Volvo Car Australia's newest additional V70 range - the V70 2.4 20V - was designed to companion an active family lifestyle comfortably seating up to seven passengers or carrying everything from the family dog to a valued piece of antique furniture.

Priced to appeal to a wide variety of incomes, the V70 2.4 20V is comprehensively equipped with standard safety and comfort features from climate control to anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes to child booster seats inclusive in the rear seat.

By folding the 60/40 split rear seat, the load bay opens up to a cavernous 1641 litres and 1848mm in load length. The V70 2.4 20V can haul 500kg of DIY stuff. Equipped with roof racks, the V70 carries as much as 100kg on its roof.

In terms of value for money, Volvo Car Australia believes the V70 2.4 20V is extremely competitive when compared to its European competition, and will be the volume seller within the V70 model range. Volvo Car Australia anticipates the V70 2.4 20V will account for roughly 60 percent of V70 sales.

Family is the foremost consideration of the V70 2.4 20V.

"From the very beginning of the design process, Volvo focused on making this new V70 versatile and accommodating for a wide variety of jobs and family tasks. We think of the new V70, especially the affordable V70 2.4 20V, as a work and play wagon for the family," said Jan Eriksson, Volvo Australia Managing Director.

The V70 2.4 20V is complimented by the same standard passive-safety features as the turbocharged V70 2.4T and T5. World leading passive safety is provided by on-board features including Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), Inflatable Curtain (IC) and two-stage front airbags with pyrotechnic pretensioning seat belts.

Volvo’s philosophy on safety is very ethical and very straight forward - every Volvo car is offered with the highest level of passive safety available as standard. Volvo does not believe in the common practice of ransoming passenger safety as high-cost options.

In addition, the V70 2.4 20V employs an advanced four-channel anti-lock braking system with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) to assist the driver and provide maximum stopping power without sacrificing car control. The brakes are four-wheel disc, larger in diameter and width to improve braking ability and reduce fade. The larger brakes are actually carried across from the S80 sedan.

The V70 2.4 20V inherits a body shell now 50 percent torsionally stiffer than the previous model. The advantages of a more rigid body shell are immediately obvious when driving. The steering is responsive to gentle inputs, while speed-sensitive power steering feel is predictable and progressive.

The improved body shell with improved aerodynamics is quieter with a noticeable reduction in wind noise compared to the previous model.

The balance between ride and handling is a delicate one, and to provide an enjoyable balance Volvo Car Australia selected a ‘comfort’ suspension tune for the V70 2.4 20V. The rear suspension is an advanced multi-link design which allows each wheel independent movement without altering the wheel’s toe angle or camber geometry.

The result is very predictable and stable cornering control.

Overall, the V70 2.4 20V rides comfortably on softer spring and damping rates than the sport-minded V70 T5.

Buyers can personalise their V70 by selecting from 14 exterior colour and three base interior colour schemes. Buyers of the V70 2.4 20V may also select from several interior trim choices as well as upholstery fabrics.

Leather is an option.

Safety and security are in-built into the V70 2.4 20V. It comes equipped with an engine immobiliser which makes starting the engine impossible without the correct ignition key. The exterior door locks are designed to spin freely when ‘jimmied’ with the wrong key or with a theft tool.

Remote-control central locking and home-safe lighting are also standard security features on the V70 2.4 20V. Laminated side windows are optional and further improve the car’s security.

The V70 2.4 20V nomenclature is a mouthful. The name is derived from its engine - a powerful, efficient and advanced 2.4-litre five-cylinder engine with dual-overhead camshafts operating a total of 20 valves.

On this naturally aspirated engine, the intake camshaft is controlled by CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing) to improve performance via a wider powerband and to reduce fuel consumption.

CVVT is effectively used on Volvo’s turbocharged 2.4 T and T5 engines, however, it varies valve timing on the exhaust camshaft.

The 2.4-litre inline engine was recently revised to achieve smoother running while producing fewer harmful tailpipe pollutants. In fact, the naturally aspirated "RN" engine surpasses California’s strict Ultra Low Emission Vehicle emission requirements. It is the first engine to be offered in Australia with ULEV compliance.

The engine and the five-speed automatic transmission were launched in the previous model V70 last year and produces 125kW at 5900rpm and 230Nm at 4500rpm.

The five-speed manual returns 9.6L/100km in city driving and 6.35L/100km on the highway and the five-speed automatic returns 9.78L/100km in city driving and 6.26L/100km on the highway.

Environmental issues are very much in the forefront of Volvo design and technology. All V70 models including the 2.4 20V and Cross Country feature Prem-Air, a catalyst coating applied to the radiator which converts up to 75 percent of harmful ground-level ozone passing through the radiator into oxygen. Ground-level ozone has been identified as a cause of respiratory problems.

Air entering the cockpit through the V70 2.4 20V climate control system is filtered for pollen and dust particles. An active carbon filter, which reduces nitrogens, ozone and hydrocarbons entering the cockpit, is optional on V70 2.4 20V.