Hot on the heels of the S40 and V40 and the stunning C70, come another two new arrivals. They're badged S70 and V70 and they replace the multi-award winning 800 Series

Those familiar with Volvo's new badging system will know that 'S' refres to saloon and 'V' to versatlity (or the estate format) and the following number to the size of the car - hence S70 and V70.

To complete the re-badging scheme, the 900 Series cars will simultaneously be renamed the S90 and V90.

What's new

Over 1,800 changes have turned the old 850 into the new S70 and V70. Here are just a few of them...

• New bonnet, grille, headlamps and bumpers.

• More flared front wings and less steeply raked windscreen

• Colour keyed body mouldings and door handles

• Less sharply raked rear window (S70 only)

• New boot lid and boot handle with lighter operation (S70 only)

• Improved SIPS safety system

• New high-level LED rear brake light

• New rear light clusters (S70 only)

• New dashboard, switchgear and steering wheel

• New interior door panels with integrated electric window switches plus remote boot and petrol flap release

• Reduced hot weather cabin temperatures through new tinted glass

• New interior upholsteries plus upgraded 'Madison'trim for platform cars

• New hand-held remote control alarm system with remote boot opening feature. Deadlocks standard

• Free turning driver's side door lock and deletion of passenger side external door lock

• New outside temperature gauge, rear electric windows, central front arm rest and SC802 radio cassette as standard equipment

Engines: A wider choice and more power

The S70 and V70 range will have a wide choice of Volvo's superb five-cylinder petrol engines plus the 2.5-litre TDI turbo-diesel unit to choose from launch. The main news is that the 2.5litre, 20-valve, low-pressure turbo engine first introduced on the 850 AWD model will be available on the mainstream front-drive S70 and V70 models. This engine is very refined and majors on producing lots of torque at low revs - it develops a beefy 1991bft of pulling power from only 1800rpm. The famous 2.3-litre, 20valve, turbocharged engine from the 850 T-5 model is now given a power hike from 225bhp to 240bhp and torque now leaps from 221 lb ft to 243 lb ft in the new S/V70 T-5 models. Perhaps most exciting of all, Volvo is rumoured to repeat the sensational high performance R versions in mid 1997. These new S70R and V70R models are expected to have even greater power but no details of exactly how much have yet been released.