Yesterday morning on my way into our El Segundo offices, I stumbled across two unlikely and almost unnoticeable test vehicles trotting along in traffic. To the average commuter, these two vehicles don't stand out. The little "test vehicle" stickers on the front door and matching Arizona state plates were the clues that gave them away.
The Volvo XC70 is now in its third generation, and has grown a bit. It's no longer considered a wagon because, as with the Subaru Outback, its Japanese rival, the increased size bumps it into the crossover/SUV category.
My photos aren't the best, but as you can see, Volvo is testing the towing capabilities of the all-new XC70. The XC70 is towing a 5x10-foot Cargo Trailer with a max load of 1550 pounds that weighs 1250 pounds empty. We have no idea if the trailer was loaded or empty for this test. We do know the XC70 has a max trailer weight (braked) of 3968.32 to 4629.7 pounds, depending on the engine.
Although we know little about the ongoing testing of this particular XC70, this does spark an interest in pitting our 2010 SUOTY against the 2011 XC70 for a tow comparison. Call it the more-than-capable-crossover challenge.
Do you think crossovers are mightier than they look? Would you consider buying one to use for towing?