be noticed. Change comes slowly to the Swedish firm, which tends to keep

good products in its catalog far longer than industry norms.

With the new S70 and V70--plus the soon-to-arrive C70 coupe and a later

soft-top sibling--Volvo is revealing both a new car and a new model designation

system. Said system, in which S denotes a sedan, V a wagon (and, perhaps,

a rumored sport-utility machine) and C a coupe or convertible, is combined

with a number that applies to an entire line. S- and V90, for example,

are the new names for the current 960 sedan and wagon.

It's not entirely correct to call the S- and V70s totally new. There's

a strong resemblance to last model year's 850 that will be readily apparent

at a glance. Good reason: The 70-series sedans and wagons are mildly facelifted

850s, with some improvements made where they count most and a new face

that follows Volvo design tradition but is more up-to-date.

But the 70-cars are new enough to warrant a good, long look, and keep

enough of the virtues 850 owners prize to make them attractive replacements

for those cars when trade-in time rolls around. Even in a competitive class,

in which they must contend with the C-Class Mercedes, 3-Series BMW, and

Lexus ES 300, to name just a few, the 70-series Volvos have much to recommend

them.