The Volvo V70/XC70 Story

I’ve very fond memories of the Volvo XC70 that we owned, and if I was to get a new car today it would have to be its successor, a plug-in hybrid version of the V60 which are as rare as hen’s teeth at the dealerships around here. The V70 was a continuation of Volvo’s rejuvenation in the 1990s, but successive versions would be subject to the various foreign owners as the company got passed from pillar to post. It’s a car that spanned an important part of Volvo’s history, from success as an independent company to lacklustre sales, back to success under foreign ownership.
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Sources:
www.volvoclub.org.uk/backgrou...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_850
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_V70
sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_V70
Volvo V70 & XC70 brochures
www.volvoclub.org.uk
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_P...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_D3...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oce...
www.media.volvocars.com/globa...
www.media.volvocars.com/globa...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexibl...
sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_D...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geely
www.media.volvocars.com/globa...
www.media.volvocars.com/globa...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_R
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
#bigcar

[@dubster8086]

You must feel very privileged to be one of the last people to interview the late Peter Horbury, a designer who came across as a very humble man, despite being the man who reinvented the Volvo brand. A great man and some great cars

[@BigCar2]

Yes, he was great to chat with. I asked him how long he had for the interview. He said, "well as long as you want, but after an hour I need to go and turn the oven on for dinner"!

[@napraznicul]

..not reinvented, BUT DESTROYED volvo by switching all production to biggest ABERRATION of auto industry and auto engineering (also a nonsense by physics point of view): FWD.

[@Jeffrey_M]

@@BigCar2 He seemed such a nice and genial man. Even though I never met him personally; as an owner of many of his creations and a fan of the Volvo brand, I felt saddened by his passing.

[@samthecar]

@@napraznicul FunWheelDrive

[@yungboicontigo9278]

@@naprazniculuhh you probably didn’t drive a Honda si or type r…

[@WheresJimbo]

Bought a new XC70 in 2006. Still have it, still love it.

[@AndrewCDiprose]

you are so blessed

[@davidhusband5022]

get some taste.

[@KilowattAvenue]

My dad has a 2008 xc70, he says it's a pain in the ass. I still love them tho

[@AndrewCDiprose]

@@KilowattAvenue 2008 probably slightly different from 2006

[@tellit_one3613]

I also have a 2006 xc70 I bought when my daughter was born, and am giving it to her for her first car! I love that car!! Driving a 2013 xc70 now but 2006 is better imo.

[@detonator2112]

My mechanic had a Volvo V70 model year 2009 with 2.4D engine in it on service. It had 1.3 million kilometers on the clock. Yes, 1.3 million. It got 600.000 kilometers as a taxi. These old V70's are crazy solid cars.

[@Ce0ammer]

Volvo has scored in the bottom of Swedish reliability surveys for the last 30 years. Looks like he found the exception to the rule.

[@Ce0ammer]

"Antal större fel per 100 bilar av 2007 års modell." The V70 was the worst car out of all only beaten by the extremely shoddily built XC90.

[@robertwestinghouse4098]

I would go to an older model - 240GL Wagon. I had a 960 Wagon/Estate - brilliant engine, but far to complex. So, I moved the other way and never looked back. Long Live the BRICK. It is rear wheel drive and is a real Volvo.

[@DROPTUNED]

Proud owner of a 2003 V70..... built like a tank.... Will keep it running many years to come...

[@AndrewCDiprose]

me too for as long as possible (diesel automatic)

[@pjhere9699]

07 V70 here will be doing the same

[@Ce0ammer]

Volvo comes in 29th place out of 29 for reliability. At the top is the Japanese Lexus, followed by Toyota and third place Mazda.

[@zamlatuljko]

XC 70 owner here. 2014 D5. Yes family practical car!

[@trainglen22]

The Volvo estates were amazing.

[@AndrewCDiprose]

still are

[@Lando-kx6so]

Are*

[@davidhusband5022]

you need to get out more.

[@Ce0ammer]

​@@AndrewCDiproseVolvo comes in 29th place out of 29. At the top is the Japanese Lexus, followed by Toyota and third place Mazda.

