Author: carcoutureblog

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Volvo V70 – It Has Every Safety Device Known To Man But Hill-Starts Are Damn Near Impossible…

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Remember the enormous Volvo 245 back in the 1970s? In those days, a big bumper was all we needed to keep us from harm’s way. Or so the Swedes thought…

Almost 40 years on and the current Volvo estate has an array of safety features that is truly mind-boggling. In fact, it’s somewhat overwhelming in the V70, with alarm chimes and lights waiting to flash at the driver from all directions.

There are blind spot alerts by the door mirrors, anti-collision warning lights at the bottom of the windscreen that are triggered by radar, a gentle buzzing sound if you cross a white line without indicating… and so the list goes on and on.

If you are unlucky enough to hit a stray elk this winter then this is the car to do it in. Just one thing though, hill starts are damn near impossible in the V70 because it has a push button hand-brake. Not sure how that one slipped through the safety net…

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Volvo V70 – The Benchmark Estate For People In Sensible Jumpers

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Despite the success of the outgoing XC90 in giving Volvo a sexy, new image, if you asked somebody to draw a Swedish car they would no doubt pen a V70.

Big, boxy and very safe, the Volvo can quite rightly claim the ‘iconic’ tag in the estate sector. It ain’t pretty but is there a better family car for the money?

No amount of advertising twaddle is going to persuade potential buyers that the V70 is exciting but after two weeks of ownership even I have slipped in to a rather safe and Swedish comfort zone.

I doubt owners of German estate cars could be tempted to go Volvo at any price but as a rock solid estate wagon, this is the benchmark car for people in sensible jumpers.

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Volvo V70 – Of Mice And Volvos… Naked Dash In Pursuit Of Rodent Kicks Off New Year

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So where were you at 5am this morning – hugging a bottle of vodka, repeatedly telling your best mate you love them more than football, or trying to find a way home through the debris of New Year’s Eve?

New Year kicked off with a mouse entering the Taylor household – scrabbling around the bedroom and making as much noise as a rat wearing hobnail boots. Terrifying when you are nursing a hangover, especially for the mouse as I was stark bollock naked.

And just to cap it all, the dog decided this was a good time to enter the room and throw up on the stairs. A good moment to consider a hasty retreat and decamping to the V70 perhaps?

It’s certainly long enough to stretch out in the back with the rear seats folded down. It also has an integral dog guard that rises out of the seats and connects to the roof, as well as a clever system that allows you hook carrier bags upright in the boot.

It would also make the perfect weekend retreat for any mouse or errant rodent but let’s not go there…

 

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Volvo V70 – as the New Year’s Eve fireworks of time fall on the haystack of life…

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New Year’s Eve and it might be time to accept I’m 51. I don’t feel it but yesterday I drove to Bath in a very sensible Volvo, bought clothes in a sensible shop and then had a sensible discussion about whether investing in property or gold was the way forward in 2015. Hmm.

Yes, as the New Year’s Eve fireworks of time fall on the haystack of life, perhaps I should instead have a burning desire to paint the V70 matt black, pimp up the sound system and ram raid the nearest Gieves & Hawkes.

At least I feel safe in the V70. And as the average of of a Volvo is 29 years, that means I could buy one now and not have to worry about wheels until I require a mobility scooter at the tender age of  80.

Judging by the number of old Volvos I see around the place, quite a few of you have already cottoned on to that idea. Even so, I refuse to wear beige and still can’t stand Classic FM.

No, I think I have a few years of yearning for a Maserati left in me. I hope you feel the same. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year, whatever you drive…

 

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Volvo V70 – Isn’t It Time We Had Cars With Central Heating?

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The V70 is fitted with a Winter Pack – £350 of heated front screen, heated seats and headlight cleaning.

However, in Sweden they take the chilly months even more seriously and Volvos there are often fitted with pre-set heated seats, ones you can set on a timer before you get in the car.

Brilliantly simple. Volvo has offered such a system in the UK but the feature is still a rarity in British cars. It seems a bit odd to me when we are slowly having to learn to cope with ever more extreme weather. I’d love my car to be warm when I get in it.

Instead, the best we can hope for is a heated steering wheel, like that fitted in a lot of top end Jaguars and Range Rover. Surely as battery technology improves it won’t be long before manufacturers are offering central heating too?

Until then, I’m still relying on my trusty leather driving gloves…

 

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Volvo V70 – Is It Only Drivers of a Certain Age And Fetishists Who Wear Leather Gloves These Days?

