between them. The four-door sedans also had an altered roofline with a slimmer C-pillar and larger, squared-off rear door windows. Similarly, as on the coupe, the beltline kicked up beneath the trailing edge of the rear door windows and then tapered back to the same rear fascia as on the hardtop. The Rebel sedans and hardtop models were two inches (51 mm) longer than previously. The Rebel station wagons saw no change to their rooflines, doors, and rear fascias. The grille was again revised with a horizontal split in the middle and the name, Rebel, was spelled out on the left lip of the hood. The exterior trim, colors, and model identification locations were also modified for 1970. Rebels were available in base or SST trim. The effect of the changes was summarized by the Auto Editor of Popular Mechanics, "the Rebel has a 'no nonsense' air about it I find appealing. Standard safety features were enhanced with equipment mandated under regulations as well as all-new "clam shell" bucket seats with high-backed integrated head restraints. The side structures of the 4-door sedans and 2-door hardtops was made stronger. While the competitive models from the domestic "Big Three" automakers were increasing in size, the Rebel remained smaller and lighter, with a six-cylinder manual two-door hardtop weighing in at and a V8 automatic station wagon at A major change was to the available AMC V8 engine. The standard V8 was replaced for 1970 by a new while the was also supplanted by a . The 360 V8 was available with a 2-barrel carburetor producing or in a 4-barrel version producing . The "AMX" engine now produced and was optional on SST models, while a special high-performance at 5,100 rpm and maximum torque of at 3,600 rpm version was standard on The Machine, with a single 4-barrel Motorcraft carburetor. This was the most powerful engine AMC would ever offer in a regular production vehicle. The center console-mounted floor-shift automatic transmission cars received a new "wild-west pistol-handle-shaped grip" design. A Popular Science road test comparing six-cylinder intermediate-sized 4-door sedans (Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Torino, and Plymouth Satellite) reported that the Rebel 770 was the quietest, offered the most interior space and trunk room, "yet burns less gas than the others." A Popular Mechanics nationwide survey based on 316,000 of owner-driven miles (508,553 km) found that style, handling, and comfort abound, but so do minor rattles.