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The Volvo XC70 wagon has been a top choice among serious outdoor enthusiasts for years, and for good reason. It offers a high level of capability off road, it's superb on primitive roads, gravel and dirt roads, heavy snow. Yet it's smooth, stable, secure, fast and very comfortable for long highway slogs, regardless of the weather. It's quite practical, engineered for serious gear hauling rather than posing at the mall. And, of course, it's equipped with all the active and passive safety features that form Volvo's well-deserved reputation for safety engineering.The 2009 Volvo XC70 lineup includes the new high-performance 2009 XC70 T6, which boosts the fun factor with 281 turbocharged horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque from its six-cylinder engine. The 2009 XC70 lineup includes the T6 and the standard model, which was all-new for 2008. The standard XC70 comes with a powerful inline-6 rated at 235 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It provides good passenger-cargo flexibility and more cargo volume than some mid-sized SUVs, but its exterior dimensions are relatively compact, and it's easy to park. It's rated to tow up to 3300 pounds, enough for a small boat or camper or a couple of snowmobiles. Its maximum cargo capacity of 72.1 cubic feet is on par with some mid-size, truck-based sport-utilities. Though it looks like a traditional wagon, the XC70 is prepared for serious travel in unpaved areas. It comes with full-time all-wheel drive, and its suspension is raised to increase both movement range and ground clearance. Dent-resistant lower body cladding and protective skid plates underneath protect it from damage. Hill Descent Control makes ascending steep, slippery trails easier and safer. We found the handling of the XC70 on primitive logging roads to be excellent. This would be a good car to drive to the top of Alaska in the middle of the winter. We know, we've done it. More recently, we drove an XC70 over 120 miles of logging roads in the unpaved wilderness of northwestern Montana. The all-wheel drive made driving around corners easy and predictable on gravel, dirt, mud, and snow. The suspension had just the right amount of compliance to keep the tires on the trail yet gave the driver lots of control. Bumps in the middle of turns never upset the handling. The car was comfortable, weather creeping along over rugged trails or hurtling down an unpaved road at rally speeds. Yet the XC70 is maneuverable and quite comfortable on paved roads, where most of us drive most of the time. It isn't the most exciting vehicle to drive, and it's not as sporty as the pavement-oriented Volvo V70 wagon, but it makes a good grand tourer and great daily transportation. It rides smoothly and doesn't float or lean excessively through the curves, and it should deliver better real-world gas mileage than most mid- and full-size truck-based SUVs. We think it's the most compelling car in the Volvo lineup. Inside, the XC70 has one of Volvo's best interiors: very Scandinavian, and elegantly understated. It's easy to master its multitude of controls, and it's simpler and more efficient than many of its European luxury competitors. The XC70 seats five, and the seating arrangement is flexible. The cargo compartment has tie-downs and other useful accessories. With the rear seats folded, the XC70's flat floor and low lift-over height make loading bulky cargo easier than with many SUVs. For 2009, a Bluetooth interface comes standard.
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