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our test drives or view them all

Volvo V70 2.0D R-DESIGN six-speed manual

VOLVO has "grown" its front-drive V70 estate, making it longer and bulkier.

At 4.82 metres long the new model really does qualify for the description "cargo ship" – but curiously this load-swallower feels compact at the wheel and thanks to its square box shape and vertical sides is easy to park, even if you don’t have park assist.

But I hadn’t been in the antique dealer’s special for more than a minute before one feature started to get my goat – the electronic parking brake.

Volvo is one of the havens of automotive common sense – safe and conservative to the threshold of being boring, but sensible in its design approach and delivery.

But the parking switch, low down on the dash and just above the driver’s right knee, is illogical and infuriating. Against all the conventions of fine old manual handbrakes, Volvo has set up the parking brake to go on when you PUSH the switch and release when you PULL it!

I never did get used to it. After a week with the otherwise sensible two-litre turbodiesel in fresh R-DESIGN guise I was still at war with that daft parking control!

Compare that to Audi’s electronic parking brake – it works logically in the proper direction, pull up for on and push down for off. Shame on you Volvo.

That irritation apart, the V70 R-DESIGN was brilliant. It’s a stylishly sporty version of the V70 with 12 R-DESIGNs in the range from my entry level 134bhp 2.0D through 198bhp 2.5 litre turbocharged petrols from £27,535 and 161bhp 2.4D turbodiesels at £29,320 to a 283bhp £36,335 three-litre petrol T6 flagship with all-wheel-drive and Geartronic automatic.

My personal choice would have been for more power and a traditional wood-trimmed dash and sober black leather interior, but there’s no denying the eye-catching appeal of the low-slung 2.0D R-DESIGN in the huge 40-model V70 line-up.

R-DESIGN gives you traditional Scandinavian style – supportive sports seats finished in striking off-black and cream leather; interior, dash, pedals and grille brightwork in a tasteful silk metal finish and instruments with the same silk metal finish rim and attractive blue faces.

Outside, the R-DESIGN sports a subtle badge on the grille below and to the right of the new larger Volvo "iron" badge. The model also delivers enhanced suspension, dramatic rear spoiler and 18-inch five-spoke alloys carrying 40-section low-profile tyres that harden the ride and increase road noise.

But with a sporty character the R-DESIGN will suit owners looking for something a little more youthful than the more traditional and softer-riding V70s that populates most of the range.

I’ve always found the V70’s power steering on the light side. The test car reinforced that feeling, but it’s accurate and rewards brisk driving with good feedback.

This vast cargo carrier weighs more than 1.7 tonnes empty and can be loaded up to 2.27 tonnes. But it drives with a really balanced feel. Lightly laden even the modest 134bhp 2.0D turned in an enjoyable performance on a drive from Moray to the delights of Argyll. The V70 sucked up the miles, thanks to one of my biggest surprises – the slick-changing six-speed manual gearbox with a perfect selection of ratios for quick open road work or towing a caravan.

Drive this car for a few hundred miles on rougher Highland roads and you realise the deep-seated appeal of the V70 – comfort, ability, capacity and driver satisfaction.

Despite its sporting pretensions the R-DESIGN is a big softie. It cossets its occupants and, in modest 2.0D guise, is easy to drive.

But if you think the 2.0D’s 134bhp is a little too hot to handle, its combined 47mpg a little on the greedy side and the 157g/km emissions a bit too planet-fouling, just wait.

This autumn Volvo will drop a clean-burning 108bhp 1.6 litre turbodiesel into the V70 as part of its "green" DRIVe model range – performance will certainly be down but fuel economy is expected to improve to a remarkable average of 57.6mpg and CO2 production fall to 129g/km. That’s impressive environmental figures for a very large family estate that should cost £22,745.

What that will do to the V70 is extend the range’s appeal to an even wider audience – if you need a big cargo carrier for leisure or family you can get everything from a frugal and "green" front drive 1.6D DRIVe with manual transmission up to a blisteringly quick T6 with Volvo’s clever adaptive four-wheel-drive and six-speed automatic.

The latest V70 carries a clear styling link with previous Volvo estates – big and chunky. Sure the edges have been rounded off and the wheels and tyres are bigger – but it’s unmistakable as a Volvo estate.

The top-hinged tailgate is big, the load floor solid, flat and wide.

It comes with load dividing nets and securing barriers to stop cargo shifting in passage and the superb trio of rear seats split and fold individually to leave a perfectly flat hold for whatever you want to carry.

With the rear seats in place it will swallow 575 litres – drop all three and you get 1600 litres. Not only that but the load floor with the rear seats folded is a runway-like two-metres long and by folding the back of the front passenger seat can take objects up to 2.7 metres long.

Interior design is practical and easy maintenance. There’s nothing in the cabin or cargo area that cannot be easily wiped clean – yet the feel of the V70 is one of quality materials and tasteful design.

This is an easy estate to live with. Driving day-to-day it feels like a saloon, but when it comes to shifting a lot of stuff it turns into a van with great handling.

Safety has always been a strong Volvo point. All V70s come with standard side impact protection, an advanced electronic stability programme and traction control, in addition to front and side airbags. The brakes are all-disc ABS and the body rigid and strong.

Standard R-DESIGN equipment is good and gives you climate control, four powered windows, cruise control and leather seats. But a full DVD system will cost you £1350, a sat-nav system that rises like Lady of the Lake from the dashtop another £1850, metallic paint £600 and rear park assist £350.

If you particularly want sat-nav I’d recommend the R-DESIGN Premium model – at £27,795 in 2.0D R-DESIGN trim it comes with navigation built in and saves around £400 compared to specifying sat-nav as an option on the standard car.

If I had to choose my own V70 I’d strike that special balance between power and economy with a 161bhp 2.4D in more traditional SE Lux trim at £29,270 or the less well equipped 2.4D SE at a great value £26,270.

But no matter which V70 you might choose, one thing is for sure – you’re never going to be stuck for friends if they want to move house!

Rating: 8/10

FINAL THOUGHT: Traditional roomy Volvo cargo ship brought bang up to date with more space than the previous V70 and a relatively small two-litre turbodiesel engine that works remarkably well. Excellent safety kit and standard equipment with an overall character that’s only let down by a rather bland interior and dash.

Volvo V70 2.0D R-DESIGN six-speed manual

• Price: £26,545 (£30,445 as tested with options)
• Capacity: 1997cc
• Power: 134bhp
• 0-62mph: 11.4 seconds
• Maximum speed: 121mph
• Economy: Combined 47.9mpg; Urban 37.7mpg
• CO2 emissions: 157g/km
• ESP: Standard DSTC
• Insurance: Group 13