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Typical that a four-wheel drive Volvo XC60 is booked in for next week – when any risk of frozen extremities will have not doubt passed. This morning I was forced to don leather gloves for my two-wheel drive trundle in to Burford with the V70 – is it only drivers of a certain age and fetishists that own a pair?

Either way, I can recommend a set from Dents of Warminster. I can’t think of much else to recommend the Wiltshire town. Very cosy indeed. Handsewn deerskin-lined gloves, with Scottish cashmere, especially.

A gentleman in leather driving gloves at the wheel of a Volvo V70 estate doesn’t project a very sexy image I agree. However, the elongated Swede played a blinder on the untreated roads around these parts.

It doesn’t stop doughnuts driving too close behind but I’d even vote UKIP if they could prevent French-style bumper huggers hanging off my tailgate. Sort that out Mr Farage…

 

 

 

 

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Volvo V70 – More Extras Than A Dutch Brothel…

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Icy out there? Then the V70 is probably the safest car on the road without four-wheel drive. In fact, it’s most likely safer than most 4x4s too because it has been built to Sweden’s exacting standards.

To drive this point home, the press office has added more extras to our test car than offered by a Dutch brothel. Here’s a run down of the two main packs.

Driver Support Pack (£1,900) – collision warning with full auto brake; pedestrian and cyclist detection; adaptive cruise control with distance alert; queue assist; lane departure warning; driver alert control with active high beam; road sign information display and blind spot information system.

Winter Pack with Active Bending Headlights (£350) – heated front seats and windscreen, active bending xenon headlights and headlight cleaning system.

All that is above and beyond a standard V70. Volvo claims that by 2020, their cars won’t be responsible for any crashes – that will only be down to driver error. No pressure on me in these wintery conditions then…

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Renault Twingo – Destined To Be A Surprise Hit In 2015 (drive it and weep Mini lovers)

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Last day with the Twingo and what have I learnt – that this Twingo is about a zillion times better than the original one launched in the early 1990s.

Seriously, if you want a fun city car that isn’t a Fiat 500 or a Mini then this is the car to go for. It also comes with the benefit of a whole load of standard kit missing from many rivals – even the basic model has USB, DAB, Bluetooth and LED daytime driving lights (although air con is a £500 extra).

Don’t go for the 70bhp non-turbo petrol, opt for the 90bhp turbo that comes alive when you wind up the three-cylinder unit and use the gearbox liberally.

Yes it’s rear-engined but the Twingo is agile through the bends and the back stays firmly in place. Basically, the forgiving forgiving, fun and destined to be one of the great cars of 2015. Especially if you want to stand out from the crowd.

 

 

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Renault Twingo – Finally, the Fuel Gauge Has Moved…

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I have news – at 3.40pm today the fuel gauge on the Twingo finally moved. It’s taken the best part of a week and I’ve covered around 75 miles, which gives you some idea of how frugal this thrifty runabout actually is (somewhere around 54mpg but capable of 65+ apparently).

I’m sure there are more economical city cars but I doubt there are many which are this much fun. Yes, the Twingo even gives the Fiat 500 a run for its money.

As a style statement, I believe the Fiat just about edges it. The Twingo isn’t as cute, missing out on the curves that make the 500 just as recognisable as the iconic original.

The Renault interior is eye-catching but again, the Fiat is prettier. It’s when you get the Twingo out on a country road that it puts a big smile on your face. Fun in all the right places…

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Renault Twingo – Raise Your Chapeaux To A Plucky Little French Car

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Hats off to Renault for putting so much effort into the design of the Twingo. Admittedly, part of this cost will be shared by Daimler, who will launch the new Smart ForFour on the same platform (although the Germans will no doubt charge you a lot more for their machine).

Neat touches? Well, the cabin space is exceptional for a little car. It has five doors, the rear side windows pop outwards rather than wind down to allow more elbow room, and the front passenger seat backs flip forward to create room for carrying larger loads.

Perhaps best of all is that unlike a Ford Ka or a Skoda Fabia, it’s a little car you can get emotional about. It has something – French flair, Gallic charm, call it what you will but i’m developing a soft spot for the plucky little Renault.

And I’m finally in the boot! The key fob decided to start working again. It’s a decent size space too, considering the engine is under the rear floor. What’s under the plastic bonnet? Just a radiator, battery and screen wash bottle…