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The XC70 interior borrows heavily from Volvo's line-topping S80 sedan, taking both design themes and components such as gauges, switches and console. We'd call it one of the company's best yet. Volvo interiors have usually been straightforward in function, but they've sometimes been almost cloddish in appearance, with at least a few quirks. Not so in this all-new XC70. It's understated, but elegant and nicely polished. Materials and overall finish are high grade.The optional leather upholstery is smooth and stretched tautly over the front seats, and the seats themselves are excellent. It's hard to find a better mix of comfort and support for typical driving. Ventilated cool seats are optional. Visibility outward is good, forward and aft. The rear-most side windows are imbedded with their own electrical grid for defrosting. With the 2008 XC70, Volvo has also refined its WHIPS whiplash limiting seat design. During a rear-end impact, the seatbacks moves rearward to reduce acceleration forces on the occupant's back and neck, while the headrest pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head as they are thrust backward. The XC70 driver sits before a fat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, looking at big, crisp gauges with bright-white backlighting and number gradients that are easy for the brain to absorb. The standard trim is etched aluminum, but the optional walnut and walnut root are gorgeous. The overall effect is very Scandinavian, yet the coolest element may be the thin-panel center stack. It's no more than two inches thick, with open space behind it. Most controls are placed here, with audio above climate and a display at the top, arranged in a neat, symmetrical pattern. The primary knobs are big and raised substantially from the surface, and the airflow controls are fashioned in an icon shaped like a seated person shaped icon, so there's absolutely no confusion about directing air toward the face, feet or windshield. It's all quite clean and pleasing. Most significantly, measured by function and simplicity of operation, the XC70's various controls are better than most other luxury brands, and particularly German brands, which still insist on layering more menus in their interfaces (while still adding more buttons). This alone might be enough reason for some to choose Volvo. The navigation system is new, and promising. The screen pops up vertically from the center of the dash, though it's canted forward at what seems a strange angle. The driver surfs through menus and makes choices with buttons on the back of the steering wheel spokes, almost where you'd expect paddle shifters for an automatic transmission. Our initial reaction is that it's better than other systems. The menus are no more difficult to learn, and they're managed without taking hands from the steering wheel and fishing for the controls. Passengers can control the system with a remote. In-cabin storage is decent. The center console and glovebox hold quite a bit of stuff. The pockets behind the front seatbacks are handy and the cupholders work well. The XC70's rear seat is not the roomiest, given the apparent size of the vehicle it's in. We wouldn't recommend it to six-footers for a cross-country trip. There's enough room that someone 5-feet, 9 inches won't get claustrophobic or cramped riding in the back of the XC70 across town, however. And we think it would be fine for families until the kids are well into their teens. With the stereo upgrade, there are redundant audio controls and headphone jacks for rear passengers. The rear DVD system puts a screen in the back of both front headrests, which we prefer to those that drop from the headliner. The cargo area is another of the XC70's strengths. The back seat folds easily, 40/20/40, so the center section can work like a pass-through for skis or hockey sticks. With a maximum cargo capacity of 72
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