When people consider getting a luxury vehicle to handle the latest snowstorm or bounce up to that vacation cabin without looking worse for the wear, a crossover SUV is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But there's also the 2016 Volvo XC70, a luxury wagon that can handle much of the same thing. To accomplish this, Volvo equips it with available all-wheel drive, a raised suspension for extra ground clearance, front and rear underbody skid plates and lower body panels with material that resists hacks and scratches. If crossovers aren't your thing, this Volvo could be an interesting alternative.
The 2016 XC70 is a five-passenger wagon available in four trim levels: T5 Drive-E, T5 Platinum, T5 All-Wheel Drive and T5 AWD Platinum. There also are a number of options packages and stand-alone options.
Standard equipment for the XC70 T5 Drive-E and XC70 T5 AWD models includes 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, underbody skid plates, roof rails, heated side mirrors, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 40/20/40-split rear seat, a heated, eight-way power driver seat, driver memory settings, a heated power front passenger seat, a tilt-and-telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel and leatherette upholstery. Standard technology features include low-speed forward collision notification and mitigation, a 7-inch central display screen, Volvo's Sensus Connect system with smartphone app integration, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and an eight-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and a USB audio interface.
The standard engine for the 2016 XC70 T5 Drive-E is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It comes with an eight-speed automatic and drives the front wheels. The EPA's fuel economy estimate for the 2016 XC70 T5 Drive-E is 26 mpg combined (23 city/31 highway), which is excellent for a luxury wagon or crossover. Contributing to the front-wheel drive XC70's efficiency is an automatic engine stop-start system (it shuts off the engine while the vehicle is stopped to save gas) that is standard with this engine.