Volvo revealed its new V70 wagon ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The usual broken embargo forced Volvo to reveal additional details on the V70.

“This segment has been our specialty ever since we invented it back in the 1950s,” said Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp. “Our competitors can count on us remaining number one in the future, too. In the all-new V70, rear passengers and luggage both ride in first class.”

The all-new V70 features many styling cues from the larger S80 sedans and from the brand’s new design DNA that was previewed with the XC60 Concept. With a more athletic stance and more sculpted dynamic lines, the V70 is much bolder than the current model. Rear-end styling continues with Volvo’s characteristic vertical brake lights, which feature a broader base like those from the C30 and XC60 Concept.

The new V70 continues Volvo tradition of safety, with the brand aiming to produce the safest car in its segment. To improve safety child, Volvo has continued to develop its Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) with a stronger body structure, the next-generation of Volvo’s WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), extended inflatable curtains, and a world’s-first height-adjustable integrated child booster cushion. Other safety-minded options include active cruise control and Volvo’s BLIS lane-departure warning system.

The new V70 also improves protection for pedestrians and cyclists, with the front of the car including energy-absorbing soft structure in front of the bumper that helps reduce the risk of leg injuries.

Full press release and photo gallery after the jump.

## Source: Volvo ##

PHOTO GALLERY:

PRESS RELEASE:

ALL-NEW VOLVO V70: STAKING ITS CLAIM AS A SEGMENT LEADER

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 2, 2007 — As a leader in the wagon segment with 54 years of continuous refinement and improvement, Volvo will introduce the all-new Volvo V70 at the Geneva Motor Show in March. With its perfect balance of luxury, versatility and safety, the all-new Volvo V70 sets the standard for premium wagons.

“This segment has been our specialty ever since we invented it back in the 1950s,” said Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp. “Our competitors can count on us remaining number one in the future, too. In the all-new V70, rear passengers and luggage both ride in first class.”

In Europe, the wagon segment is growing and the demands on this type of vehicle are increasing as more and more sedan owners come to appreciate the added versatility wagons offer. But while the overall concept of a wagon hasn’t changed, the buyer has. Today’s wagon intender will not compromise on design, comfort or driving dynamics.

“The attitude towards the modern wagon has undergone a significant change. With greater focus on design and comfort, the all-new V70 is both luxurious and practical. It’s not just for families with growing children but also for active people that demand everything of their cars. In fact, we expect that half of all V70 buyers won’t actually be families with children,” Arp said.

By using completely new vehicle architecture, Volvo’s designers and engineers have gained a number of advantages over the current V70:

* For the first time a six-cylinder engine will be offered beneath the sculpted hood of the Volvo V70 — an efficient 3.2-liter inline-6 making 235 horsepower.
* Space in the rear seat has increased compared with the current V70. Families with young children now also have access to a world breakthrough: dual built-in child booster cushions that can be adjusted in two stages. Providing further protection, the inflatable curtains have been extended by 2.3 inches. Combined with the new booster cushions and the strong body side structure, the all-new V70 provides children of varying sizes with effective protection in a side impact.
* Driving comfort has been considerably enhanced, with superb seats and ergonomically designed instruments. This naturally also includes the elegant, super-slim center console and, in typical Volvo fashion, a world-class audio system.

Volvo’s wagons are strongly linked with the brand’s development. They have been changed through continuous refinement since 1953 when Volvo launched the PV 445. What was originally a focus on the practical application of the wagon as a modern tool for modern families has evolved. Today’s all-new V70 combines a spacious interior with exclusive comfort and dynamic driving properties that put it in the same class as large luxury sedans.

A number of intelligent and functional details allow the V70 owner to individually adapt the car to suit his or her specific needs. The rear seat’s 40/20/40 split makes it the most flexible in the segment. The lightweight design of the rear backrest and the simple folding mechanism are other examples of improved functionality for passengers. Other smart examples include an optional power tailgate, sliding load floor and a storage compartment under the luggage area floor that locks when the tailgate shuts.

The front of the all-new V70 incorporates a unique soft nose with a black egg-crate grille featuring chrome in the vertical bars. This gives the all-new V70 a distinctive, athletic stance when viewed from the front. The climbing waistline also contributes to the forward-leaning, dynamic posture which is further reinforced with the help of the black pillars between the side windows.

