New Volvo S70 and V70, S40 and V40 diesel, C70 Convertible

The pages linked from here are extracts from earlier copies of the club magazine Volvo Driver. The pages are left here for historic reference. More information on news from the Volvo Car Corporation are on our Volvo Press pages.

Spring 1997

Volvo has revealed the new S70 saloon and V70 estate, the latest generation of the highly acclaimed 850. Despite collecting more than 60 awards from the world's motoring press for the 850, Volvo hasn't been resting on it's laurels, but has continued to develop it's award winning design. With an elegant new look, even greater safety and enhanced comfort the S70 and V70 represent an exciting development of the car which has helped change Volvo's image internationally. The new S70 saloon and V70 estate adopt a number of interior features from the stunning C70 coupe and benefit from no fewer than 1800 changes over the original 850 concept. The only elements carried over from their predecessors are the bodyshell and the doors. The new cars benefit from the elegant interior already seen in the C70 offering superior quality materials and improved levels of comfort. Volvo has also introduced a new light-pressure turbo for the range filling the gap neatly between the 2.5 20v and the T5 versions.

The new 2.5 LPT is a development of the popular 2.5-litre 20-valve with power improved to 193bhp. Its performance matches that car's sporty design - 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 137 mph. But it's most striking feature is high torque at low engine speeds producing a maximum of 199lb/ft as low as 1800rpm, the sort of torque rating normally associated with far larger: engines. This engine was first seen in the 850 all wheel drive and will feature in the V70 all wheel drive. Improvements have been made to the 225bhp T5 engine; it now develops even more power - a full 240bhp and 330Nm of torque, whilst also meeting more stringent government emission regulations. The names S70 and V70 bring the cars in line with Volvo's new model name strategy in which S stands for saloon, V for versatility and C for coupe and convertible. The S40 saloon and V40 estate are already established names that replaced the 400 Series. The improved 960 range, launched this year, will take the names S90 and V90.

Great economy with a touch of style - Volvo's new diesel

Volvo are setting out to prove you can manage the economy with style - by introducing a 1.9 Litre turbo diesel version of their curvy S40 & V40 models. Already launched in the key European diesel countries, such as France and Belgium, these variants have been met with much praise and sales success. The S40 and V40's new 90 bhp turbo diesel engine offers the perfect balance between performance and economy with lively mid-range acceleration and a top speed of 112 mph, comple-mented by a combined fuel economy figure of 44.8 mpg. The starting price for the S40 TD is £15870 and for the V40 TD is £16370. Like all Volvos they have a 3 year warranty and are built to specific customer order, giving the choice of three variants, seven different option packs plus a huge list of optional extras.

A Car for the five senses - The C70 convertible.

Revealed for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show, is Volvo's first open-topped car for 40 years - the Volvo C70 convertible. The sleek new C70 is a car for the five senses:

Sight: a graceful and stylish convertible that will turn heads from Manchester to Monaco

Sound: a state-of-the-art 12 speaker sound system complete with CD player is a standard feature

Smell: with the hood down the four occupants can enjoy the scent of a summer's cruise in the country

Feeling: the C70 convertible is a real driver' s car. Powered by a 5-cylinder turbocharged engine, and with a chassis co-developed with TWR, getting behind the wheel is a feeling to enjoy

Taste: without doubt, this is a car that will appeal to customers with a sense of good taste worldwide.

In addition - because it's a Volvo - the C70 convertible also has a sixth sense:

Common Sense: this is a full four-seater convertible, incorporating all the latest safety technology from Volvo beam structures, SIPS system, SIPS airbags :: and a special Roll-Over protection system. To be built in limited quantities, the Volvo C70 convertible will go on sale in Spring 1998

A lap of the M25 for less than £5

• 850 TDI consumes just 1.8 gallons a lap
• 45 minute lap at the wheel of an 850R
• fill a lane with 40,319 850 saloons or 39,892 850 estates

The M25, the motorway that everyone loves to hate, celebrated its tenth anniversary on 29 October 1996, much to the chagrin of those who use it. But those drivers behind the wheel of a Volvo 850 will be more than happy to sing Happy Birthday to London's orbital due to the flexibility of the 850 range. With its Scrooge-like fuel consumption, an 850 TDI with its: 2.5-litre, 140 bhp diesel engine would consume just 1.8 gallons of fuel for one entire lap of the M25 (a cost of about £4.68). And for anybody hoping to mimic the Indycar racers on the American oval racing circuits, the 850 TDI wouldn't need to stop for fuel until more than eight and a half laps had passed.

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