Earlier in the spring Volvo teased its new XC70, which eschews the nameplate’s former lifted-wagon look in favor of more traditional SUV styling. I don’t care about complaining about that, and you shouldn’t either, because regardless of its name the XC70 seems like a very compelling product — just ignore the fact for now it’s a China-only model that was developed with that market in mind. Now Volvo has fully unveiled the XC70, showing off the exterior and interior designs and giving us more details about its powertrain, which is Volvo’s first extended-range plug-in hybrid.
China is far ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to electrification, and while fully electric models usually make the biggest splashes, range-extender hybrids are hugely popular as well. Volvo president and chief executive Håkan Samuelsson says the new XC70 is for customers who aren’t yet ready to go fully electric, adding that the model is “a cornerstone of our electrified product portfolio, a bridge to fully electric cars for our customers, and it will strengthen our presence in the world’s largest car market.”
Up to 462 horsepower
The XC70 is the first Volvo to ride on the new Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) platform that was developed specifically for long-range PHEVs, so expect more cars with similar powertrains to appear down the line. It pairs a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine with a large 400-volt battery pack and at least one electric motor, but the setup differs whether you want front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Front-wheel-drive XC70s have a 21.2-kWh battery and 318 horsepower, while AWD models get a 39.6-kWh battery and a second electric motor driving the rear wheels, boosting output to 462 hp and giving it a 0-to-62-mph time of 5.3 seconds. It’s Volvo’s first model that has full-time all-wheel drive when driving in pure electric mode.
In AWD form the XC70 will be able to travel more than 124 miles on electricity alone according to the Chinese CLTC cycle, about three times more than any of Volvo’s current PHEVs, and the company says it’ll be able to drive more than 745 miles without needing to recharge or refuel. With the smaller battery it’ll do closer to 80 miles. When you do have to plug in, Volvo says the XC70 can go from 0% to 80% charge in just 23 minutes, and it has vehicle-to-load bi-directional charging capabilities. As with all other Volvos, the XC70 comes with a ton of driver-assist tech, including automatic lane changes.
Handsome styling, as usual
I think the XC70 looks excellent, too. It’s nothing groundbreaking from Volvo, but a great evolution of the current design language. The front end has separate Thor’s Hammer LED running lights with slim rectangular headlights below, and like the EX90 it has a smooth upper nose without a traditional grille. Black trim strips connect those light pods to the trapezoidal bumper design, giving the XC70 a nice smiley face, and there are active shutters in that lower grille. I love the three-dimensional surfacing in the lower doors, which is echoed by indents in the hood.
The tailgate is raked forward a bit more steeply than the XC60’s, and the D-pillar has an even more noticeable kick up at the base of it. The C-shaped taillights are flush against the rear glass and have segmented LED sections like on other new Volvos. Customers in China can even order their XC70 with green paint! In terms of actual size, the XC70 is about 4 inches longer than an XC60 with a slightly longer wheelbase, but it’s a bit lower in overall height.
Real buttons on the steering wheel!
The Chinese influence is much more blatant on the interior design. Instead of a vertically oriented touchscreen like on all other new Volvos (aside from the EM90 minivan), the XC70 has a horizontal 15.4-inch central touchscreen freestanding from the dashboard. In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch gauge cluster display, and a 92-inch augmented reality head-up display is optional. The squircle steering wheel is a new design for Volvo that has actual physical controls on it, and the center console has a crystal volume knob flanked by skip track buttons. There’s a wireless charging pad ahead of the wood center console that floats over a storage space and houses a pair of cupholders.
Especially in this monotone color scheme the XC70’s cabin looks airy and relaxing, and the seats look extraordinarily comfortable, as we’ve come to expect from Volvo. You can also get black or Cardamom Brown color schemes, with the option of Nordico Vegetative Leather made from recycled materials or real Nappa leather with seat ventilation. There’s cool ambient lighting, too.
The XC70 is available to order in China now, with a starting price of around $42,000 for the base model and $46,000 for the longer-range AWD trim. Volvo says the XC70 will be offered in Europe “at a later stage,” with no word on whether it’ll be sold in the United States. That doesn’t seem likely given *waves hands* everything going on right now, but hopefully there are some U.S.-bound Volvos in the pipeline that will share the XC70’s SMA platform and range-extender goodness.
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