[@SimonWallwork]

Great video. I was a Volvo salesman for 8 years (Linn Glasgow) and was on the 850 launch in 1991 (?). Could I add a few things to your video? 1. The 850/ S70 had four chassis rails- two down low in the normal place, and two more that ran from the lower corners of the windshield forward. These gave the car tremendous stiffness at the front and extra strength in an accident. 2. Your 4 WD 'AWD' car used the normal 850 fwd for the front wheels, and the IRS setup from the 960 for the back wheels. Fitting this to the 850, which hadn't been designed for it pushed it up- thus the extra ground clearance. 3. The ABB thing is true- and very hard for Volvo to break into- it wasn't really about the actual quality of the car. We had many Jewish customers, at our dealership who just wouldn't buy German. They seemed very happy with their Volvo cars. 4. The engines were not just assembled automatically, but the parts for each engine were selected by computer too. The engines were planned to go 100,000 miles without being touched.

[@Jeffrey_M]

That's interesting about the AWD rear suspension, Simon. Than you for sharing!

[@VinDieselS70]

​@@Jeffrey_Mfor those who didn't know is that the 960 multilink rear suspension did not have conventional springs but a transversal composite leaf spring.

[@Jeffrey_M]

@@VinDieselS70 Yes, from the 1995MY facelift.

[@mehrzahl2219]

@@VinDieselS70 really! Just like my 2020 V60!

[@mikeromadin8744]

Oy vey! Volvo is a cosher car! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@rias4297]

I'm lucky to own a Volvo C70 T5 Manual of the same generation as this V70, it's a pure gem, luxury, power and reliability.

[@Spoolingturbski]

My dad was the field technical specialist for Volvo in the 90s. We brought the first Volvo S70 to California from the Arizona proving grounds back in 95. I remember walking out to the driveway when he arrived and seeing the materials used in the interior. So upscale and tight. Still to this day the 70 series is one of my favorites.

[@igorwarszawa7691]

For about two years, I have been using the second generation Volvo V70 from 2004 on a daily basis (2.4 D5, about two hundred horsepower, 400 newton meters (software modification), automatic transmission after major renovation about 20,000 kilometers ago, leather upholstery, automatic air conditioning, full electrics, black metallic, no corrosion and only 498,000 miles). The car has been in the hands of our family since 2011. Unfortunately, my beloved uncle died and I inherited this phenomenal car from him. I live in Warsaw, where this year an idiotic clean transport zone is to be introduced in the city center, to which theoretically diesel cars from 2004 will not be allowed to enter. My late uncle lived in the very center of the city, which theoretically gives me 4 more years of access to the center without any problems (I did not re-register the car in my name, so it is still there in the Volvo system) Sick, left-wing inventions force me to think in all possible ways .

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

An iconic car from the 1990s. I famously remember it being reviewed(twice) on the old style Top Gear by Jeremy Clarkson - he even dressed up as a punk to review the R version! It also had the novelty of the estate version being raced in British Touring Cars during the 1990s - and they on occasions won a few races. It was I believe - Volvo's first attempt at a front wheel drive car(although there was 4 wheel drive version later on). Some unique features of this car include the inbuilt child seat in the back middle row(now probably not legal) and the front passenger seat being able to be folded flat to allow really long items to be placed in the car. The saloon version tends to get forgotten about compared to the estate.

[@per.andren]

Thanks! The first front-wheel Volvo was actually the 480 ES (1986) and later the 440 and 460. But those were Dutch Volvos…

[@DrLoverLover]

The Duett is still Volvos most practical model to date

[@16jan1986]

We need a duet restart

[@dallesamllhals9161]

Tsk! "Voldsom Volvo" anyday! LIVE from Sweden(Hæ-hæ):kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYrLgJuAopyBoMk

[@Low760]

My 740 disagrees.

[@16jan1986]

@@Low760 700 series ..... The car that almost killed volvo

[@alexpetree2038]

​@@16jan1986 ab volvo most likely would have sold volvo cars regardless of their financial standing by 99, with them using money from the sale to buy a stake in Mitsubishi

[@sjokomelk]

The Volvo Mondeo with the 105hp 1.6 Peugeot diesel engine was popular here in Norway at the time due to it's low taxes on the minuscule engine. It was so anemic to drive that I thought something was wrong with the car. You could easily tell that it was meant to have 150hp and 300Nm torque more than that base engine.

