An estate wagon of mid-size dimensions from Volvo has a flexible seat design for up to seven riders and an expandable cargo compartment. Posh appointments dot the cabin, with power-operated controls and a high caliber of equipment in the mode of European touring sedans.

Entry comes with the V70 2.4 packing a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter in-line-five rated at 165 hp and tied to a manual five-speed or optional five-speed electronic automatic. The FWD V70 2.5T gains a more powerful 2.5-liter light-pressure turbo five for 208 hp through a five-speed automatic with optional Geartronic shifting -- the same plant that works on V70 2.5T AWD model. And a FWD V70 T5 stocks a 2.3-liter five high-pressure turbo worth 247 hp with either the five-speed automatic or manual five-speed.

However, the quickest Volvo wagon has to be the V70 R. It has the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine primed with turbo-charger and twin inter-coolers to turn out 300 hp. A six-speed close-ratio manual or five-speed Geartronic automatic go to the R car, which also stocks Volvo's FOUR-C suspension controller and 13-inch disc brakes by Brembo.

Formerly called Cross Country and XC AWD, this estate wagon variation off the V70 ties with the XC90 as a Volvo outdoor versatility vehicle. XC70 2.5T is hiked in suspension so it can travel over non-paved terrain, then outfitted with four-wheel traction from the Haldex system.

Haldex, a Swedish pioneer in AWD mechanisms, builds an active-on-demand system with power split between front and rear wheels through a wet multi-plate clutch. Structural elements and mechanical hardware come from the V70, although the XC70 stretches an inch longer and is wider because the front wheel track increases by several inches. It's also almost three inches taller due to the elevated chassis.

Safety gear includes standard Volvo's side impact protection system (SIPS) with side air bags plus curtain-style air bags positioned above side windows. Bi-xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and ZF rack and pinion steering are new for 2004. Muscle to propel XC70 2.5T stems from V70 2.5T with Volvo's 2.5-liter light-pressure turbo for 208 hp.

Volvo's XC90 sport-utility wagon is svelte in package design, expansive in cabin size -- with optional third-row seats for a capacity of as many as seven passengers -- and equipped with powerful engines and sophisticated safety systems plus optional AWD traction.

Built off the P2 platform that underpins Volvo's mid-size models, the XC90 rides and drives more like a car than a lumbering sport-ute, despite its hulking size. It can be quick and enthusiastic too, particularly with the light-pressure twin turbo 2.9-liter in-line-six out of S80 T6, which delivers 268 hp. This plant brings the Geartronic stick on a four-speed automatic.

Base powertrain is the light-pressure turbo 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine from V70 2.5T, rated at 208 hp and keyed to a five-speed automatic. Optional AWD traction is the electronically-controlled Haldex system.

Extensive safety systems go into XC90, including frontal air bags and side-impact air bags for front riders plus Volvo's side curtain-style air bags reaching to the third row of seats. In addition to the DSTC yaw-control system aboard, Volvo overlays that device with a Roll-Over Protection System (ROPS). It has on-board sensors to detect when the vehicle begins to roll, then counteracts that body movement by activating brakes and forcing an understeer maneuver to stem the roll.

Packages bring more gear -- a premium group with leather seats and power moonroof, the climate kit with heated front seats and rainsensor windshield wipers, and a versatility package with the third-row seat and separate climate controls.

Sandwiched in size between mid-size S80 and compact-class S40, Volvo's S60 sedans ride on the variable-size platform employed by S80 and V70.

A stylish passenger compartment contains rich appointments in an understated cabin with muted tone-on-tone colors. The conventional layout sets two bolstered buckets beside a multi-purpose console and ahead of a bench with three seat positions. However, optional two-place seating in sculpted spaces is available for the rear.

Five-cylinder engines out of the V70 wagons also work on S60 with a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter plant plus a light-pressure turbo 2.5-liter variation for 208 hp and the high-pressure turbo for 247 hp. The latter shows up in S60 T5 with choices of manual or automatic shifter. S60 AWD with increased chassis height stocks the light-pressure turbo 2.5-liter plant. It also uses Volvo's five-speed Geartronic automatic with the Haldec electronic AWD system.

The rack and pinion steering system for all 60 sedans switches to ZF steering gear, and bi-xenon HID headlamps are now optional.

Also, Volvo's fastest car returns to the series as the S60 R, a sports sedan with equipment for high performance. The R car takes the 2.5-liter turbo five-pack with twin inter-coolers added to muster 300 hp and bring home quick times -- only 5.4 seconds for a run from zero-to-sixty. Transmission for S60 R is either the five-speed Geartronic automatic or a close-ratio six-speed manual.

Alloy wheels of 17-inch diameter are the standard as capped by Pirelli performance tires, although 18-inchers are available.

A new Limited Sport Edition Package for Volvo's compact-class cars appears strictly in body tints of Black Sapphire, Virtual Blue or Silver, with production restricted to only 2500 units. The package adds spoilers front and rear, leather lining seats and steering wheel, chromium rings around gauges in the instrument panel, stainless steel scuff plates and a power moonroof.

Volvo's compacts consist of the S40 sedan and V40 wagon, each exhibiting styling points that look similar to the flagship sedan only in a smaller scale. The format amounts to a basic wedge-shaped shell with high-hiked tail and low-canted prow marked by the boxy chrome grille evident on all Volvos.

Both sedan and wagon add up to the same external dimensions and ride on the same compact platform with a transverse-mounted front engine pushing power to the front wheels. Interiors configure differently behind the front seats due to a flexible seat arrangement in the wagon.

The aluminum four-cylinder engine displaces 1.9 liters and achieves 170 hp. Extensive features for safety and security go into these smallest Volvos, such as frontal air bags plus seat-mounted side air bags. Also, Volvo's DSTC may be added.