26 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 27, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com 2008 PREVIEW SPECIAL EDITION Volvo's new XC70 is more of the same, only better By Bradley Horn OAKVILLE BEAVER otwithstanding Nordic languages ripe with multi-syllabic words and umlauts, Scandinavia is probably best known for its clean and functional design philosophy (we're far beyond Ikea's fl atpacked furniture here). Take, for example, Dane Arne Jacobsen's perennial 3107 chair: the simple, steam-bent plywood seat is as chic, tidy and popular today as it was when it originally debuted in 1955. Though it's been around a much more modest decade, the same can be said for Volvo's XC70 sport-ute. While other auto outfi ts have chopped and changed their SUV formula over the years, the Swedes crafted a capable "wagon on stilts" back in 1997 and have pretty much left the original concept intact through three generations because, well, the design is perpetually pertinent. The Volvo folks on hand here in Germany were particularly proud of the decidedly upscale underpinnings of this new XC70, which come from none other than the fl agship S80 sedan -- as do the engine, the new generation of safety systems, the majority of the interior, etc., etc. I'm surprised they didn't rebadge it "XC80." As with all past XCs, the new generation starts life as a V70 wagon (also new and unveiled alongside the XC70 at March's Geneva Motor Show). Thanks to four different grades of highstrength steel, their shared body structure is both lighter and stronger (torsional rigidity is up 15 percent). Not surprisingly, interior volumes grow too, but we'll get to the cabin later... This being a Volvo, we must first talk safety. Believe me, this is the Coles Notes version -- the full press kit could squash a Yaris. Of particular note are Volvo's industry-exclusive, second-row integrated booster cushions. The optional two-position seats provide varying sizes of kiddies with proper protection in a collision and allows them to see out of the rear windows. The XC's Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) has also been upgraded with stronger steel and a 60-mm extension of the curtain airbags. Aside from the expected nannies like Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), new Active Bi-Xenon headlights and the Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), there's cool techery including BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) which uses cameras in the door mirrors to warn the driver of a vehicle in the Volvo's blind spot; Collision Warning with Brake Support, which uses radar to sense if the XC is approaching another vehicle too quickly, activating a warning light and buzzer, while moving the brakes closer to the discs and boosting brake pressure; and IDIS (Intelligent Driver N Information System), which monitors the driver's actions and delays nonessential information (e.g. an incoming phone call), during "intense activity," like overtaking, or lane changes. Not surprisingly, Volvo says the XC70 should be the safest car in its segment. The DSTC, fourchannel ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist and IDIS are all standard. There's even an optional Personal Car Communicator (PCC), a high-tech key fob that can tell the driver if the XC's alarm has been triggered and, by way of a highly sensitive heartbeat monitor, if someone is hiding inside the vehicle! The XC70's rear view is perhaps most striking, with its wide-spaced "Volvo" badge and those characteristic tail lamps, which now rise as part of the larger tailgate. Sixteen-inch alloys are standard -- 17s are optional. A six-cylinder engine fi nally replaces the inline fi ve in the XC70 for 2008. The same transversely mounted 3.2-litre that debuted in the S80, the six fi nally slips in because of its extremely compact design, which moves ancillaries like the steering pump and A/C compressor behind the engine, into the space above the gearbox. The design also benefi ts frontal crash performance. The normallyaspirated all-alloy mill makes 235 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque through a sixspeed automatic gearbox. That's only 27 hp and exactly zero lb-ft of torque more than last year's turbocharged 2.5-litre. On Germany's 'bahns and back roads this translated into suffi cient, if uneventful performance. Don't get me wrong, the engine's buttery smooth and the gearbox, with its Geartronic manual mode, is a whiz at putting the limited grunt down, but the XC70's curb weight is