[@hammon9670]

As a Volvo xc70 owner I got really excited to see this vid!

[@wichtel-f1813]

I own a 2001 V70 IIwith the old 2.5 TDI, a really great car. It was earlier the car of my dad. Build like a tank, nearly no rust on Body and Supension after 23 years and 630.000 km. Even nearly a year standing on an field after an brocken timing belt didnt hurt him.

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

My favourite car👍🇸🇪🇩🇰 Owned multiple Volvos, currently 2 x V60 2023 Hybrids in the household, super comfy, fast and elegant cars. But my dream Volvo is the older XC70s. GREAT video as always!

[@neilmckay8649]

Owned a '97 V70XC, best car ever. Took it off road, got it stuck and broke it too. Converted to LPG, tank in spare wheel well. I recall that the V70XC model in the USA equalled or exceeded sales of the equivalent V70.

[@chrismartin5129]

Owned my XC70 with 2.5L turbo petrol for 13 years and it was a Swiss Army knife for me. I did everything I asked of it and more. My wife has owned V40 XC for 10 years from new and its delivering the same experiences for her. Geely have been fantastic for Volvo nurturing and extending the brand and its values into the future. I can't wait to drive the new EX30 and imagine what an EX70 would be like - an electric station wagon, not an SUV. Thanks for another great story.

[@nadeemchaudhry6585]

Another brilliant video V70 was a true modern day tank in its time.

[@Ce0ammer]

Thing is that it never was, Volvo came in dead last in the last three decades.

[@pizzalover3]

Great cars. Had a 98, 02, 04 and a 12 S60 but the 04 V70 d5 is the best. A great sounding engine, good performance, excellent stereo, great mpg and they don't rust. Perfect cars.

[@amaccama3267]

The reason I purchased a 2002 model Nissan Stagea turbo is that from behind, it resembles the V70. I've got no badging on the rear, and I don't get pulled over by the boys in blue 😊

[@TheUffeess]

I spoke to a technician at Volvo's development unit, and he said that the years under Ford's ownership were a disaster. Under Chinese ownership, the Swedes have had free rein and it shows in the sales figures. A great video as usual! 😀❤

[@gregfarley715]

The v70R in flash green with atacama interior is one of my dream cars, you will be mind

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

as a V70-1 driver i give thumbs up by default. mine cis currently getting an overhaul in preparation for taking it from 320k to 500k

[@emmgeevideo]

I was hoping you would have spent a little time on the S-60. I bought one in 2003 and still have it. I bought it for my wife who did a lot of "taxi driving" of the kids. I thought it compared favorably in looks to BMWs and of course we valued the safety features. It is a very heavy car and never drove particularly well, but it is a Volvo in the best sense.

[@sherpafan033]

RIP Peter Horbury

[@SimonWallwork]

I'm running a 1999 Audi S8 at the moment- a wonderful car- but if anything happens to it, I'll get me a decent V70- I like the ones with that 'floating' centre console.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Please don’t send the S8 to the scrapyard. Sell it if you don’t want it anymore…

[@user-he8ii5dd6p]

The one I’ve been looking forward to for a while! I have recently bought my dreamcar, V70 2.5T 2008. What a wonderful machine!!

[@markbriggs5531]

Just added to my Watch Later Playlist - I am so looking forward to watching this!

[@enessou]

My first ever car was a 1999 V70R in laser blue with 265hp. I had a bunch of expensive repairs on the AWD system, but bloody hell did that thing look great and sound amazing and feel special. And I love the boxy shape. It's not a negative, it's a feature! Still miss that car. The next one was a 2014 V70, which was not quite as special as the R, but still lovely.

[@paulwhite2533]

I have the exact same car!! 1 year only model

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

Imagine having a V70R as a first car. Mine was a 997cc Suzuki swift!

[@enessou]

@AWMJoeyjoejoe Haha, yeah I had some money from the army at the time (we have conscription here) and I figured I'd treat myself.

