Volvo XC70 estate (2007-2016) - Reliability & safety

Volvo has a reputation for building some of the safest cars in the world and the XC70 comes laden with safety kit to maintain that tradition. The Swedish brand also enjoys a good standing amongst its customers, so you can expect the ownership experience to be a good one.

Volvo XC70 reliability

The Volvo XC70 wasn’t rated in our 2016 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey and the V70 on which it’s based was known for slightly patchy reliability towards the end of its life.

Volvo finished 13th out of 32 manufacturers in our 2016 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, up four places on the previous year. Volvo as a brand came 22nd for reliability – although a fifth-place finish for build quality is indicative of the sense of solidity exhibited by the XC70.

Safety

Volvo is an industry leader for safety, and while the XC70 itself hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP yet, the V70 on which it’s based scored the full five stars when it was rated, with an 88% rating for adult occupant protection and an 84% score for child occupants.

Every version of the XC70 is fitted with City Safety technology, which operates at low speeds and can automatically brake the car if it detects an obstacle in your path. A large number of airbags are fitted, as well as technology to improve emergency braking and help prevent skids, plus seats that have been designed to reduce whiplash in an accident.