up 221 kg (489 lb.) over last year, probably due to all that new safety goodness. Volvo says 0-100 km/h takes 8.6 seconds, but I fear an XC loaded with kin and kit would be somewhat unhurried. It didn't help that earlier that day, we'd also piloted the new V70 wagon, with a brilliant 285-hp turbocharged inline six under the hood. That mill, or even Europe's turbodiesel fi ve-cylinder, would be welcome additions. What the XC70 loses in grunt it makes back in handling, thanks chiefly to the standard Haldex all-wheel drive system and the optional Four-C active chassis. Note a small triumph for us, as only Canuck drivers, and not Yanks, can order the self-regulating Four-C active chassis system, which continuously adjusts the XC70's suspension to suit driving conditions. Volvo says its Comfort, Sport and Advanced settings "reduce the car's tendency to squat, dip or yaw under hard acceleration," firms up braking and quickens steering response. There's also a new optional speeddependent power steering feature, with three levels of servo assistance. Dial the lowest assist into the latter and set the Four-C system to Advanced and the XC70 is pretty agile for a wilderness wagon, though admittedly a bit more "sport" in the highest setting would be welcome. New for the '08 XC70 is standard Hill Descent Control. Borrowed from Land Rover, it uses the car's brakes and engine compression, instead of a crawling gear, to creep the vehicle downhill at about 10 km/h. Volvo says it's also practical for smooth starts when pulling a trailer or launching a boat. Finally, we get to XC's interior, which as mentioned, is straight out of the S80 save for some colour variants. It's a good thing, as that clean, functional Scandinavian design philosophy is applied in spades. Highlights include Volvo's super-slim centre stack, an electric parking brake, optional pop-up DVD navigation, and leather seats that are still best in the biz. Rear-seat legroom grows by 48 mm (1.9 in) and knee room by 21 mm (0.8 in.). The XC70's back bench splits 40/20/40 and lays entirely flat. Some highlights of the cargo area: load length with the rear seat folded, 1,878 mm (73.9 in.); height, 801 mm (31.5 in); and rear opening width, 1,223 mm (48.1 in.). Aluminum rails with movable cargo anchors are standard in luggage land and can be expanded with a plethora of optional storage solutions (baskets, dividers, etc.). As is the trend with Volvo of late, the XC70 offers a wicked, optional premium sound system, encompassing a 650-watt digital amplifier from Alpine, Dolby Pro Logic II Surround sound processing, and 12 speakers from Denmark's Dynaudio. An auxiliary input for iPods is now standard. Base price for the XC70 is $46,495. Three option packages (Premium, Luxury and Convenience) add equipment like cooled seats, rain sensing wipers, a power tailgate and a mass movement and level sensor. Standalone options include said premium stereo and a dualscreen rear entertainment system. Loaded, an XC70 could run near $65,000-- it's a premium sport-ute after all. The rugged 2008 Liberty loses none of its "Jeepness" By Jim Robinson OAKVILLE BEAVER We came over the crest on the trail and my co-driver and I both gasped. There, 20 metres straight down, was the forest floor of the hill we had just driven up. There was no turning around and going back, only forward. With trees so close together we had to pull in the mirrors to make it, we edged over the brow, and with feet off the brakes and gas, nosed over on Hill Descent Control (HDC). With the HDC making grunting braking and engine noises, the bottom was about as wide as the wheelbase with the next challenge being another seemingly vertical climb up through ruts as deep as the axles. My knuckles on the grab handle were white on what was easily the most demanding off-road course I've ever been on, and I've been on a lot. We were driving a 2008 Jeep Liberty and you can count on the fingers of one hand how many showroom stock competitors would have made it through. "Jeepness" is a word used inside Chrysler's Jeep Division and it means having all the legendary, go-anywhere ability consumers expect to find in the name. Cutting corners would have been easy on the Liberty. It would have made it a whole lot less expensive to produce, but it wouldn't have been a "real" Jeep. The second generation Liberty is part of a seven-model lineup that has blossomed over the past five years from just three. The Liberty shares the same, rugged flat-sided look as the big Hemipowered Commander. All the Jeep styling cues