Space, pace and grace: New V60 is just ace! T
HERE are some car makers who have made a section of the market their very own - and our latest test car is a good example. Large estates have become synonymous with the name Volvo over the years and that is what we are looking at this week.
The recently launched new V60 is an important car for Volvo as it has a lot of tradition to follow - especially as it sits in a very competitive price bracket (£30 to 40k).
Straight away there are some early wins for the V60 with excellent numbers both in performance and economy. The 0 to 60 sprint (in Dynamic mode) comes up in a very respectable 7.6 seconds and top speed is 137 - while this large load lugger can also achieve a shade over 61mpg.
That is all thanks to its 2-litre, 190bhp four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, which in our test car was unusually mated to a manual six speed gearbox. It is a lively combination and ticks another Volvo tradition box as the Swedish manufacturer has also become known for making estate cars with a performance edge.
Another Volvo tradition which goes right back to their very first cars is a reputation for being at the leading edge of safety innovations.
So no surprise to find the latest V60 has a raft of such systems, from City Safety with Steering Support (which includes pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, and front collision warning with fully automatic emergency braking and steering assistance) to Oncoming Lane Mitigation – which automatically provides steering assistance if you unwittingly drift out of your lane.
Then there is Run-off Road Protection – which automatically tightens the front seat belts should the car inadvertently leave the road, while front seat frames have a collapsible section to reduce vertical forces and help prevent spinal injuries in a crash.
But there is also a long list of the latest must have gadgets like a large swipeable central touch screen for infotainment, sat-nav and driving data plus controls for the two-zone climate system. And on the comfort and convenience front all V60 models have a power tailgate, rear parking sensors, cruise control and hill start assist.
Our D4 Momentum Pro (which starts at £36,610 on the road) also boasts premium leather electric memory seats (heated in the front) and came with almost £10,000 worth of extras - the highlights of which were adaptive cruise control, 360 camera system, panorama power tilt and slide glass sunroof, parking assist (parallel and 90 degree) with the biggest extra cost going to a Premium sound system by Bowers and Wilkins which alone added £2,500.
Most owners will probably pass on the majority of that plumping for the base Momentum D3 model which comes with all the kit you really need from £31,810 and 150bhp from its diesel power plant.
All engines are the same basic 2-litre, four cylinder arrangement but our D4 has 40 more horses and the quite quick T5 petrol has 250bhp for you to play with.
Trim-wise there are six levels to choose from topping out at the T5 Inscription Pro auto priced from £40,670.
Describing the new V60 as ‘elegant, sporty, spacious and versatile... welcome to the new generation of Volvo estate car’ the manufacturer boasts that: “We designed the new V60 to be the ultimate lifestyle enabler. Smart versatility combined with dynamic elegance helps you to do what you want to do. The load compartment offers class-leading capacity and accommodates almost anything you need to bring
“From the moment you settle into your seat and close the door behind you, the V60 is a car that is set up for driving pleasure. It has a dynamic driving character that inspires confidence, with an advanced chassis designed to provide perfectly balanced road holding and comfort.”
I, for one, can’t argue with that and suspect many more will agree - especially as Volvo has just announced its global sales went up by 12.9 per cent in September compared with the same period last year!
More info at www.volvo.co.uk COMPETING against 15 other Porsche Centres nationwide, Porsche Centre Bolton won the 2017/18 Porsche Classic Restoracing Competition.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Porsche Boxster, 16 Porsche Centres across the UK were challenged to source and restore a 986 Boxster and were judged on various elements of their restoration project including mechanical, body and paint preparation and marketing activity, in addition to their racing ability over six events.
The team at Porsche Centre Bolton achieved six podium finishes across all races with their superbly-restored car.
Josh Morris, a parts advisor, was their driver at Brands Hatch and Silverstone in the bright blue Wally’s Jeans ‘Lucky Spark’ historic livery car.