- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.0T, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
210kW, 400Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 11.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2008)
2009 Volvo V70 T6 review
Back in 2012 I specifically ordered an XC70 D5 after having had an XC90 D5 for 5 years. For me, the XC70 has just been a real marvel of a travel companion – I cover quite vast distances at times as I live in Tasmania but have a lot of rural clients all across our great country.
- Smooth power delivery
- Cabin space
- Boot space and practicality
- Solid build quality
- Turning circle
- Ride/handling okay but could feel better and more engaging
I was to part with the XC70 and update it at the end of 2016 but after 130,000km it's as good as new and I love the car and just can't let it go (I have a separate review on CA for the XC70).
So, instead of buying and replacing the XC, I, by chance, stumbled across a low mileage 2009 V70 T6 with a sunroof! The sunroof is a cannot-do-without item.
Full service history, new Pirellis, brakes just done and in tip-top shape, I paid about the equivalent of a Hyundai i20 driveaway, if not less. Add a $1800 Polestar upgrade to bring the performance figures to 232KW and 480Nm from 1500rpm and it's a genuinely swift wagon. The interior space is awesome, as I know well from my XC.
Great heated seats, a thumping stereo and just so much space. Comfort is COMFORT written large and bold here. The Bluetooth and USB connections also work well with the current iPhone I have.
I love cruising in this car. It just eats up the miles. I'm not a revhead as such, and prefer riding on the torque wave rather than spooling up and singing up toward the red section on the tachometer. The six-speed auto copes smoothly with the 480Nm coursing through it.
I live in Hobart but leave this car in Melbourne to do my NSW/Vic trips. I average around 9-10L/100km. I'm happy with that – considering the power output, the space and safety offerings. I run the car on 98 octane rated fuel.
Overtaking is a breeze. The only thing that gets in the way are the speed limits as the mid-range punch in the twin-turbo six is so keen to keep going, hence this model has been a popular pick for the UK traffic police as a pursuit car (NSW Highway Patrol have just taken delivery of a fleet of XC60 T6s).
I'm more than happy to acknowledge my bias toward Volvo – I'm actually scrounging for bad things to say here about this particular car.
Perhaps the turning circle is a tad generous. The ride could be a bit better and there's a bit of kickback through the steering on rougher roads. Nothing major, though.
The boot is a proper wagon-sized boot and that's been a key factor for me as I often carry my large dogs with me. The cargo barriers in these Volvos are the best. The metal cargo barrier folds into the roof so it's easy to fully utilise the whole boot – no need to get out tools etc.
I'm even contemplating getting another one of these as (I'm just on the plane back from Germany) I've just had a look at the new V90 and the boot appears not as practical (more squared off).
In the time I have had the V70, I have had no issue whatsoever and reliability has been great.
If you have any questions on the car feel free to ask/comment below.