Volvo has added its improved 1.6-litre DRIVe turbodiesel engine to the V70 and S80 models. The DRIVe versions of these cars now come with 115bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox and stop-start as standard.
Brake energy regeneration and low rolling resistance tyres also help with fuel economy and emissions, with both the V70 and S80 now providing 62.8mpg and 119g/km carbon dioxide emissions.
Volvo has also worked on its 2.4-litre five-cylinder turbodiesel for the D5 models. This now has 215bhp - compared to the old motor's 205bhp - and 325lb.ft of shove rather than the previous engine's 310lb.ft. As a result, the S80 D5 boasts 57.7mpg and 129g/km with a manual gearbox - or 47mpg and 158g/km with the auto. The Volvo V70 and XC70 manage 55mpg and 47mpg respectively, and 134g/km and 149g/km.
The upgrades for the larger Volvos don't stop there. Volvo has fine tuned the 2.0-litre D3 turbodiesel engine to get 57.7mpg average economy and 129g/km for the S80, 54mpg and 137g/km for the V70 while the XC70 provides 51mpg and 144g/km.
On top of all this, the three large Volvos have received a mild facelift with new headlights and LED repeat indicators in the door mirrors. Volvo's Collision Safety system, which can help avoid accidents at speeds up to 19mph, is now standard on all three models, while Pedestrian Detection is an option for.
Finally, the V70, XC70 and S80 now come with Volvo Sensus, the infotainment system first seen in the S60. It uses a colour screen to let the driver select a variety of functions, such as satellite navigation or hands-free phone.
Prices for the revised V70 start at £25,995, £25,245 for the S80 and the XC70 begins at £28,815.
Alisdair Suttie - 18 Apr 2011
