MODEL TESTED: Volvo V60 D4 Inscription Plus

PRICE: £40,465 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp

THE Volvo V60 is a Scandinavian alternative to the German executive car options, and it brings its own approach and style as a result. Here we’re looking at the front-wheel-drive D4 model (£40,465), because the all-wheel-drive version only comes in off-road-focused Cross Country form.

Design & engineering

THE V60 is built using Volvo’s

Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which is the larger of the Swedish brand’s two platforms and means the car shares parts not only with the S60 saloon, but also the XC90, S90 and V90. It uses MacPherson struts for the front suspension and a multi-link layout at the rear, which is a standard set-up for this class. This D4 is front-wheel drive; for AWD you’ll need the Cross Country or the T8 PHEV.

Volvo offers two different suspension options. The first is a lowered, sporty set-up that costs £400, but we’d avoid this because it doesn’t suit the car’s character. Much more suitable will be the Active Four-C Chassis, which costs £750 and adds adaptive dampers that change according to the driving mode.

All V60s have four-cylinder engines, and this D4 model has a 187bhp 2.0-litre unit that produces 400Nm of torque, which matches the 320d’s output. It also has an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Interior quality is very good and despite some hard plastics in places, it feels upmarket and classy inside. Volvo has a different approach to its rivals here, with simple, clean lines and many functions relegated to the touchscreen, so there are few buttons. The nine-inch infotainment display uses a modernlooking interface and is integrated nicely into the dash, and you get a digital instrument cluster as standard.

Top-specification Inscription Plus trim is very well equipped. The screen comes with satellite navigation and connected services, and you also get keyless entry and go, LED lights, 18-inch alloys, roof rails, heated leather seats and climate control.

Driving

THE V60’s solid-feeling interior is mirrored in its driving experience. It has a focus on refinement and comfort, rather than offering thrills or sporty handling like the BMW. While it’s still good to drive, it doesn’t have the 320d’s agility and responsiveness – and the C-Class is a little more fun from behind the wheel. The Volvo’s light steering offers little connection to the road, and it doesn’t have as much grip as the BMW.

It rides relatively smoothly, though. The V60 doesn’t fully settle down on medium-speed roads, but on motorways it soaks up imperfections well. Good soundproofing keeps wind and road noise at bay, too. This means the Volvo is a match for both rivals for motorway manners, and it’s really tough to pick a stand-out model for long trips because all three are at the top of the class in this regard. It’s just that the BMW manages this while also being the most fun.

The V60 D4’s 2.0-litre engine is hushed at a cruise, too, but it’s noisy under load. The note is harsher than the 320d’s, but there is enough performance. The Volvo was quick from 30-70mph through the gears, taking 7.2 seconds to the 7.3 seconds it took its rivals. That’s only a small difference, and this is

the case in nearly all of our tests, because these cars are well matched for acceleration. For example, both the Volvo and BMW took 2.9 seconds to go from 30-50mph in third, while the Mercedes needed

3.1 seconds to do the same.

The V60’s gearbox is smooth, although it isn’t quite as responsive as the BMW ’s eight-speed unit when you put your foot down. It sometimes changes down more than you expect after a longer delay, sending engine revs high and hurting refinement.

Practicality

THE Volvo’s comfy seats will be a big plus for passengers, as will be the plentiful rear-seat space. It’s light and airy inside, too, so the Volvo is a top family car, yet both rivals are also spacious. There’s quite a bit more headroom than in the C-Class and a bit more than in the 3 Series, so tall adults will feel more at home in the Volvo’s rear seats.

The V60 also scores for luggage space, because its 529-litre boot is the largest boot with the seats in place. It’s a little smaller than the BMW with all the seats folded, but there’s still a flat floor and plenty of room for bikes or dogs. A 2,000kg towing capacity will be of note to some buyers, because the other two models pull 200kg less. All three should be good with a trailer, though

Ownership

VOLVO finished 13th out of 30 brands in our Driver Power 2019 poll. This was mid-table but still ahead of the 25th and

26th that BMW and Mercedes finished respectively, so the ownership experience should be good.

The V60 has a five-star Euro NCAP rating and plenty of safety kit, including AEB with pedestrian detection. The Intellisafe Pro pack (£1,650) adds blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert and rear collision mitigation to the safety tally.

Running costs

RESIDUAL values are relevant no matter how you buy your car, because they affect cash buyers when the time comes to sell and PCP buyers since they determine the monthly cost. The V60 is predicted to retain 46.6 per cent of its list price after three years or 36,000 miles, according to our experts, so it will be worth £18,857, having shed £21,608 after this period.

The 320d Touring is expected to keep 46.1 per cent after the same time, losing £22, 274, while the C-Class Estate should hold on to 43.6 per cent, losing £23,211. These models will be worth £19,051 and £17,944 respectively at the end of a typical ownership period.