Japan import – Volvo V70 T6 AWD (2015) – Import Story

[Phil S]

So the car has arrived!

As I said I used Shiply to get quotes, and I went with a company called PW Transport https://www.facebook.com/pwtransportltd - I chose them because they had excellent reviews rather than just positive feedback and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

So - first impressions are very positive. Underneath the car looks almost unused and of course there are no leaks as cars cannot be shipped that do.

Exterior - It's dusty, but the paintwork is in exceptional condition - it's looks to have some sort of ceramic coating on it called White House Crystal Coating - it's had three coats - first when new, second March 2017 and he last in August 2021. I’m slightly deranged so own a paint thickness gauge and have checked the car all over – I’m delighted to say that the paint thickness is uniform across the car, leading me to believe that the car has never been repaired or re-sprayed anywhere and I have not found a single ding or dent so far.

Interior – again, it needs a clean but it’s in excellent condition too – nothing obviously broken and the leather seats are in fine condition showing little signs of wear. There is wear by the electric window button on the driver’s side – looks like whoever owned it used to rest their hand there. The headlining does not have a mark on it and the interior has no strange smells so I think it’ll clean up very well.

Options – it looks to have some sort of luxury interior option, complete with vented/heated soft leather seats (inscription), a Harmon Kardon stereo, a multitude of integral rain/light sensors in the windscreen and a rear-view mirror that looks like it may also dim itself. SatNav, full TFT dash. It’s got front and rear parking sensors and a rear cam, lane sensors and ensures you don’t fall asleep and it’s got cargo nets in the boot – but strangely it doesn’t have front fogs.

Wheels and tyres – The car lost half a point on its auction condition rating due to scuffed wheels – yes, one does have a scuff – it’s about an inch and half long on the edge of the rim, but honestly, it’s nothing really. Yes it needs sorting out but nothing more than a touch-up – certainly doesn’t require any sending it away for a refurb. The tyres are all just over a year old and have little wear – they are all Michelin Cross Climate – which is great, because that’s what I would have put on it. Brakes – well, I think all the discs need replacing – the fronts have a small lip on them and the rears are more worn with bigger lips and area that the pads make contact with are just showing signs of ribbing. So it definitely needs new discs and pads.

Engine – not much I can say other then the engine bay is very, very clean and there are no leaks – the engine sounds lovely and there is no smoke.

Service History – I can see some history, but it’s written in different logs so I need to spend a little more time running through it to see exactly how comprehensive it is and it looks to have visited Volvo recently according to a sticker on the side of the dash which is a good sign, but obviously I have no idea what that was for. I’m going to contact the dealer to see whether I can get any further information.

Next Steps - On Sunday I’ll be completing the region change which is a software configuration and I guess I’ll find out what error codes are lurking beneath! On Wednesday it’s in for a pre- IVA check – so full MOT at a local Volvo specialist that I’ve used in the past – so again, if anything else comes up I’ll let you all know. Obviously, I’m hoping for no surprises because I’d like to have it fully serviced, all fluids changed and the turbo at least checked if not serviced.

In the meantime – I’ve uploaded some more photos the album:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/V4v3juqeDA7yCuPcA