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From the Magazine : What car?
Saab 9-5 estate/Volvo V70 estate
For the last few years, Volvo has been working hard to replace its soft suede Hush Puppies with Nike Air Runners. The voluptuous C70 coupé and curvaceous S80 saloon have both sought to encapsulate a more youthful, step-ahead image.
Against this vibrant backdrop, the old V70 sat uncomfortably. It continued to sell well – 32 per cent of all estates bought last year carried the Volvo badge – but it appealed to a different, more traditional clientele. Now there’s a stylish new V70 seeking to exploit this new-found vitality without offending the old guard. As the last car to be produced before Ford bought the company last year, it must also stand as a lasting tribute to the talents of Volvo’s engineers.
If the V70 is to achieve such a goal, it must outperform the Saab 9-5 estate. Saab’s first estate car in 20 years was a terrific achievement, combining impressive refinement and sure-footed handling with good looks and excellent versatility.
These qualities were enough to secure it our Estate Car of the Year award last year. Then the best compromise of performance and running costs proved to be the 2.3t SE, so that’s the model we’ve pitched against the new V70. The equivalent Volvo is powered by a 2.4-litre turbocharged engine which, in similar SE spec, costs £28,660, £1865 more than the Saab.
The Volvo echoes the company’s traditional styling cues – a V-shaped bonnet, strident grille and vertical tailgate – but asserts its own, fresh identity. It is an attractive, classy design that seems more at home with the world of mobile phones and palm-top computers than antique chests and Labradors.
To our eyes, it looks great.
Our test Saab attempted to enhance its sporty credentials with sill extensions and front and rear lip spoilers, which collectively cost £960 plus fitting, but do little to enhance its appearance. It’s a less cohesive design than the V70, but far from unattractive. The Saab remains distinctive and has an air of solidity. The tailgate seems to sit better with the long drooping snout than the stubby rear of the saloon on which it is based.
Open the boot and you’ll find a capacious, well-shaped load area. It’s versatile, too. Cargo tracks are cut into the floor which, through a combination of load straps and e f netting allows luggage to be secured. It’s a shame, though, that the net and straps cost an extra £125. Our test car also had a sliding floor which extends rearwards to ease loading. It’s a £450 option but can be useful if you carry heavy loads.
The V70 counters with its own range of novelties. The lift-up load floor at the back of the boot has carry hooks for shopping bags, while the rear backrest has two angles of recline to benefit both passengers and parcels.
What impresses most, though, is the Volvo’s design thoroughness. You don’t, for instance, have to remove the rear head restraints – as you do in the Saab – to lower the split-fold rear seats. The V70 also scores with the largest load area, an impressive 57.5cu ft with the seats folded, although few will complain about the Saab’s 52.6cu ft.
The Volvo’s cleverness extends to the rest of the interior. Tip the base of the middle rear seat forward and two cup holders are revealed together with a fold-out picnic table. Between the front seats a frame can be folded out to hold a full-size water bottle or rubbish bag. And for the executive, there’s a hook on the front passenger’s headrest which is ideal for a jacket.
The main fascia layout echoes the basic design of the S80 saloon, but is more curvaceous and driver-focused. The multi-adjustable seats are some of the best we’ve experienced and combine with faultless ergonomics to create a first-class driving environment. Our only concern is in the rear. The V70’s platfom is five inches shorter than the S80 saloon on which it is based, so rear space is compromised. Kneeroom is no more than competitive for the class.
After the surprise and delight of the Volvo, the Saab feels a little dated. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the 9-5’s slab-sided fascia, but it lacks the V70’s
clarity of purpose.
Like the Volvo its seats are very comfortable, but not quite as supportive. But if carrying a brace of six-footers in the rear is your priority, the 9-5 holds a slight advantage, offering greater legroom than its rival.
Both cars have similar and impressive levels of standard equipment, including climate control, electric windows and mirrors, a CD player, leather trim and anti-lock brakes.
Both are also likely to lead the way in safety. The 9-5 saloon gained a maximum four-star Euro-NCAP rating and, although the V70 has yet to be tested, its combination of front and side airbags and the WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), could well see it match the Saab’s performance.
One of the crucial ingredients of this new breed of estate car is that they drive well. Saab and Volvo have both taken the turbocharged route to this end. The Volvo’s 2.4-litre unit has the edge on power, 200bhp to the Saab’s 170bhp. It also has more pulling ability – 210lb ft versus 207lb ft.
On the road, these combine to make the Volvo a much more sprightly performer. The V70 comfortably eclipses the Saab in the 0-60mph dash, completing it in 7.7sec compared with 9.1sec for the 9-5. In-gear overtaking performance is also dramatically better. In 5th gear, the Volvo takes only 8.4sec to accelerate from 50 to 70mph, compared with the Saab’s 11.0sec.
These figures give the V70 a major real-world advantage, although the experience is spoiled by a baulky gearchange. The Saab’s crisp, accurate shift is much better.
While neither can match the handling finesse of a BMW 5-series Touring, both are competent. Of the two, the Volvo is marginally the sharper handling car, and marks a major step forward for the company. It has a greater resistance to body roll than the 9-5 and slightly more feel through the steering. It also has more grip. The Saab suffers from too much ‘torque steer’ – where pressing the throttle affects your ability to aim the car – and it feels more unwieldy at speed.
The S80’s multi-link rear suspension also helps contribute to the V70’s ride quality, and the set-up works better in the estate than the saloon. While it can’t quite match the low speed suppleness of the Mercedes E-class, or high-speed composure of the 5-series, this is the best riding Volvo we’ve driven.
The Saab, in contrast, fidgets rather more in town, while at speed its composure isn’t quite a match for the Volvo. Both these cars are at their best on long motorway cruises, where their impressive refinement makes progress relaxed.
The cost of running these cars is likely to be very similar. The 9-5 proved slightly more frugal over our touring route, returning 30.9mpg compared with the Volvo’s 28.0, but this is a small price to pay for the Volvo’s performance advantage. Both fall into insurance group 14 and benefit from three-year/60,000-mile warranties. The service intervals are also identical, with an oil change at 6000 miles followed by servicing every 12,000 miles or 12 months. The Saab’s cheaper contract hire rate – £537 per month compared to the Volvo’s £577 – is explained by the new car’s higher list price.
The old V70 suffered from oversupply which harmed its residual values, but we’d expect the new model to do much better. Whether it will be able to match the Saab’s excellent history remains to be seen.
The 9-5 estate remains a fine car, but must surrender its crown to its archenemy. And
while the Volvo has a higher price, that’s offset against the thoroughness of the design. Ultimately it’s better to drive than the Saab, it has a more spacious and versatile load area, a better passenger compartment and it’s more refined.
In other words, it outperforms its rival on all the criteria by which we judge an estate car.
The V70 is the best Volvo ever and a testament to the company’s engineering. Its new owner should take note.
, Tue, 19 Jun 2001 23:44:24
, Tue, 19 Jun 2001 22:34:59, Tue, 19 Jun 2001 00:32:11
, Mon, 18 Jun 2001 23:31:16, Mon, 18 Jun 2001 21:58:02
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