[@JeffKing310]

Great review of an iconic car! Thanks Andy!

[@LivetoDriveUK]

Excellent video as always. Great timing for me as I’ve just purchased a low ownership 33k miles 1997 S70.

[@virtuosoification]

just today went out to the store and in the parking lot was a quite nicely taken care of s70 in red standard even ! and then i come home to see youve posted this ! love the strange connection there love your videos and of course hearing from volvo directly was awesome , at the sacrifice of our 01 pathfinder we now have a v60 not a true volvo but still love it

[@rbejva]

I own a 2019 V60 - hands-down the best car I’ve ever driven. Puts a smile on my face every day. Handles like a dream.

[@ropersf]

One of my favorite bands, saw em twice in SF when I was a teen in the early 80's. SoSad about D. Watt is great loved Firehose and all his work. "This Bob is Dylan to me" Also because of Minutemen I got into Wire, Gang of Four, The Fall and Ornette Coleman.

[@gavinward2982]

Magic. Been waiting on this one. Thank you.

[@alk7934]

We purchased a 2014 XC70 a few years back. We love it. Don't drive it a whole ton, but have had no problems at all. Looks good, smooth ride, decent features, most comfortable seats I have sat in since our 91 Cadillac. Car feels super solid. Love it.

[@volvofreak86]

I love my 2008 XC70 D5, even at it's weight of 2 tons it's suprisingly quick, it is a real joy to drive once you start using the turbo more, and the AWD of course hasn't left me stranded on unplowed roads or deep snow

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great vlog as always! Keep up the good work! Be safe!

[@kmorton54]

Chris thanks for all your excellent videos on Volvos

[@zteburner5882]

Great video... Thank you!

[@malikhaji2764]

Thank you Sir for all the car information.

[@henktulp4400]

I have owned a ‘99 V70 for some time back in 2019…. FANTASTIC car!… even after the 500.000km it had already covered…. The present owner is just as happy with it to this day!! Old Volvo’s are the best cars ever made..

[@joshuared1000]

Well done, as always =) I have always loved the V70 and have been looking for another one to mod. They are just so much fun

[@adamlee3772]

Superb video about a superb car.

[@Patrick76496]

Actually the sneak peak of the new design language wasn't really the S/V70, but the S/V40, which were released a year before in 1995, the very first actually not angular Volvos since the 70s and the first ones to utilize the new naming scheme from the start. The S/V70 copied the frontend design of the new X40 models which were also designed by Peter Horbury. I'm sad that these cars always get forgotten about in any internet media about Volvos.

[@Low760]

That's because they aren't very good in my experience. They were a car.

[@Patrick76496]

@@Low760 I'm fine with my late 2002 2.0 NA. Fast enough (for me), the M56 trans is good, nice to look at (which was the reason I chose this) and the half leather interior is also decent to sit in. CC was also a rare feature in this age of EUDM cars, overall I'm happy I went with this for my first car.

[@Ce0ammer]

​@@Patrick76496CC as in cruise control? Rare in 2002? You must have been comparing with some odd cars.

[@Ce0ammer]

​@@Low760When it comes to reliability the 40 series wasn't worse of than the other series, however that was related to all of them being in the bottom.

[@Patrick76496]

@@Ce0ammer Yeah, when I was searching for a vehicle a looked at a lot of examples on the used market, mostly similar category cars (like Mazda6, Accords, Primeras and Lancers) and out of all the cars I've seen at least 75% of them didn't have it. Heck, even my father's nicely specced 7 year younger Mondeo doesn't have it, nor my colleague's 05 Accord. If you're american, I can see it's a common thing, but Hungary is quite a poor country and I can see people just cheaped out on these features back in the day. Cannot speak for the entirity of Europe, but I know that a USDM version of any car is usually way better specced than the EUDM one. They didn't even bother bringing any of the naturally aspirated engines there with the S40 and whenever I see USDM S40s in videos they usually also have a sunroof, meanwhile I rarely see them on EU models.

[@Burztur99]

I own 1997 V70 2,5 tdi and I'm hyped to watch this episode... my most beloved car.