The rear of the all-new V70 features artfully sculpted lines that are more dynamic than the current car. The Volvo name on the tailgate features more pronounced lettering with wider spacing than before; a retro feature first resurrected on the XC60 Concept. Viewed from behind, the tailgate makes a strong visual link with the new C30. All the lights above the waistline are LED brake lights. The fixed-position lights on the body sides take on an added role as supplementary brake lights if the cargo is so large that the driver has to drive with the tailgate secured partly open. Another smart detail is that the tailgate’s glass window goes further down at the sides to give the driver added rearward visibility.

Inside and out, the all-new V70 is a premier example of Scandinavian design. Every detail has been designed to focus on clean form and intelligent functionality.

Volvo also looks to the V70 as taking safety to new heights, an area in which Volvo is also well-renowned.

“In developing the all-new V70 we aimed to produce the safest car in its segment,” says Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of Volvo Cars Safety Center. “The V70 model is comprised of a sophisticated network of interacting safety systems, highly efficient energy absorption thanks to its patented body structure and the latest generation of side airbags and whiplash protection,” Skogsmo notes. “Furthermore, we are introducing a world innovation in the field of child safety.”

To improve safety for children in the rear seat of the all-new V70 model, Volvo has further developed the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) with a stronger body structure, extended inflatable curtains, and a world’s-first height-adjustable integrated child booster cushion.

The booster cushion — integrated into the rear seat — is adjustable at two levels, allowing children of different sizes sufficient viewing out the windows, while still providing the most effective protection. The lower setting is intended for children between 42 and 55 inches in height and weighing between 48 and 79 pounds. The upper setting is designed for children measuring 37-47 inches and weighing between 33 and 55 lbs. The all-new Volvo V70 can be equipped with integrated child booster cushions in both outer rear seats.

The adjustable booster cushion means the seat belt geometry is optimum irrespective of the child’s height. The integrated booster cushion is also accompanied by safety belts with specially adjusted force limiters. They contribute to the best possible protective effect by restraining the child with just the right amount of tensioning force in the event of a collision.

The inflatable curtains in the all-new Volvo V70 have been extended by 2 1/3 inches which, in combination with the height-adjustable booster cushions and the strong body side structure, provide more children of different sizes with effective protection in a side impact.

In addition, the comfortable seating of the booster cushions for children helps create a more harmonious atmosphere in the car, resulting is a greater peace of mind for the driver thus providing better conditions for relaxed driving.

To optimize side-impact protection — for all occupants — the entire side structure of the all-new V70 is both stronger and lighter thanks to a well-balanced combination of high-tensile steel of different grades (high strength steel, extra high strength steel and the extremely strong ultra high strength steel). The various components and grades of steel interact to minimize penetration into the passenger compartment, ultimately by design causing the entire car to move sideways — away from the source of a collision.

The new type of side-impact airbag, first seen in the all-new S80, makes Volvo’s patented SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) into an even more effective safety system. The new side impact airbags have two separate chambers — one for the hip section and a separate one for the chest. Since the hips can withstand greater force than the chest, the lower chamber inflates with up to five times more pressure than the upper section. The side-impact airbags interact with the inflatable curtains and the all-new V70 network of safety beams to provide the most effective protection in the segment, if not the industry.

The patented front body structure in the all-new V70 is divided into zones, each of which has a different task during the deformation sequence. The outer zones are responsible for most of the deformation, lessening the closer the collision forces get to the passenger compartment.

In order to give each zone the right properties, different grades of steel are used in different structures, a total of four different grades. “With the zone system, we can exploit the properties of the material to maximize the best possible energy absorption,” Skogsmo explains. “The aim is that the passenger compartment should be preserved in a predictable way, in a variety of collision scenarios.”

The Volvo system for avoiding neck injuries — WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) — is one of the most effective on the market. In the event of a rear-end collision the front seat backrest accompanies the passenger’s initial body movement and dampens the incoming force rather like one’s hand does when catching a ball.

The all-new V70 features the same generation of WHIPS mechanism as was launched on the all-new S80 model. This generation was further developed to ensure that the damping motion is gentle and to provide good contact between the head and head restraint throughout the impact sequence.

Protection for pedestrians and cyclists has also been further developed in the all-new V70. The front has been given energy-absorbing properties, not least with a generously dimensioned soft structure in front of the bumper that helps reduce the risk of leg injuries. In addition, the spoiler’s lower edge has been reinforced and moved forward, almost on a level with the bumper. The aim is that the area of contact on a pedestrian’s or cyclist’s leg should be distributed across a larger area, thus helping to further reduce the risk of injury.

The hood is raised and its underside has a honeycomb structure which similarly spreads the load in the event of an impact, thus helping to absorb the energy and reduce the risk of personal injury.

Posted in: Volvo, Geneva Motor Show, Wagons/Estates
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