Bold way to be in comfort zone
Striking design but familiar Volvo virtues in the new medium-sized SUV, writes David Linklater.
New Zealand is not Europe. Obviously. But it helps to bear that in mind when we’re talking about the new Volvo XC60.
In some resects, the XC60 is a shrink-wrapped XC90: same newgeneration Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), same powertrains, many of the same design details and a dashboard that’s virtually identical.
That’s probably not how Europeans would see it, though. While the XC90 is the big seller for the brand in NZ, the XC60 is the most successful Volvo by far in Europe and the top-selling SUV in its segment. In the Northern Hemisphere, buyers are more likely to regard the Ninety as a mere taster for the really important new-gen model: this Sixty.
Same goes for specification. In NZ, petrol power is very much in favour for SUVs of this size and there’s a great deal of interest in high-end stuff like the R-Design models and the plug-in T8.
But in Europe and the UK, variants like our test vehicle are core business: it’s a D4 turbodiesel, making it the slowest (but far from slow) but also most frugal conventional-powertrain model in the range.
That’s why it’s worth a closer look. If we want to find the essence of XC60, it’s more likely to be in the D4 than anywhere. Before you ask: yes, when Volvo electrifies its entire range from 2019, there will still be diesels.
Any help in looking for that essence is welcome. There’s a dizzying array of different XC60 models on offer, as Volvo NZ attempts to let the market decide which will really sell. Every single one has a 2.0-litre engine, but you can have the turbo-diesel in D4 or D5 outputs, or a petrol with a turbo in the T5 and then a turbocharger and supercharger in the T6.
The T8 picks up that T6 engine and adds a plug-in battery pack.
Put that lot in a bag and shake it up with Momentum, Inscription, R-Design and Polestar Optimisation specification levels and you’ll come out confused enough to think surstromming is really quite a nice lunch dish.
To return to the relative simplicity of the D4, then: you can have one of these in entry Momentum specification for $86,900, but ours is the $5000-more-expensive Inscription model and arguably money well spent.
All models have keyless entry (including tailgate), Park Assist Pilot, 360-degree camera, drive modes and leather upholstery. But the Inscription adds four-zone climate control (just dual on Momentum), cushion-extension on the front seats, head-up display, extra interior illumination, 20-inch wheels and (most importantly) Volvo’s excellent adaptive cruise control with Pilot Assist.
Inscription is also the gateway to many XC-options that aren’t available for the Momentum, like air suspension, power-folding rear seats and Bowers & Wilkins premium audio.
The exterior might have many XC90 styling cues, but the substantially sleeker roofline and details like the ‘‘under-wrapped’’ doors (designed to keep your clothes clean as you get in) give the XC60 its own look.
It’s a sportier drive than the XC90 for sure. But also less sporty than rivals such as the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. And deliberately so. Volvo doesn’t really play that game with its SUVs, preferring comfort and practicality over gung-ho on-road antics any day.
In that context the D4 engine suits this car perfectly. It’s relaxed but strong low down, delivering 400Nm of torque at just 1750rpm and keeping it all the way through the mid-range. The eight-speed automatic gearbox is smoother than I’ve experienced in the XC90, although that may be due to running changes across the whole platform as time has passed since the larger model’s launch in 2015.
The chassis is similarly tailored towards smooth-and-steady driving. There’s pronounced body roll if you press too hard, but changes in attitude are always well telegraphed. It rewards a measured approach to open-road cornering.
Volvo’s Pilot Assist adaptive cruise is particularly impressive. The steering assistance gets pretty busy at times, with lots of little corrections. So in that resect it’s more Tesla than Mercedes-Benz. But that means it can be quite ambitious and seems to be very much in tune with the traffic. Love the way you can flick the steering assistance on and off with the touch of a button.
The XC60 has upped the ante on active driver-aids with three new features, all of which offer
increased automated-steering assistance.
City Safety, which recognises other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and even large animals, will now apply steering to help the autonomous emergency braking system avoid an impact. Oncoming Lane Mitigation will automatically correct the car’s trajectory to avoid an oncoming vehicle, while the Blind Spot Information System can also now steer the car back into the lane.
It’s a measure of Volvo’s bold approach to cabin ergonomics that I’m still not sure I like some of the key features - even after all this time with the XC90 and XC60. The large nine-inch portrait touch screen in the centre console contains most functions, reducing the number of physical buttons on the dashboard to just eight. The menus are intuitive, the graphics large and colourful.
It’s brilliant really, although some touch-tasks are a bit fiddly when you’re on the move. Try adjusting the climate control menu at open-road speed and you’ll see what I mean.
The flush buttons on the steering wheel also look pretty swish, but they’re so large that it’s easy to accidentally change audio tracks or radio stations if you are palming the wheel through tight corners.
But you cannot fault the look, feel and comfort of the XC60’s cabin. This is the kind of stuff Volvo has always done well. And still does.