More than an old car #188: Volvo S70

Some time back I did a poll to check on what types of cars people would like to see being featured. Having too many of them to write about and limited time, deciding on what to cover is actually difficult. One of the requests was to write about Swedish classics and I was reminded of this 1998 Volvo S70 that I had seen many years ago...

First introduced in late 1996 for the 1997 model year, the S70 was essentially a revised version of the 850. Featuring about 1,800 modifications from its predecessor, changes included a more rounded body style, redesigned front end with new lights, clear indicator lenses for the rear lights and a redesigned interior. Standard equipment such as remote central locking, 4 airbags and power windows were made available on every car. A variety of trims and engine types were available, with the R model (available only in some European countries) being the highest specification.

The S70 had a mild facelift in 1999, with a small change to the badge on the front grille. A better side airbag and Volvo's proprietary whiplash protection system (WHIPS) was made standard. While available only as a 4-door sedan, a wagon version known as the V70 was sold separately. Specialised versions for taxi and police usage were also sold. This unit was powered by a 1984 cc B5204T2 inline-5 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 215 km/h with an acceleration of 9.3 seconds [0-100 km/h]. With dimensions of 4722 x 1761 x 1403 mm and weighing in at 1370 kg, it was rather compact and would not look out of place among cars today. Its fuel consumption of 10.1 litres / 100 km puts it at a decent rate of trips to the petrol station.

Production of the S70 ended in 2000 where it was succeeded by the S60. With 243,078 units made, it was sold in fewer numbers compared to its fellow siblings. It is believed that this is just 1 of 2 that still exist in Singapore, with the other being a less common 2.4 litre variant. S70s were sold here in 1997, and a few were actually owned by the government for official duties. Many did not survive partly due to high COE prices and better options available on the market for compact executive cars. I am not sure if you are able to find them on the road, but hopefully this has been informational for you to recognise its existence...