By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PICTURE in your mind this photo op: the 2008 Volvo XC70 AWD in all its rugged elegance parked on a sandy beach, the waves lapping at its 17-inch alloy wheels while the sun sets behind it on the horizon of the South China Sea.

The opportunity to set up this photo op came last week, so I broached it to the Volvo representatives present. But unfortunately the beach at Puerto del Sol resort in Bolinao, Pangasinan is fenced off and therefore inaccessible to cars.

But let me tell you how an XC70 ended up at a beach resort in the distant north.

In the keenly competitive luxury car segment, manufacturers rack their brains for ways to demonstrate the winning qualities that justify the high prices of their products. One way is to invite the press to test-drive their latest model on a long road trip to a vacation spot outside Metro Manila.

This summer, Viking Cars Inc., the authorized Volvo cars dealer, arranged a Freedom Test Drive for its all-new 2008 model XC70 AWD (all-wheel-drive) cross-country. At a press lunch, the motoring media were asked to organize themselves into teams of three after which representatives of the teams drew lots, raffle-style, indicating the dates and destinations of their Freedom Test Drive.

The team I joined — Aris Ilagan of Manila Bulletin and Business Mirror motoring editor Popong Andolong — drew the raffle stub for Puerto del Sol. After a mixup regarding our room reservations at Puerto del Sol, it was finally set for May 7 and 8.

At the last minute Aris and Popong canceled, with Popong assigning Business Mirror motoring and sports columnist Andy Sevilla (no relation) to take his place. Which was just as well, since the absence of Aris enabled Andy to bring along his 11-year-old son, Migoy.

The third-generation XC70 is available in two versions: the 3.2-liter, 6-cylinder gasoline variant (P3.295 million) and the 2.4-liter, 5-cylinder, 20 valves DOHC common-rail direct-injection (CRDi) turbodiesel (P3.395 million). Both have all-aluminum engines and a 6-speed Geatronic transmission with manual shift option. The unit assigned to us was the CRDi capable of 185 hp/4,000 rpm and 400 Nm/2,000-2,750 rpm max torque.

The first time you drive the XC70 diesel, it feels heavy and slow to accelerate but as you learn to adjust foot pressure on the pedal, you’ll find it delivering swift response and exhilarating performance — thanks in no small part to the high torque and Volvo’s advanced CRDi technology with variable turbine geometry. No worries about smoky emissions either as the XC70 diesel has a maintenance-free particle filter.

While the AWD system and taller ride height theoretically affect the XC70’s steering precision, I thought it handled excellently and with reassuring stability on the winding roads and sharp curves of the northbound highway from Camiling, Tarlac to Bolinao, Pangasinan via Sual, Alaminos and Bani. In the densely populated municipalities, the XC70 performed with sports car-like agility in overtaking maneuvers.

When I took the wheel in Pangasinan, a sudden thunderstorm drastically reduced visibility and flooded some of the lower portions of the highway. This was when the XC70’s Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) proved its worth, enabling me to splash through puddles of water at 100 kph. With its generous ground clearance of 210 mm, the XC70 can run through 300 mm of water. Photo ads of the XC70 fording a river and caroming down a flooded road are not misleading, after all.

Aside from DSTC, numerous airbags, inflatable side curtains and ABS with EBD the XC70 has Hill Descent Control (HDC), Roll Stability Control (RSC) and active projector bi-xenon headlights. I tested the HDC driving down a hill, but the value of the HDC was not fully demonstrated because it was a cemented road. HDC is best appreciated going down a steep off-road incline.

For all its rough terrain capability, the XC70 remains at heart a comfortable, family-friendly luxury wagon. It is, after all, a crossover based on Volvo’s premium sedan, the S80. During a portion of the drive back through Pangasinan, I sat in the back and found that the suspension system with coil springs and stabilizer bars fore and aft adequately absorbed road surface imperfections. The XC70 can comfortably carry five adults (including driver) and its cargo volume is an immense 575 liters.

As for fuel economy, the XC70 CRDi traveled 296 km before half of its 70-liter tank’s contents was emptied.

For me, the best part of the trip was when it was my turn to drive the full length of the North Luzon Expressway’s southbound lane at night in the rain, obeying the 100 kph speed limit. The XC70 was almost as quiet and as peaceful as a cathedral, for Andy and his son were napping and the CRDi engine was purring along, unobtrusive in its now-restrained power after acing the long test drive.

Can I check out the gasoline XC70 next, Loi?