Volvo XC60 review ~ station of gear

For:

More comfort-oriented than rivals, interior quality, tax efficient plug-in hybrid

Our Rating:

Against:

Much pricier than the old model, rivals are more dynamic to drive, rear doors could open wider

2017

The Volvo XC60 is baby brother to the XC90 and borrows much of that car’s mechanical, safety and autonomous tech

The XC60 is the best-selling Volvo ever and this new model will only enhance that. Like its big brother the XC90, the XC60 takes a more comfort-oriented approach than its rivals and that means it’s less dynamic than models like the Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC.

It adds in a level of tech and quality that beats most of those cars, too, while the space on offer inside is good – this will be a very easy car to live with day-to-day. The 2-litre four-cylinder engine range includes D4 and D5 diesels, plus a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid that offers excellent straight-line performance and big company car tax savings.

19 May, 2017

From an interior design and quality point of view, the XC60 leads the class. This is another stunning Volvo interior, dominated, as usual, by a large 9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen in the centre of the dash.

Every model gets leather seats, while there’s more leather elsewhere around the cabin and subtle amounts of chrome to lift things. You can choose various finishes, all with a cool Scandinavian feel to them, while the tiny Swedish flag on the driver’s seat is joined by a tiny metallic one just beneath the vent on the passenger’s side – nice details.

The plastics around the cabin all feel really good, too, apart from the lid of the glovebox, which is surprisingly cheap.

Outside, the XC60 is very much little brother to the XC90 – it shares the same Scalable Platform Architecture as well as many of the mechanical bits and those you touch inside.

Image 3 of 20

Image 3 of 20

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Who’d have thought Volvo would be a tech leader? Where the XC90 led, the XC60 follows with the interior dominated by the excellent nine-inch touchscreen controls for the infotainment, navigation, climate control and pretty much every feature on the car.

The screen is more neatly integrated in the newer car with revised functionality that makes navigation a little easier than before. It also gets added connectivity options – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are options, while you can stream music through Spotify or use other entertainment and info apps, including weather reports.

For a sizeable sum, you can upgrade the audio to an excellent Bowers and Wilkins system that combines punch with a level of detail you rarely get from in-car audio kit. On first listen, though, it didn’t sound quite as expansive as it does in the XC90, though.

We’ve only tried the car on air suspension so far, but in comfort mode it strikes a lovely blend between ride comfort and control – this is no sports car and the XC60 will lean heavily in corners, but it always feels controlled and secure. You can select Dynamic Mode, which stiffens the car up and tightens responses, but you’d still find a Jaguar F-Pace more responsive and enjoyable to drive quickly.

Most XC60s will come on steel springs which Volvo says will translate to a firmer ride – we’ll have to see if it’s too firm when we test it in the UK.

Visibility all around is good, making the car easy to drive around town, although myriad sensors and cameras are there to protect you.

Image 6 of 20

Image 6 of 20

Engines

Although it’s the diesels most people will go for, the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid grabs the headlines with its impressive performance and economy claims – and its sizeable company car tax savings.

The lower-powered D4 model will be the most popular, but it’s the 232bhp D5 that we drove. This same engine can be found in the XC90, but here it impresses more with performance that’s a match for the more powerful 2.0-litre diesel in Jaguar’s F-Pace, and seriously impressive refinement – you’d be hard pushed to hear it at all on the motorway.

Power is delivered smoothly, and transferred slickly through the eight-speed auto box. Down changes aren’t quite as slick, though.

Volvo continues to innovate and lead the way on safety and the XC60 features some innovative safety tech, in addition to the expected structural safety of the car.

• Best crossovers to buy now

This car will steer you back into your lane if it spots something in your blind spot you haven’t noticed, the standard City Safety package has been beefed up to give you enhanced steering input if you swerve to avoid pedestrians, cyclists or large animals, and pilot assist that will accelerate, brake and steer for you at speeds up to 80mph (although you’re still the boss and have to keep your hands on the wheel).

Image 15 of 20

Image 15 of 20

Warranty

A standard three-year warranty will cover anything that might go wrong, but very little should, given Volvo’s top half showing in our Driver Power league table. Volvo dealers didn’t put in such a strong showing in the dealer chart with a distinctly mid-table ranking.

The XC60 may lack the XC90’s seven-seat option, but there’s still enough space for five to be comfy with decent luggage room, too.

Size

The new XC60 is 261mm shorter but only 9mm narrower and 118mm lower than the XC90. It’s a little shorter and lower than the Jaguar F-Pace but wider.

It’s a big car, but manages to hide its size well on the road, helped by the large glass area that provides excellent all-round visibility.

Large door mirrors also help, while the Volvo’s traditionally square shape – rounded off more than ever on the XC60 – still makes it easier to judge where all four corners of the car are compared with some rivals.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The XC60’s sizeable dimensions translate to decent interior space for driver and four passengers, with good knee, shoulder and head room in the back once you’re inside. As usual, the middle seat is very firm to sit on and a bit of a short straw, but in spite of their tiny dimensions, the rear headrests are well placed and comfortable – they also fold down at the touch of a button on the touchscreen.

Image 13 of 20

Image 13 of 20

There’s decent storage space for odds and ends, too – a storage box between driver and passenger with a quality, sliding cover; a deep cubby between the seats and sizeable door bins, too.

One thing we’ll check on when we try the car in the UK (and if you’ve got a young family you should, too, on a test drive) is how easy it is to get a child into a child seat through the back door – the aperture seemed slightly narrow and the rear doors could do with opening by a few more degrees.

Image 14 of 20

Boot

The XC60’s boot, as with most of them in this class, is dwarfed by the Jaguar F-Pace’s, but is still big enough for most family’s needs at 505 litres. The optional powered tailgate lifts high out of the way, leaving a wide opening that’s very handy. The rear seats are easy to fold and go down completely flat, while a handy reversible mat with carpet one side and plastic on the other, will even fold out to protect the rear bumper.

Existing XC60 owners will not only notice the improvements in the new model, they’ll notice steeper prices. Entry-level price has risen by nearly £4,000, while the range-topping car tops out at nearly £45,000 before you start adding the most exciting safety.

It’s still cheaper and better equipped than many rivals, while improved residual values should soften the blow for private buyers swapping out of an XC60 PCP into a similar deal on the new car.

Company buyers will be happy with the D5’s 144g/km of CO2 putting it into the 30% benefit in kind bracket – better than some rivals.

The other diesel, the more frugal D4 (54.3mpg vs 51.4mpg), comes with an entry price of under £37,000 for the nicely-equipped Momentum model, reducing CO2 to 136g/km.

The XC60 also gets the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain, featuring a 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motors. Company drivers will find this especially appealing. It ups the excitement level with 402bhp dropping the 0-62mph time to 5.3 seconds, while the claimed CO2 emissions plummet to 49g/km leaving BIK at just 9%. The list price is a bit steep starting at £56,795, but if your company will pay that, it should save you a small fortune in tax.

Thank you for reading the article about Volvo XC60 review in blog station of gear If this article was helpful please bookmark this page in your web browser by pressing Ctrl + D on your keyboard keys.