bounding into the passenger row in
front. It also keeps packages from getting dangerous while airborne, too.
The buildable third seat
is a neat option for when you're traveling with a load of kids. It's an easily
put-together system of seat backs and seat bottoms that is very similar to the
one on the Mercedes E320 wagon.
My biggest complaint with
this car was with its leather-cloth upholstery. Supposedly to give the XC a rugged
demeanor, the cloth part of the fabric is one of the worst I've seen at attracting
stains. Our test car had about 3,000 miles on the odometer, but two of the seats
were badly discolored from its use in a press event up in Alaska. I managed to
dribble some food on the driver's seat -- and wiped it up instantly -- but a large
spot remained.
For a car that will likely
be used to travel with kids, this is a serious mistake. Perhaps more stain protectant
or another type of material is the answer. (Full leather seats are a $600 option.)
Funny how perception shades
the mind's eye. To me, the Volvo V70 XC looks traditionally square and boxy, like
the other Volvo sedans and wagons I've driven in the past. Other looked at the
gentle edges and a hint of roundness and saw a whole new shape emerging.
Either way, the V70 XC is
eye-catching. While not as over-the-top as the Outback, the Cross-County evokes
the same sort of stately outdoorsiness as a Land Rover. Compared to the base V70
wagon, the all-wheel-drive XC gets more pronounced body moldings, a new grill,
front and rear fog lights and a roof rack. All-season tires are bigger and wider
than on the standard wagon.
And, like those venerable
British beasts, the XC is quite charming on the inside. The light birch trim --
a special-order item -- is appealing and airy. It's a good match with the Berber-like
feel of the floor mats and the back-pack-like texture of the seats.
Annvik, who readily admits
that the Subaru Outbacks were the starting point for the Volvo V70 all-wheel-drive
wagons, says his cars offer something more.
``They're an intelligent
alternative to a sport-utility.''
NUTS AND BOLTS
What we drove: 1998 Volvo
V70 XC AWD, an all-wheel-drive station wagon with a 190-horsepower, in-line five-cylinder
2.4-liter engine and an automatic transmission.
Base price: $37,385
Price as tested (includes
delivery charge): $37,960
Curb weight: 3,768 pounds
Length: 185.9 inches
Towing load: 3,300 pounds
Turning circle (curb to
curb): 37.7 feet
Standard features: Dual
front and side air bags; low-speed traction control system; electronic climate
control; rear fog light; cruise control; trip computer; remote keyless entry with
security system; heated front seats; power front seats, mirrors, windows and locks;
tilt/telescope steering column; automatic load leveling; rear mud flaps; leather
steering wheel; leather/twill cloth; AM/FM stereo with cassette player and CD
player; walnut wood dash trim; roof rails; fold-out rear bumper protection.
EPA figures: 18 mpg (city),
24 mpg (highway)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write Matt Nauman at the Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif.
95190.
Return
to Press!
|