Does the V70 have hill assist / Auto hold?

[Teilo1979]

Hi,

Only really relevant to manual cars, does the V70 have an auto hold on the brakes to help with Hill starts? I.e when you lift your foot off the brake will they hold for an extra couple of seconds to help you get the bite point before you move off?
If so , was it an option and/or what model year was it introduced?

Thanks ,

Terry

[JC1818]

This is a great and timely question!

My V70, to the best of my knowledge does not have hill assist from the factory, but does seem to have some system whereby it detects steep-ish hills and maintains brake pressure in the hydraulic system for a moment, before you engage the clutch.

It is a complete mystery to me how and when the car decides to engage this, which I find a very odd design feature; how can you rely on a feature when you have no idea when it will become activated...

[spitz]

My 2012 V70 has the ‘auto handbrake off’ which works in the way described above. It still requires you to engage the handbrake using the small lever to the bottom right hand side of the dash (a placement most owners will agree is not ideal, putting it mildly).

However, the automatic release of the handbrake works flawlessly, regardless of being on a flat or inclined surface. I would imagine that any Volvo that does not have a traditional handbrake lever between the front seats, will have this feature.

[Teilo1979]

Originally Posted by spitz

My 2012 V70 has the ‘auto handbrake off’ which works in the way described above. It still requires you to engage the handbrake using the small lever to the bottom right hand side of the dash (a placement most owners will agree is not ideal, putting it mildly).

However, the automatic release of the handbrake works flawlessly, regardless of being on a flat or inclined surface. I would imagine that any Volvo that does not have a traditional handbrake lever between the front seats, will have this feature.

Thanks for that, I had hoped that it would have auto hill assist because of the placement of the button. It's not the end of the world I suppose and there is always the possibility of relocating the button or an alternative to a more appropriate position.
I feel a 'how to' guide coming on if I buy a manual.

Terry

[Tatsfield]

there is always the possibility of relocating the button or an alternative to a more appropriate position.

I'd been thinking that. I've got spare button slots on the central console that would be ideal but I suspect that there may be some safety issues for the modification. Meanwhile I've put a door bumper on the button so I can apply the parking brake with my right foot! It shows just how unsatisfactory the EPB button position really is

[mhon72]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

I'd been thinking that. I've got spare button slots on the central console that would be ideal but I suspect that there may be some safety issues for the modification. Meanwhile I've put a door bumper on the button so I can apply the parking brake with my right foot! It shows just how unsatisfactory the EPB button position really is

An obvious question: how the heck do you get your right foot up there to nudge that?!!

On a serious note, I drove a manual V60 for a short period which has the same control arrangements and I didn't feel the hill start was ever an issue.
When coming to a stop I would hold the foot brake and activate the handbrake with my right hand.
When pulling away on a hill the handbrake would hold the car and release automatically when you move away. Pretty straightforward - if anything I rarely use the handle to release the handbrake except when maneuvering and the seatbelt isn't buckled as the auto release doesn't function then.

My wife's C-Max has hill start assist which basically holds pressure in the brakes for about 3-4 seconds when you release the brake pedal on an incline but never seems long enough to allow you to set the gas before pulling away. Far easier in this case to go old school and use the handbrake.

[Tatsfield]

Like this!

[mhon72]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

Like this!

Ha ha!😂
Nope, couldn’t manage to get my leg into that position in a hurry.