[@shaywhelan1]

I had one like the silver model that appears at 23 seconds. It was my son's favourite car from their childhood, possibly the seats in the boot being a big novelty. I'm still tempted to get one of the last models. It is such a handsome estate car. Thank you for doing this video.

[@BoJansen-dz9qf]

Awesome video! Please also do the Volvo C30 sometime, love the Volvo content

[@markbriggs5531]

Really enjoyed this video - it brought back fond memories of my dad and his S80T6, V70, XC70 and lastly a new model XC90. I suggested a Volvo to him many years ago when GM abandoned this sector with the of the Vauxhall Omega. I always liked Volvo's ever since I was a lad and watched the Good Life and Gerry Leadbetter drove a Volvo 145DL estate - happy days :)

[@bugsshmoney6980]

you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this video. hoping for one on the XC90 soon!

[@Ce0ammer]

Going to be interesting to see if he mentions that both generations of the XC90 have been at the bottom of every Swedish reliability index.

[@JosephByrne]

Love a V70

[@jarletronerud]

I love the design of the (facelifted) 2005-model!

[@williamreynolds1163]

Very interesting .I have a 2016 XC70 which I think was one of the last imported into the UK .It was owned by Volvo uk for 18months and then sold through their nearest dealer in Maidenhead where I bought it.I have a feeling mine was a despecced version .It had 4wd and d5 engine etc ,but not things like electric seats and luxuries like that ,not that it bothered me .Before that I had an XC90 and I have to say the XC70 is light years ahead of it as a driving car .It is actually very quick and great for the motorway . I lived in Canada for many years and had a Ford Freestyle which i discovered was based on the XC90 platform ,the downside with that was it had a CVT engine . Anyway i am hoping the XC70 will outlast me !It has only done 60K so hope that will be the case!

[@seanhershey3390]

I’m on my second xc70 & 5th Volvo …love them

[@MrAlexrowlands]

Superb cars, I owned an 850 then several V70s over many years. Powerful comfortable superb for towing massive capacity. I think the still look good today and havnt dated. Only problem was they would eat front.tyres like many big FWD diesels. An all time Great

[@NLBassist]

What a great vid again. Normally I'm quite up to date with modern features, but the brakes being closer to the disc is new for me. Nice! You're never to old to learn, and that's why I watch Big Car almost religiously.

[@Low760]

Most car makers do it on brake alert, they prime the abs pump really.

[@martinponc8021]

I have V70 classic, year 2000, one of the last ones. I love everything about the car, character, luxury, practicality, the 2.4l gasoline five and the fact that it still drives better than lots of new cars. But I want to put it in garage in the near future and buy some new car. Mainly beacause i want to preserve it for later and drive it just ocasionally. I'm 28y.o. and even though I own the car last 7 years I'm still surprised that my "garage car" will be boxy Volvo, but I can't help myself.😁

[@o_dubski]

As an s70 owner this is a treat

[@chekiechekie]

We have a 1997 V70 20v, and to this day still gets more use than our 2017 V90 D4. Its a lovable car, because it feels like part of the family. We've grown up with it, and we love its quirks and the engine noise. Its also relatively easy to self-service, replace worn out parts etc - none of the complex electronic stuff that "modern" cars have. The P80 platform V70 is still delightfully analogue, ride quality isn't great as we upgraded to 17" wheels from the 1st gen C70 to replace the original 15" ones, but it does country lanes as well as could be expected of it. Its kind of a pity that there really aren't that many left in UK in good condition. Value of gen 1 V70's are generally crap unless its a T5. Seems 850s get more love though... hmm boxy?

[@justincork3838]

I currently own a 2007 p2 v70 d5 se lux manual. Brilliant car! 207,000 miles and ticking along beautifully!

[@JerraPremium]

Great video! The integrated child seat and SIPS were already on the 850, the same for the extra bench seat in the back.

[@jamesvioleen]

I just love how my 2012 xc70 looks from all angles. got it on 18 inch aftermarket wheels with 255 width tires

[@sailingspark9748]

Many years ago I had an 850 Sedan with the rare (in the US) 5 speed manual. It was a wonderful car and the inline five had quite the song when revved out. I bought it cheap as nobody wanted a midsized car with a manual transmission. Currently I am thinking of buying a new volvo, the V60 polestar engineered is called me.

