What is the performance of the XC70.
With a car of 1860kg, it's hard to see how to design such a big car to perform. The D5 engine has plenty of torque and with a manual gear box it can shuffle along quite nicely. You do need to rev the engine and the D5 doesn't have an unpleasant noise.. a bit more gruff than purring.
The car can apparently get to 60mph in under 9 seconds - which is normally brisk enough in most circumstances. It can roll along to 130mph - not a speed I would particularly want to run at in this car - but respectable enough. The car can easily run at 90mph without too much difficulty and this is something you need to be careful when on the motorway.
So the car can move well enough for a big family estate. But how well does it stop?
The car is equipped of course with disc brakes all round, ventilated. The handbrake is an electric activated system on the rear discs. The brakes have a decent feel and are progressive - you don't have that on off switch that you tend to get on the VAG cars like an Audi. For everyday driving the brakes bring the car to a smooth halt. However as you start to build up some speed on country roads, you start to notice the bulk of the car. This is particularly the case when you make start to go downhill. You need to press the pedal particularly hard and you can get a sense the deceleration isn't enough..you press harder to almost the point of the ABS being activated.
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Friday, 15 February 2008
4WD System on Volvo XC70
It is not really clear to me how the XC70 4WD system actually works. Apparently there is an electronic clutch between front and back wheels. However does this work only when starting off or is it something constantly checking for slip at the front wheels?
Does the anti skid light come on when the 4WD system is engaged.
If you have any technical information please right here.
Does the anti skid light come on when the 4WD system is engaged.
If you have any technical information please right here.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
VOLVO XC70 Cold Weather
Recently had a lot of heavy frost and since the car is parked outside without any protection from buildings or walls - it was always frosted up on the front screen. With diesel engines taking time to warm up - the screen takes a while to defrost. It's not clear to me if this engine is equipped with an electric pre-heater for these conditions. Anybody know?
The rear window doesn't seem to pick up a frost - I wonder if it is because it is such a vertical angle and with the spoiler overhanging it it is somehow shielded from frost ?
Tried to use a product which apparently reduces the frost on the screen.. the idea being you pretreat the screen and then in the morning, it simply wipes off with the wiper blades.
However.. come the morning and -3 Deg C.. all I have is a windscreen which seems even more frozen than normal. All I have is the additional nice ice patterns!
The product recommended that I should use the wash wipe function.. to just wipe away the ice!!
My recommendation.. don't buy it.
Some chance because the wash wipe was frozen.. at -3Deg C.... I thought these would be heated and I had put screen wash deicer into the tank. However because the wash wipe is also linked to the headlamp cleaning - these actually came on also. When I got out of the car, I had managed to cover my headlamps in a set of ice !
So back into the garage to find some real deicer..
Luckily by this time, the heated seats had kicked in.
I like to keep the cabin at 22C and never play with the dials even in cold weather, and then adjust using the seat thermostat.. 3 to start with..then knocking it down to the 1 setting.
The rear window doesn't seem to pick up a frost - I wonder if it is because it is such a vertical angle and with the spoiler overhanging it it is somehow shielded from frost ?
Tried to use a product which apparently reduces the frost on the screen.. the idea being you pretreat the screen and then in the morning, it simply wipes off with the wiper blades.
However.. come the morning and -3 Deg C.. all I have is a windscreen which seems even more frozen than normal. All I have is the additional nice ice patterns!
The product recommended that I should use the wash wipe function.. to just wipe away the ice!!
My recommendation.. don't buy it.
Some chance because the wash wipe was frozen.. at -3Deg C.... I thought these would be heated and I had put screen wash deicer into the tank. However because the wash wipe is also linked to the headlamp cleaning - these actually came on also. When I got out of the car, I had managed to cover my headlamps in a set of ice !
So back into the garage to find some real deicer..
Luckily by this time, the heated seats had kicked in.
I like to keep the cabin at 22C and never play with the dials even in cold weather, and then adjust using the seat thermostat.. 3 to start with..then knocking it down to the 1 setting.
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Volvo XC70 Re-Moveable Tow - Bar
One of the optional extras specified on the car was the detachable tow bar.
Decided to try and fit it today.
The tow bar ball is stored in the boot next to the spare wheel, so easy to access and store.
The location of the towbar is protected by a plastic cover, which hides the electrical socket and the place where the towbar connects to the car.
The plastic cover is removed quite easily.
Fitting the towbar is a bit fiddly, the instructions are not that clear an it's not so obvious if the towbar has secured itself correctly. It took a few minutes of playing around with before I felt satisfied that the towbar was in a secure enough location. However, even then it doesn't give you a 100% sense of security. I thought there may be something with a locking pin to prevent any failures.
Decided to try and fit it today.
The tow bar ball is stored in the boot next to the spare wheel, so easy to access and store.
The location of the towbar is protected by a plastic cover, which hides the electrical socket and the place where the towbar connects to the car.
The plastic cover is removed quite easily.
Fitting the towbar is a bit fiddly, the instructions are not that clear an it's not so obvious if the towbar has secured itself correctly. It took a few minutes of playing around with before I felt satisfied that the towbar was in a secure enough location. However, even then it doesn't give you a 100% sense of security. I thought there may be something with a locking pin to prevent any failures.
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