Volvo XC70 at 269,900: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teaching BBA to Sell Hybrids

Starting at 269,900 RMB, the Volvo XC70 is officially launched at a price that surprises everyone.

As a mid-to-large luxury hybrid SUV with a wheelbase of 2895mm, the Volvo XC70's price is indeed quite sincere.

After all, it is not the kind of extended model with a luxury brand logo like those from BBA in the past.

So, what are its highlights, and which version is the most worth buying?

What are the highlights of the new car?

In terms of appearance, the Volvo XC70 features a new family design language, with the classic Thor's Hammer daytime running lights and headlights upgraded to a split design, and it also comes with frameless doors.

The interior features a 23-inch full LCD instrument panel, a 15.4-inch floating central control screen, and a 92-inch AR-HUD for three-screen interaction.

The interactive system is brand new, and there are almost no physical buttons inside the car. Most functions can be achieved through voice interaction that does not require activation and supports four audio zones.

The body dimensions of 4815/1890/1650mm and a wheelbase of 2895mm are quite impressive.

The trunk capacity is 408 liters, which can be expanded to 1456 liters after folding down the rear seats. In fact, neither the external body size nor the internal space is considered small.

Safety has always been a key focus for Volvo, but this time, apart from the well-known passive safety features of the vehicle body, the active safety aspects, particularly in the setup of the driver assistance systems, also reflect Volvo's dedication to safety.

The entire driver assistance system is divided by Volvo into four dimensions: emergency braking, emergency avoidance, safety assistance, and warning alerts.

AEB emergency braking that can recognize pedestrians, bicycles, and sudden obstacles, with a braking response time of less than 0.3 seconds.

Moreover, this is the first Volvo model equipped with NPA Intelligent Navigation Assistance. Although it is a purely visual solution, Volvo also emphasizes that it is developed based on the "more secure closed-source system QNX" to ensure better safety redundancy and stability.

It can support a speed range of 0-150 km/h and has functions for avoiding large vehicles, overtaking slow vehicles, adjusting speed for on-ramps and off-ramps, and navigating curves.

Among all the product highlights, the most noteworthy is the SMA super hybrid architecture equipped in the Volvo XC70.

The core is a hybrid system composed of a 1.5T hybrid-specific engine and P1/P2/P4 three electric motors, paired with a 3-speed DHT hybrid transmission. This luxurious hybrid configuration is unique among products of the same class from traditional luxury brands.

P1 is a generator that does not participate in driving, while the motor powers of P2 and P4 reach 107kW and 156kW respectively, matching with a 1.5T hybrid-specific engine with a maximum power of 120kW.

The entire hybrid system delivers a combined power output of 340kW, with a peak torque of 710N·m, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.28 seconds when fully charged.

Moreover, due to the matching of the 3-speed DHT hybrid transmission, it can also support intelligent switching between seven modes, including pure electric, series, parallel, and direct drive.

The 3-speed DHT offers many benefits. Compared to single-speed series-parallel hybrid systems, the most direct advantage is the increased operating conditions for direct engine drive.

For example, at lower speeds, the acceleration performance can be enhanced by parallel driving through a low gear and motor, while at higher speed ranges, the wheels can be directly driven through a high gear to improve the overall efficiency of the hybrid system.

The two-wheel drive version without the P4 motor on the Volvo XC70 achieved a fuel consumption of 5.85L/100km, while the four-wheel drive version achieved a fuel consumption of 6.55L/100km.

The four-wheel drive model is also equipped with a 39.6kWh ternary lithium battery pack, providing a CLTC pure electric range of 200km. Combined with a 60L fuel tank, whether it's the two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive model, the total range can exceed 1200km.

Moreover, being a hybrid SUV equipped with a nearly 40 kWh battery pack, the Volvo XC70 is currently priced between 269,900 to 349,900 RMB, which is even lower than the pricing range of competing products from local brands.

For example, the starting price of the Wei Blue Mountain, a hybrid mid-to-large SUV, is close to 300,000 yuan, and the starting price of the Lynk & Co 09 EM-P is also 275,800 yuan. The pricing of the Volvo XC70 is still quite attractive to the market.

Which one is worth choosing?

Currently, there are four versions of the Volvo XC70, so which version is more worth choosing for everyone?

First, exclude the entry-level model priced at 269,900.

This version, although equipped with a 3-speed DHT hybrid transmission, does not have a P4 motor, which means it is only two-wheel drive, and the battery pack is also smaller, with only 21.2 kWh.

In terms of both performance and the experience of using an electric vehicle, it lags far behind the other three versions.

The battery pack with 21.2 kWh, which is a mix of ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate batteries, has a WLTC range of only 100 km.

If you use the car in winter and have chosen a lithium iron phosphate battery pack, you basically need to charge it every time you go out purely on electric power. This not only results in a poor experience but also affects the battery's lifespan due to more frequent charge cycles.

Among the remaining three versions, I recommend the second lowest configuration priced at 299,900 and the second highest configuration priced at 319,900.

The model priced at 29.99 is 20,000 and 40,000 cheaper compared to the second-highest and highest configurations, respectively.

The corresponding features such as rear side privacy glass, the option to select AR-HUD, front leg rests, front seat heating and ventilation, boss key for the front passenger, Harman/Kardon sound system, and independent rear air conditioning will be omitted.

There is no difference in the hybrid system and the standard intelligent driving features.

If features like audio system and heated/ventilated front seats are not very necessary, choosing the second lowest configuration at 299,900 yuan is quite cost-effective.

If you care about the Harman Kardon in Volvo and have a need for front seat functions, then directly choose the second highest configuration priced at 319,900 yuan.

The difference in configuration between the second-to-top configuration priced at 319,900 and the top configuration is mainly that optional features like AR-HUD and larger wheels become standard. The cost-effectiveness is not very high.

In conclusion

A brand new series, the first Volvo model equipped with intelligent pilot assistance, and currently the only Volvo product with a 3-speed DHT hybrid configuration.

The Volvo XC70 holds significant importance for the entire Volvo brand, as it can be seen as a powerful response from Volvo to the challenges of the current new energy market.

Especially with this starting price of 269,900 yuan, it directly positions itself in the pricing range of similar products from domestic brands, which is quite competitive. What do you think about the sales of the Volvo XC70? Feel free to discuss in the comments section.