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Volvo V70 Cross Country – Road Test – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
You probably won’t be bowled over to hear there’s an ongoing boom in SUV sales. A seemingly endless line of them continues to roll out of showrooms with no end in sight, despite recent extortion at the petrol pump. This phenomenon has provoked warm and moist feelings in the boardrooms of those manufacturers who have been in a position to supply this demand — after all, sport-utility vehicles generate higher profits than passenger cars — and wistful watching from the sidelines by manufacturers who lack sport-utilities of their own.
You may also have noticed that the automakers who have no SUVs for sale have subdivided into two distinct groups — those who have been willing to step up to the enormous development costs associated with producing an all-new vehicle, such as the BMW X5; and those who have made do by raising the ride height of their station wagons, bolting on butch body cladding, adding all-wheel drive, and dreaming up a marketing program that uses the words "active lifestyle" at least 20 times per press release.
Subaru pioneered the realm of SUV-like wagons with its Outback. Volvo’s V70 XC (for "cross country") was a me-too latecomer, proving, once again, that no idea is too good not to imitate. Volvo introduced the XC version of the V70-series wagon in 1997 as a ’98 model. Much to the delight and surprise of the marketing gurus, it quickly became a brisk seller, accounting for 45 percent of total V70 wagon sales in 1999. Hoping to continue that sales success and build on it, Volvo decided not only to update the XC but also to make it look more like a "real" SUV and less like a wannabe. Does that sound like more body cladding? You bet.
Although the first-generation XC was only mildly different in appearance from its V70 siblings, this second-generation wagon gets a complete macho makeover. To give the new, more curvaceous sheetmetal that off-road bruiser look, the designers at Volvo decided to spruce it up royally with matte plastic cladding — everywhere. The nose of the XC, except for the chrome grille, is molded out of this scratch-resistant plastic, as is the rear bumper cover. There is a large air intake opening in the lower part of the front air dam that is accented underneath with what looks like a titanium-hued skid plate. It’s actually a plastic accent, although the XC does come standard with a credit-card-thin front skid plate you have to crawl under the car to see. The cladding continues around the front wheel arches, down along the lower part of the doors, and then around the back wheel arches into the rear bumper cover. It has an uneven texture to it, with small crevices like dried lake mud, and the cladding comes in dark brown or dark blue, depending on the car’s paint color. According to the designers at Volvo, the dark-colored cladding not only protects the paint from being scratched while bushwhacking but also makes the XC look taller and more SUV-like.
The taller appearance of the XC isn’t all smoke and mirrors. Its ground clearance is up an inch from the base vehicle’s, to 8.2 inches. That matches the clearance of the Audi Allroad 2.7T Quattro and bests some truck-utes’, such as the base Ford Explorer’s (6.7 inches). The engineers at Volvo toyed with using an adjustable suspension system like the Audi’s but decided it wasn’t worth the extra cost and complexity. New, larger 215/65HR-16 tires and wheels necessitated a quarter-inch increase in wheelbase to 108.8 inches and a 2.3-inch increase in the front track relative to cooking-grade V70s. Because of the increased track, the XC gets slightly wider front fenders with more flare to them. Now, with all these changes, you don’t have to look at the badging on the XC, as you did on the previous edition, to tell it apart from the on-road V70s.
Inside, the most readily visible change from a "regular" V70 is in the back. The XC now comes standard with a new, and industry-first, three-part 40/20/40 split rear seat. Any combination of sections can be folded down, or the center section of the seatback can be unlatched and flipped over into an armrest. The center-seat cushion and seatback can be removed and replaced with a beverage cooler that plugs into a 12-volt outlet in the rear cargo compartment, or replaced with a specially designed storage bag.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/00q4/volvo_v70_cross_country-road_test2
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Auto Shows – Car and Driver
As the original mainstream luxury SUV, the Jeep Grand Cherokee deserves much of the credit for the SUV’s position as a status symbol. But as the market has been swelling with competitors in recent years—most of whom better the GC’s luxury content—the Jeep has lost much of its luster. At the
, Jeep is unveiling an all-new version that aims to return the Grand Cherokee to a place among the luxo-ute elite, while retaining the rough-rider attitude of the original.
