VOLVO V60 CROSS COUNTRY D4 AWD PLUS AUTOMATIC
In a nutshell… a great companion for long drives
Tested by Sarah Wakely Price £40,785 Kerbweight 1682kg 85% match 1430kg Towball limit 100kg
The ongoing lockdowns also meant that
– as with our Bailey Discovery (left) – we weren’t able to give our Volvo V60 as much of a test as we’d have liked over the months that it’s been in our possession.
Which is a shame, because everyone who has driven the car has commented on how much they enjoyed it.
“I have taken it on towing journeys across the country on several occasions, and as a tow car, its performance has been among the best that I have experienced,” said Reviews editor Peter Baber in his report in this magazine a few months ago.
This is a fairly heavy vehicle: it has a kerbweight of 1682kg, giving an 85% match figure of 1430kg. Everyone who has towed with it has praised its secure, planted feel on the road, which inspires confidence in all weathers. The towbar folds down quickly and easily from underneath the bumper, and the electrics are easy to reach, making hitching up simple and quick.
The rear-view camera also helps with the hitching process, and – as mentioned in our
previous report – we really love the 360-degree surround-view camera (part of the Xenium pack). It makes reversing up to the van an absolute doddle.
The V60 isn’t perfect – the touchscreen centre console can be temperamental when you’re inputting addresses into the sat-nav, and having digital climate controls is a bit of a pain (we’d rather have manual), because they are fiddly to operate when you’re driving. The auto ’box can also be a touch ponderous when you’re pulling away from junctions; it is better if you knock the car into Polestar mode, though.
All told, this car has been a welcome addition to our fleet over the past few months. It’s not particularly exciting on the twistiest of roads, but it’s trusty and dependable, and makes a great companion for long drives; what’s more, that raft of safety kit really inspires confident driving, whether you’re towing or driving solo. There’s also masses of room for passengers, both front and rear – plus lots more for your caravanning kit.