Swedish success

Volvo’s best-selling SUV has been refreshed for 2017, bringing good looks and plenty of comfort. Darren Cassey checks it over Volvo XC60 D5 Inscription

The Volvo XC60 sits in the lucrative mid-sized SUV market and has proved to be hugely successful for the Swedish manufacturer with nearly a million sold since it was introduced nine years ago. And with the new XC60 that trend should continue upwards.

Gone are the days when Volvo was all about pure practicality. It’s still big on safety, but there’s a real focus on being premium that’s immediately evident. The revamped front end gives the XC60 an elegance that’s lacking in this segment – save for the Jaguar F-pace – and this ethos continues inside. Slide into the driver’s seat and you’ll find nothing but soft materials. The clean design is helped by the tablet-like touchscreen £37,205 2.0-litre diesel 232bhp 480Nm 137mph 7.0 seconds 51.4mpg 144g/km

infotainment system that declutters the dashboard.

Safety is high on the agenda for Volvo, and as such the XC60 comes with loads of safety kit straight out of the box. There are plenty of sensors on the car that can help the driver brake if it senses a collision is imminent, while new for the XC60 is steering control that aids wheel inputs and uses the brakes to improve the car’s ability to swerve around danger.

It’s immediately apparent Volvo has put comfort at the top of the XC60 agenda. Our car was riding on optional air suspension and it rode beautifully with surprisingly little body roll in the corners. The SUV is at home on the motorway, munching miles in quiet comfort with ease. The D5 engine is a highlight, pulling hard when required but delivering easy economy in everyday driving.

The standard specification is highly impressive, with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and leather upholstery all standard, not to mention the impressive City Safety driver aid package.