Built upon the underpinnings of the Mercedes-Benz M-class, the unibody
wears cleaner sheetmetal that is still instantly recognizable for what it is. The traditional seven-slot grille has wider openings and is flanked by pinched headlamps, giving the GC a face resembling that of the Trailhawk concept. The transition from fender flare to side sheetmetal has been smoothed, resulting in a less cluttered profile, while the tapered side glass recalls the greenhouse on the Dodge Journey. Seventeen-inch wheels will be standard, with 18s and 20s optional.
The M-class architecture endows the Grand Cherokee with a claimed 146-percent increase in torsional stiffness over the outgoing model. The rear beam axle of the last generation disappears in favor of four-wheel independent air suspension that endows the Jeep with a 4.5-inch range of height adjustability, from a high of 11.1 inches of ground clearance for serious off-roading to a low of 6.6 inches in a parking mode intended to ease ingress and egress.
Rear-Wheel Drive, Four-Wheel Drive, Four-Wheel Drive, or Four-Wheel Drive?
Jeep’s usual battery of four-wheel-drive systems will be available for those wanting to upgrade from the basic rear-wheel-drive formula. Quadra-Trac I is a single-speed full-time four-wheel-drive setup; Quadra-Trac II offers a two-speed transfer case and the ability to direct 100 percent of the available torque to either axle. Quadra-Drive II adds an electronic rear limited-slip differential and extra computing power to optimize available traction. Additionally, a new “Selec-Terrain” adjustable traction-control knob allows the driver to tailor the vehicle’s throttle, braking, and traction- and stability-control responses for sand and mud, snow, rocks, and sport—high-performance on-road driving—as well as offering an everyday “automatic” function.
Like today’s GC, underhood options are a gasoline V-6 or V-8. A diesel will be available in other markets, but—at least initially—we won’t see a compression-ignition motor in the States. The V-6 is an all-new 3.6-liter incorporating dual overhead cams and variable valve-timing, putting out 280 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The only available transmission is a five-speed automatic.
The upmarket choice is a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, which is rated as high as 390 hp and 407 lb-ft in the
, but is limited to 360 hp and 390 lb-ft in the Cherokee. Chrysler’s Multi-Displacement System cylinder-deactivation technology will shut down four cylinders in low-load situations to reduce fuel consumption, and a five-speed automatic will be the only transmission offered. Dual 3.5-inch tailpipes distinguish V-8 models from V-6s, which get a single three-inch outlet. Two-wheel-drive models with the V-8 are able to tow up to 7400 pounds.
Inside the Great Outdoors Drivers sit behind a clean and uncluttered dash and center stack complimented by spears of wood trim that sweep back into the doors. A variety of materials and finishes lend an upscale look to the interior, and Jeep promises greater use of soft-touch materials throughout. Only two rows of seating are offered, leaving Jeep without a three-row vehicle in its lineup.
For comfort both on- and off-road, the Grand Cherokee can be outfitted with a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and go, a backup camera, a power tilting and telescoping steering wheel, and a power rear hatch. An available panoramic sunroof stitches two panes of glass together to let the light shine in on front and rear passengers, although only the front section opens. Rear-seat legroom stretches by four inches, to 38.6, and the cargo area expands to 36 cubic feet.
Standard safety equipment includes electronic traction control and stability control with roll mitigation, hill-start assist, and trailer-sway control; hill-descent control is an option. Inside, standard full-length curtain airbags protect heads in side impacts, while seat-mounted side bags—also standard—cushion blows to the front occupants.
A Brainy Ruffian Other available tech bits are parking sensors, a blind-spot warning system that acts as a cross-traffic sensor in parking lots, adaptive cruise control, remote start, Bluetooth, and a USB connection that will act like Ford’s Sync technology for voice-directed searching of connected iPods. Uconnect Guardian copies GM’s OnStar service with automatic crash notification, available emergency and roadside-assistance calling, remote door unlocking, and a stolen-vehicle assistance system that helps authorities find a stolen Grand Cherokee more quickly.
For all of Jeep’s off-road heritage, Chrysler’s current financial state is no doubt the greatest obstacle any Grand Cherokee has ever faced—a challenge not overcome with mere ground clearance or high-tech differentials. With richer new looks and the Mercedes connection providing what will no doubt be a healthy dose of on-road refinement, the Grand Cherokee looks to be as capable as anything of propelling Jeep through the economic mire.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/09q2/2011_jeep_grand_cherokee-auto_shows