There are few European vehicles as iconic as the 2010 Volvo V70 wagon.  This full-size hauler can trace its lineage back across decades of family wagons lovingly built and sold by the Swedish automaker.  All good things, however, must come to an end, and 2010 marks the final year that Volvo fans will be able to drive home from the dealership with a brand new V70.  This means that wagon lovers will need to act fast in order to take advantage of their last chance to buy one of these rolling automotive legends.

The 2010 Volvo V70 (MSRP $33,550) is certainly going out strong.  Even at the end of its production, the V70 makes a strong case as to why it should be found in the driveway of each and every family looking for luxurious, practical and stylish daily transportation.  The Volvo wagon’s handsome lines, long hood and equally sleek roofline place it a cut above the typical crossovers and sport utility vehicles crowding the market for people on the go.  What’s more, the V70’s real-world dimensions make it a far more palatable option for drivers who must navigate the traffic-packed city streets and parking lots of urban life.

Despite its reasonable size, the Volvo V70’s interior room and cargo space are more than a match for any comparable sport utility vehicle.  Five adults can ride in comfort inside the wagon’s carefully conceived interior, and a mammoth 72.1-cubic feet of total available cargo space surpasses that offered by most of the midsize crossovers against which the V70 competes.  Finishing touches, such as a folding front passenger seat and a unique Load Fixation System to keep gear from sliding around while underway, help to further enhance the wagon’s reputation for peerless utility.

The 2010 Volvo V70 also offers premium European car buyers a final chance to sample one of the best put together passenger cabins on the market.  The available Premium Package (available on 3.2 models) transforms the wagon’s interior into an arena for pure luxury.  Leather seats and a special leather-wrapped shifter with a wood inlay serve to add immeasurable class to the V70 experience, and a power glass sunroof, power front seats and wood trim throughout further enhance the wagon’s image. 

No strangers to colder weather, Volvo’s Swedish engineers have also put together a Climate Package that makes the V70 one of the best winter chariots available.  Regardless of whether the vehicle is called upon to conquer deep snow drifts or merely shrug of the chill of a January morning, occupants will be that much more comfortable and safe thanks to the inclusion of heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles and headlight washers.  An upgraded Interior Air Quality System works together with a humidity sensor to keep cabin conditions optimal, regardless of nature’s ravages.

The 2010 Volvo V70 goes out with a bang in the power department, as well.  Both the 3.2 and the R-Design trims feature a throaty inline six-cylinder engine that pumps out 235 hp and 236 lb/ft of torque.  Harnessing those ponies is a six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission that offers manual shift control and also helps improve fuel economy to 27 mpg on the highway.  Zero-to-60 mph can be achieved in around eight seconds, which places the V70 on firm footing against its premium crossover competitors.  The R-Design trim takes the wagon’s handling and hones it to a fine edge, upgrading the chassis and the suspension to produce the most nimble version of the V70 ever offered.  In addition to its performance gear, the R-Design also adds a hefty amount of flash to both the interior and exterior of the vehicle, with special body-colored trim, a high-class gauge package and unique wheels completing the package.

The Volvo V70 is also the final word when it comes to on-the-road safety.  Volvo has outfitted the wagon with dual-stage airbags for forward occupants, dual-chamber side airbags, as well as an inflatable curtain that protects all passengers from side impacts.  A Whiplash Protection System and a Side-Impact Protection System are also included as standard, and the entire passenger compartment has been reinforced to take even the most brutal of potential impacts.  Additional safety equipment, such as available Adaptive Cruise Control with Distance Alert, Driver Alert Control and Lane Departure Warning, highlights some of the V70’s more impressive safety features.

Simply put, the 2010 Volvo V70 is the most advanced edition of the popular wagon ever built.  The opportunity to own the last of this breed of European luxury wagons is fading fast, and those who don’t want to miss out on Volvo’s masterpiece should view the 2010 model year as a unique opportunity to bring home a cherished friend.

The idea that we’ll someday be able to control the weather still seems relegated to science fiction. Maybe the next best thing is helping a car drive more safely in poor weather – and more enjoyably in all driving conditions. That’s what the 2011 Volvo S60 does.

Today’s younger drivers might not remember a time when, if there was snow on the road, your car’s drive wheels might slip and spin, and the car was not able to move. The introduction of traction control about 20 years ago helped considerably. A more recent development, stability systems, helped to reduce the potential for sliding on dry or slippery pavement, especially when driving through curves. Along the way, more carmakers adopted all-wheel drive to help cars get through just about anything on the road.

As it has in some past models, Volvo brings all of those technologies together in the 2011 S60. Now, however, the technology is more advanced than ever and is combined with Volvo’s three choices of chassis tuning for the S60 - “Touring,” “Dynamic” and “FOUR-C.” That choice allows the S60 driver decide how the car rides and handles. In all cases, the new S60 is simply more fun to drive than before while providing even greater dynamic safety performance.

The “Touring” chassis provides responsive handling while emphasizing a smoother ride on rough surfaces. The “Dynamic” chassis essentially tightens up steering and uses stiffer springs, bushings and dampers (shock absorbers). “You simply have to drive the car to understand, preferably on a narrow winding country road where every sweeping bend brings a new challenge,” says Stefan Sällqvist, who is in charge of S60 chassis development. “That's where the all-new S60 comes into its own and shows off its agility.”

Customers can also specify the “FOUR-C” active chassis for the 2011 S60. This system uses advanced, self-adjusting dampers to respond – in fractions of a second – to the road conditions and the driving situation. The driver can select the car’s ride character from three available modes - “Comfort,” “Sport” and “Advanced.” And here’s a piece of trivia sure to impress at dinner parties (or not): Volvo tested its new chassis tuning on old Roman roads in England, which have received only a few layers of pavement over the centuries.

Whichever chassis setup the S60 customer chooses, the car is designed to grip the road with remarkable tenacity. That’s where the big guns come in - all-wheel drive, Advanced Stability Control and Corner Traction Control.

Volvo's all-wheel drive with Instant Traction^TM, developed with all-wheel drive expert Haldex, is designed to ensure the best possible road grip whatever the situation. As you would expect, the system automatically distributes power between the front and rear wheels. When you need a burst of acceleration, the Instant Traction function shifts power from the front to the rear wheels at lightning speed. The extra power at the rear wheels works in concert with the natural weight transfer of a car under acceleration to maximize rear wheel traction. The system works so smoothly that the driver and passengers do not even feel this occurring.

Working with the all-wheel drive is an enhanced version of Volvo’s Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC) system, which incorporates new Advanced Stability Control – the first sedan on the market to do so. That’s a lot of lingo. Here’s what it means for you: the system can now detect and correct conditions that might lead to skidding or sliding even before any such hazard arises.

Not only does Advanced Stability Control help make the S60 a safer-driving car, it also contributes to driving enjoyment. That’s because it allows more dynamic driving (sharper cornering) while acting as a kind of electronic watchdog for the conditions that might spoil the fun.

Speaking of cornering, the S60 debuts a new technology for making cornering smoother and more precise. Corner Traction Control uses what engineers call “torque vectoring,” something turning up on the world’s best sportscars, too. When you drive through a curve, this system can transfer more power to the car’s outer drive wheel. “This system makes it easier to smoothly maintain your desired line on winding roads and on wet surfaces,” says Volvo handling expert Sällqvist.

Come the Fall, you’ll be able to put all this technology to the test. Make it a point to test-drive the S60 – before the bad weather sets in.