are there like the seven-slot grille and large headlights. But perhaps the greatest single design cue is the squared-off fender flares, that are now in body color. Jeep said they could have made the vehicle less costly without the detachable flared fenders. But owners said loud and clear that when they go bashing through the bush, which many do, they want to just tear off the old fender and bolt on a new one instead of always going to a body shop for repairs. Doors feel solid and close with a "thunk". Inside, the Liberty is not festooned with faux wood and brushed aluminum trim. It is primarily hard-edged, soft-touch plastics but without the bargain basement look and feel of the first generation Liberty. W In fact, my co-driver and I agreed that the Liberty shows you can have a quality interior look and feel as long as you don't cut costs here to spend it on things you don't need like gaudy interior trim. The biggest improvement was with the seats that now have improved bolstering to hold your tush securely in place. The most noticeable improvement was in the quality of the ride on highways. The last Liberty I drove felt heavy (which it was) and slow. The 2008 Liberty still has a feeling of solidity but with the 3.7-litre V6, it has the punch to keep up with the flow of traffic. Coming up to an off-ramp, the Liberty did not lurch over to the right as some bigger 4X4's do because of their high centre of gravity. In fact the Liberty was more like a CUV than a dedicated SUV. Jeep officials said at the press briefing the Liberty's 3.7-litre SOHC V6 was seen as offering the best balance of power and economy producing 210 hp and 235 lb/ft of torque with a choice of a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Fuel numbers for the manual are 13.4L/100 km (21 mpg city) and 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg) highway. The automatic gets 14.0L/100 km (20 mpg) city and 9.7L/100 km (29 mpg) highway. It wouldn't be a Jeep without industry leading four-wheeldrive. All Liberty models come with a standard Command-Trac II four-wheel-drive system. Optional on all three models is Selec-Trac II, arguably the most advanced four-wheel-drive system available in the industry. Command-Trac II is a part-time fully electronic system with a shift-on-the-fly that provides peace of mind with available fourwheel-drive capability delivered through a two-speed transfer case for use on slippery or loose surfaces such as snow, mud or sand. The all-new Selec-Trac II full-time active on-demand system actually anticipates and prevents wheel slip before it occurs. It is ideal for a range of road settings, including dry pavement conditions not typically suited for conventional part-time four-wheeldrive systems typically seen on competitors. All Liberty models come with front and side curtain airbags, tire pressure warning monitor, a flip-up rear glass on the tailgate, a nifty reversible rear cargo tray that can take up to 400 lbs and the four-wheel disc brakes come with a full battery of anti-lock brakes, electronic stability program (ESP) and electronic rollover mitigation. Options are few but significant, like the premium sound system with Sirius satellite radio, a trailer towing group and the MyGIG multimedia information system with internal 20 gigabyte hard drive. But the kicker is the Sky Slider Roof that opens either to the front or the rear from just behind the A-pillar all the way back to behind the back seat. The fabric top is about the size of six-place dinner table. You have to see it! While our American friends get two versions of the Liberty, as has become fashion at Jeep Canada, we get three models. The base Liberty Sport starts at $27,695 with the range topping Limited coming in at $32,795. In the middle is the $28,545 Canada-only North Edition which is similar to the Sport but adds some of the amenities Canadians like such as fold-flat front passenger seat, cruise control, roof rack with side rails, compass and temperature readouts, fog lamps and a 115-volt AC outlet. Interestingly, Jeep officials said that while more content has been added, the Liberty Sport is $2,695 less than the 2007 model and that price reduction holds true across the range. But by far, the biggest feature, and it's standard, is that all Liberty models are "Trail Rated" and that means they have been tested to meet and/or exceed all the off-road capability that people expect in a Jeep. Chrysler knows it's "Jeepness" that people want and it's "Jeepness" they are going to find in abundance in the 2008 Liberty.