1997 VOLVO S70 2.0T 20V 5MT FWD (180 HP)

Vehicle Overview

When Volvo decided to get rid of its old-school, boxy design, it launched the first generation of the S40 in 1995 and then trimmed the 850 model to make the S70 in 1997.

The Swedish carmaker was known for its safe vehicles. To show that strength, it made its cars look like a pile of bricks one on top of another. But as time went by, the customers moved their attention toward more stylish vehicles with rounded shapes. Volvo had to adapt, and that’s when the S40 came in, with some help from Mitsubishi, and the S70.

The S70’s front fascia featured new headlights with rounded edges, and its inner sides tucked behind the grille, making them look slimmer. Its slightly curved side windows couldn’t hide the original boxy origins, but at least it was sweetened. Again, a short trunk with rounded edges and corners was more like in the ’90s trend in the back.

Inside, Volvo took more freedom of expression with a flowing line on top of the dashboard, instead of the older three-shaped roof-style instrument cluster from the 850. It lost a few air-vents, but it kept their squared look. There was enough legroom in the back for two adults, but three would stay cramped, especially in the AWD versions.

Under the hood, Volvo installed a choice of five-cylinder engines ranged between 126 hp and 241 hp. It was fitted as standard with 5-speed manual gearboxes, while a 4-speed automatic was available on selected engines.