1996 Volvo 960 Walkaround Review at Automotive.com
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1996 Volvo 960 Review: Exterior

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1996 Volvo 960 Review

So good that Volvo's willing to bet on it.
Walkaround
The 960 wagon retains its sober Scandinavian heritage and still looks a bit boxy

despite the more aerodynamic contours sculpted into the new sheet metal. It's a very

traditional design that's driven by passenger considerations like plentiful headroom.

Added were new front fenders and hood as well as flush headlights and integrated fog

lights.

It's no secret that the traditional station wagon look isn't exactly de rigeur at

the moment, thanks to the boom in minivan and sport-utility sales, but we found the

960's functional, roomy design appealing nonetheless.

Daytime running lights are standard equipment, as are front and rear fog lights

along with a passel of amenities including a washer/wiper for the headlamps, heated

power outside mirrors and a power glass sunroof with a sunshade and tilt/slide

feature. A remote entry system with alarm is standard and new for '96 is a 2-step

power door lock system that opens the driver's door first, followed by the other

doors, the liftgate (or trunk) and the fuel filler door.

The 960 is powered by a 2.9-liter dual overhead camshaft 24-valve inline

6-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission, the only powertrain

offered. Last year, the engine was tweaked to produce more of its power lower in the

rpm range, to improve acceleration and passing performance, a preference of American

drivers.

Both the sedan and wagon have an EPA estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg city/25

highway. That's not bad, but we also found that our test car was able to improve a bit

on both numbers.

Although these are big cars within, their exterior dimensions are tidier than a

good many of their large car competitors. The sedan and wagon share the same wheelbase

and overall length, though the wagon is a little taller and weighs about a hundred

pounds more. However, both versions of the 960 are relatively svelte in the weight

department compared to most cars in the luxury class. Next Page



1996 Volvo 960