[@snoopy10411]

We love our 2011 XC60 D5 AWD, it's done 179,000 miles and counting. Still lovely to drive.

[@MrRickp78]

I had one of the last of the XC70s, a 2016 D5 230hp with Polestar tune, for seven years and it was probably one of the best cars I've ever had. It was so comfy, drove well, great engine etc. I quite miss it! Also had a 2009 V70 r-design plus a v60 r-design. They were all great. Sadly Volvo don't really make anything I want anymore, so moved to another marque now.

[@AndrewCDiprose]

yes the new ones are not attractive at all... the D5 was a great engine even the less powerful ones

[@outtolunch88]

My wife made me buy her brother's 2015 D5 Polestar. It's truly the best all-rounder car I've ever driven. Tows the boat as well as the Ford Ranger and is better on gravel roads for a quick fly fishing trip. 600km round trip to Sydney in a day, comfy as you get. Smoke the cheap BMW that pulled out from behind you at the lights, why not. About to hit 200,000 and it's in better condition than Fords, Hondas, Toyotas and Subarus at half that mileage. Sheer quality, and while the parts may be expensive, the labour is reasonable as they're built to be maintained. It's a keeper and my second-last car ever. 😁

[@rashidjalaljalaluddin]

Nice turbo and safe sport best station wagens of all times it is of volvo dear ❤😊

[@loberant]

I miss my v70r :(. The most comfortable seats ever.... and the suede. Loved it so much....

[@paultucker1272]

We've never had an XC70, although a good friend did and it was our wheels to Le Mans a few years back, so happy memories of that particular car. We had a Mk1 XC90 that we loved and now have a 2013 V60 which is another fine car. I love how Volvo don't try to be overtly sporting, that's not really what you want from a daily driver for moving the family and the springer spaniel. If/when we can afford it, we'll upgrade to the latest V60 which I think is a terrific looking Volvo both inside and out........and now, it appears, one of the last Volvo estates :( I do hope Volvo see sense and don't just give us "Russian Doll" versions of their SUVs!! Keep up the great work on the videos :)

[@panaceiasuberes6464]

Ons of my all time favourites.

[@sports872]

I would love the XC70 to be my next car. I hope a good one with decent milage is available when the time comes.

[@rpkruizinga9599]

Another great episode, and I love this car so much. The 850 was a great big and small step at the same time to move the brand away from the old boxes (Who I also love). Just enough to nudge perception and the 850r (tr-5) really had a huge impact on the cool factor of Volvo. The first V70 wasn't as tight of a design, but the XC version was another very good marketing exercise, paving the way for the later XC90 and transforming the brand from a focus on safety to a lifestyle product. As an automotive designer, I know many colleagues who would agree with me that the P2 V70 is an absolutely classic design; the proportions were all just about right, and although it lacked the excitement of BMW and others at the time, the design is truly timeless. I personally am thinking of replacing my late 2011 SAAB 9-5 Aero for a V70r of that time (Yes with the orange interior off course) The one after that was just dreadful, I haven't found a single redeeming line for that design. It was smaller, looked a lot smaller and just messy. The interior was nice though. Anyway just my two cents on these fantastic models.

[@mehrzahl2219]

I can attest that the V70III was larger than the P2. Design is taste specific. I like the first generation most....

[@AndrewCDiprose]

@@mehrzahl2219 but quality wise what is the best? The P2?

[@mehrzahl2219]

@@AndrewCDiprose I had a 2011 V70 D3 (5cyl) drove it 7 yrs and sold it at 325k km. No suspension or other niggles. P2 had more issues (bushes, brakes, DIM) in my experience but the opinions differ a lot.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

Smaller? The P3 is massive! Bigger than the P2 in every way

[@mrnordyk1125]

I had Volvo V70 2.5 FL Momentum Business 2009. I enjoyed this car very much. I miss my Älg

[@kartdriver2009]

