Volvo Car Australia is improving the value equation of its popular XC70 wagon and seven-seat XC90 within the luxury SUV market segment.

Volvo Car Australia is introducing a limited Lifestyle Edition of the 2.5-litre turbocharged XC90 2.5T, featuring as standard third-row seating for seven adults and leather upholstery.

The third-row seating package includes Inflatable Curtain (IC) for side impact head protection, an additional air-conditioning condenser and fan control, C-pillar ventilation, three-point seat belts (with pre-tensioners), and audio headset sockets for rear seat passengers.

The 'unseen' advantage of Volvo's third-row seating is each seat's ability to fold totally flat and disappear into the floor.

Continuing across the XC90 range, the 2.9-litre twin turbocharged XC90 T6 also gains third-row seating as a standard feature.

The strong value positioning of XC90 is accompanied by an equally aggressive repositioning of the all-wheel-drive XC70 LE wagon.

Volvo XC range pricing is:
XC70 LE at $64,450
XC90 LE at $69,950 (includes third-row seating and leather upholstery)
XC90 T6 at $79,950 (includes third-row seating and leather upholstery)

"We've taken an aggressive stance within the luxury SUV market because Volvo clearly wants a larger share of this market segment," said Steve Blyth, Managing Director of Volvo Car Australia. "Volvo sales were up in Australia in 2004, and we intend to grow the Volvo brand further."

"Volvo has always offered more to its customers. With this repositioning, we are able to offer potential customers unequalled value for spend along with Volvo's world-leading occupant protection, functional design and environmentally-conscious manufacturing," said Blyth.

XC70 LE Features:

• Leather interior upholstery
• Premium sound system (Dolby Pro Logic II, 11 speakers, 6 CD stacker in-dash)
• Power glass sunroof
• Bi-Xenon headlights
• Heated front seats
• Electro-mechanical Haldex AWD system
• 40/20/40 split folding rear seat backrests
• Integrated rear seat child booster cushion (double)
• Dual-zone climate control
• Cabin dust and pollen filter, multi-active IAQS sensor
• Hypoallergenic interior materials
• 11.1 L/100km petrol consumption (class leading)
• 8.0 seconds 0-100km/h
• 1655kg kerb mass (lightest in class)
• 2.5-litre turbocharged inline five cylinder engine (154kW, 320Nm)
• Five-speed automatic transmission with Geartronic

XC90 LE Features:

• Leather interior upholstery
• Third-row seating (includes Inflatable Curtain, C-pillar vent, second AC control, audio headset sockets)
• Third-row seating (folds flat, does not reduce cargo area)
• Middle seat with integrated child booster cushion
• 40/20/40 split folding second-row seat backrests (each middle-row seats on separate runner)
• Park Assist reversing sensors
• Roll Stability Control (RSC) with Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC)
• High Performance sound system (8 speakers, single CD)
• 12.0 L/100km petrol consumption
• 2.5-litre turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine (154kW, 320Nm)
• Five-speed automatic transmission with Geartronic
• Dual-zone climate control
• Cabin dust and pollen filter, multi-active IAQS sensor
• Hypoallergenic interior materials
• Electro-mechanical Haldex AWD system

XC90 T6 Features:

• Leather interior upholstery
• Third-row seating (includes Inflatable Curtain, C-pillar vent, second AC control, audio headset sockets)
• Third-row seating (folds flat, does not reduce cargo area)
• Audio headset sockets for rear seat
• Middle seat with integrated child booster cushion
• 40/20/40 split folding second-row seat backrests (each middle-row seats on separate runner)
• Park Assist reversing sensors
• Roll Stability Control (RSC) with Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC)
• Premium sound system (Dolby Pro Logic II, 12 speakers, 6 CD stacker in-dash)
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Electrically adjusted passenger front seat
• Telephone, integrated with handset
• 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine (200kW, 380Nm)
• Cabin dust and pollen filter, multi-active IAQS sensor
• Hypoallergenic interior materials
• Electro-mechanical Haldex AWD system