The V70 2.4 has a nice interior well appointed with attractive styling touches. Like the other models, the V70 2.4 has great heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls on Volvo's nicely textured, flat-charcoal panels. Controls for front and rear defrost and seat heaters were easy to find. Volvo's cup holder for the driver is cleverly designed and takes up little room when not being used. The 2.4 we tested was trimmed in optional leather.

The XC70 Cross Country we drove came with the Premium Package, which includes leather upholstery, eight-way power for both front seats, a power tilt-and-slide moonroof and a trip computer. A front passenger grab handle is integrated into the center console, a nice touch when driving on bumpy back roads. The seats were plush and luxurious, and the dark brown leather they came in was appealing. They are intelligent seats, loaded with technology designed to enhance safety.

The front seatbacks incorporate mechanisms to guard against whiplash from a rear-end impact. During such a crash, the seatback moves rearward to reduce acceleration forces on the rider's back and neck, as the headrest pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head as they are thrust backward. We did not test this aspect of the seats, but Volvo is a leader in this technology.

The broad rear bench seat fits three adults comfortably, and features three-point safety belts for all three positions. It splits 60/40, and each individual section can be flipped forward to form an extension of the flat cargo floor to the rear. The rear seat also provides anchors for securing two different types of rear-facing child safety seats. One style fits infants weighing up to 20 pounds and another suits a toddler up to 40 pounds.

With the seats folded, the cargo area is perfectly flat, an advantage over many sport utilities. The back cargo bay can be fitted with convenience items available from your Volvo dealer, like a container for shopping bags or a table that pops up from beneath the second-row seat. A Versatility Package ($1300) includes the third seat with integrated booster seat, the folding table, and a 12-volt outlet.

Appointments in the Cross Country we drove included power operation for virtually everything, as well as automatic climate control. The premium 200-watt stereo with Dolby Pro-Logic Surround Sound and a four-CD changer works well; Volvo has its own approach for channel presets that are understandable once learned, but most of us don't need to save 20 stations. Audio controls on the left side of the steering wheel work well, with cruise control buttons on the right.

Though there were no significant changes to the interiors for 2006, they were modestly improved for 2005: Upgrades included better front seats with more adjustments, a new center tunnel console and center stack as well as a more comfortable armrest in the rear.