I had not realised that he’d passed away. Very sad news indeed. Since about 1993, aside from one year where he had a Seat Ibiza, my dad has had nothing but Volvos. He started with a 740 estate and through the 850, assorted S40s and S60s, S70 and V40s, a V60 and XC60s he now has an XC40 hybrid. I’ve been lucky enough to drive quite a few of them and the designs have dramatically changed since that 740. The 850s that he had were excellent with their 5 cylinder burble but the interiors were pretty slab sided. The mark I S60 was a beautiful car and I recall it had a panel at the bottom of the gearstick that made it look like the stick was floating. The mark ii S40s had the floating centre console where you could store stuff behind it. The most recent ones have a stunning interior which Is very modern and minimalist. They’ve always been extremely comfortable to drive with excellent seats and driving position and very smooth. It’s a big testament to Peter Horbury to have seen first hand how much smarter inside and out they have become over the years, certainly a lot more individual and interesting than the usual German stuff.

[@tellit_one3613]

Thanks for this video! These are the best cars! Would love to hear what you think of the new hybrid models. I’m nervous to buy one

[@alanjl61]

To date the Volvo 850 is the car that has the most fond memories 2.5 5 Cyl 20V amazing engine

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

I have a 2008 D5 SE Sport AWD XC70 with only 18,880 miles when I bought her last October. Now with added Polestar.

[@nicko6710]

I have a 850R Wagon a P3 xc70 d5 as well as the Australian Mondeo XR5. The 850 makes me smile, the xc70 I daily . Unfortunately the Mondeo needs to be sold. They all feel similar in different ways. All capable of moving Ikea flat packs

[@HammerRocks]

I once owned a 1999 V70 20V auto. I bought it second hand in 2010 purely as my sailing kayak & hiking hauler. Its very long low roof with rails is what made me choose it for the purpose. It makes loading my 60-70kg Hobie sailing tri-maran kayak on the roof so much easier than my tall SUV. Plus its cavernous rear cargo space made it extremely suitable to carry all my sailing/adventure gear. While I bought it just for that purpose, I soon warmed up to it, for it's smooth & quiet freeway cruising capability. The only critism I have on it, is the interior rubberised plastics used in buttons, knobs, & various interior cladding, becoming tacky and sticky. Clearly showing the lack of longevity of the materials used when in a country like Australia. Unfortunately, after a minor accident (just panel damage. No mechanical damage), my insurance company determined it a "repairable write-off". Meaning it was cheaper for them to pay me what I had it insured for, that repair it. But I do look at classified ads from time to time if there is a good one for sale. Perhaps an R version.

[@bren.nan_]

loved my xc70, ended up loving the platform so much i bought the R

[@FPVsean]

I currently own a 2008 xc70, when these launched I was just a budding teenager, and even back then the xc70 managed to capture my interests. Maybe I'm lucky I waited all this time to get one, in 2008 someone forked out 76,000£ in the UK with a huge spec on the car (SE LUX) with touch locking doors, keyless entry and keyless start (it feels like a modern car even in 2024 thanks to that!)and satnav and more. That 76000£ in 2008 translates to roughly 135,000€ in today's money!!!! Volvo really knew how to offer a luxury motor back in those days, you could probably spec the car to a level that would make even BMW jealous back then! They're an astonishing machine, and I hope never to get rid of mine now. Delighted you covered the topic, the xc70 has always held a special place in my heart

[@Ce0ammer]

Jesus Christ! 100 000 pounds for a Volvo?! Absolutely insane. It's the 2008 car with the highest amount of massive faults only beaten by the XC90. Guess the buyer missed that information.

[@JS-1983]

Had 2001 MK2 2,4 gas/turbo automatic, liked it very much. Unfortunately it started to have some problems here and there, but it also had almost 500 000 km on the clock... 😀 But sold it before it get too expensive to fix and needed more economical car too, because high fuel prices, was quite thirsty...

[@AndrewCDiprose]

The V70 from the early 2000s is definitely ABB quality

[@arknu]

Selling Volvo to the Chinese was a disgrace. Sweden should never ever have allowed this. It took a few years, but we are now seeing the consequences and new Volvos like the EX30 are not really Volvos anymore.

[@dc235]

It could have gone the other way like Saab under GM…

[@traviswalker8933]

Well Volvo was losing money and there were really no credible takers to save it.

