VOLVO'S style chief, Brit Peter Horbury, has got a tough job ahead of him making Volvos more desirable while losing none of the classic styling cues and, in the case of its wagons, practicality. The V70 is a perfect example.

Unmistakably Swedish, the car's rear end reflects Volvo's no-compromise approach to carrying cargo. Up front, Horbury has kept the V-shaped bonnet, which first appeared with the PV444 in the 1940s and returned in the current S40/V40, S70/V70 and S80.