[@jlcii]

"not really Volvo anymore" How so? Because they are on front-wheel drive internal combustion engine platforms with five cylinders anymore?? What were you expecting exactly? I guess you can say the same for Mercedes-Benz and BMW electric models for not being the traditional formula of inline 6 engines , and rear wheel drive only models. It's called automotive evolution, which has been happening since the days of the horseless carriage. either get with automotive technological advancement, or have at the used car market are you one, at least these automakers alarm for evolving and progressing

[@jellepetje]

Always like your Volvo stories! Will you also do one on the Volvo C30? There is quite a fanbase for it! Maybe if the C30 on itself will not be enough for one video you can take a look at the P1 platform cars (C30, S40mk2, V50 & C70mk2)

[@sambedford5842]

V70s are great cars, I wasn't a fan of the turning circle on my 04 plate though. Great video as always. Would love to see the fiat coupe of the 90s get the big car treatment

[@jjadragna]

Volvo is one of the most underrated brands in the world

[@Ce0ammer]

If you look at build quality and reliability, Volvo comes in 29th place out of 29. So it's safe to say that the opposite is true.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

That V70 at 10:12 is identical to mine! 😅

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

T5's were timebombs.

[@Ce0ammer]

Volvo didn't end up in 29th place out of 29 for making reliability their top priority. Sadly Folksam have shown that a lot of Volvo models aren't as safe as they would like you to believe.

[@mikestech1197]

In my opinion, the 2014-2016 v70 is one of the most beautiful cars ever created.

[@alphastone8362]

Very fond memories for me too. I bought a 2007 V70 on 2010, for US$21K, with 32k mi. I drove it until 2021 with 180K. My first experience with a premium (not quite luxury) European car. Probably the best deal I ever had. While it wasn’t completely trouble free, it was reasonably close. At the time of purchase I wasn’t overly thrilled because I really wanted a BMW but my wife would only let me buy the Volvo. I grew to love it. Even though that 2.5 5-cylinder turbo wasn’t the smoothest, it was quite a workhorse. I’d take over the modern day 4-cylinder w.

[@martintownley5803]

Haha, when the wife knows more about cars than you lol

[@stewartmurray5830]

The spoiler on the R was about separation point for the air that attaches to to rear of the car at speed and reduces drag significantly.

[@chrisperyagh]

I had a strange V70 (Y506 OGM) as it was a 2.5 diesel instead of the usual 2.4 diesel. The log book also says it's an automatic when it was definitely a manual, so not sure if it was converted to manual at some point in its history. I got rid of it after its 2nd cylinder head replacement as that too went porous like the previous one due to the dodgy casting causing a leak between the injector port and glow plug port on one of the cylinders making it difficult to start on some days. I replaced it back in 2016 with a 2006 Honda Accord tourer which has a much cleaner diesel engine by comparison. The V70 estate is nowhere near as large (or capacious) as the 940 estate I had before, what with it being built on a Mondeo floorpan.

[@rintusebastian9088]

My 2009 xc70 3.2 is 350000km and still running as smooth as butter 15 years have made the car age like fine wine

[@Ce0ammer]

Sell it while it runs, it's the least reliable car in Sweden only beaten by the XC90.

[@rintusebastian9088]

@@Ce0ammer 😭😭😭😭 brother but I love it

[@wertywerrtyson5529]

I like the last generation V70/XC70 after the facelift. It looks good and is nice inside as well. Not tried the new V90 though.

[@saykhan2004]

I own a 2002 v70 2.4D and a s60 m66 t5 and enjoy driving them everyday great sound reliability and speed. Would not change them for anything new for sure !

[@jonassteen4266]

Finally!:)

[@oilguygamer1744]

I truly watch all your videos and of course, subscribe. I am Scottish, but live in Thailand and with all the reports. all over Asia. the fact that you would buy an electric car is quite dangerous because most of them seem to ignite very often. Good luck if you buy one, but your brilliant content may end sooner rather than later, Last year 189 cars in China. just burst into flames. 86 in Thailand and 42 in Vietnam. So please be sure to look after your wellbeing.

[@Bobblenob]

I had a 760 turbo back in the day. The saloon version.