LEAN, GREEN MEAN MACHINE
Forget boxiness.. new Volvo V60 estate is full of style, eco-friendly and packed with safety features
Maggie Barry
The man from Volvo was almost apologetic as he handed me the keys. “It’s the lower- powered T6 engine. We’ve replaced the T8, I’m afraid.”
Less than five minutes later I could not really understand what he was talking about.
I was powering round the test track at Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire, in the fourth lane – the fifth is for professional drivers only – and this Volvo V60 estate car was delivering all the power anyone could need on public roads.
It goes from 0-62 in 5.4 seconds and, what is more, the car I was driving was an electrified vehicle, a plug-in hybrid, so not only do you get the performance but also the kind of frugality you would expect from a city runaround. It’s a win-win.
And it looks so good too. There was a time when Volvo estate cars were renowned for their boxiness – but not any more. Today they are lean, mean driving machines, sitting low on the ground with dark tinted windows and rather nice alloys.
The estate allows the lines to sweep elegantly towards the rear with the petrol hatch on one side and the plug for the charging cable on the other.
Inside the V60 Recharge – the company’s nomenclature for its electric and electrified cars – are Nappa soft leather, perforated and ventilated seats, which are heated front and rear along with the steering wheel.
There is grey ash veneer on the dash surrounding Volvo’s iPad-like central infotainment system, which you swipe left and right, and a fantastic panoramic roof runs the full length of the car, creating a light and airy atmosphere.
The gear knob on the automatic transmission is topped by a piece of crystal and when I look closely I see the name of top- quality crystal company Orrefors Sweden embedded deeply within it.
There is nothing half measures about the plush interior of this car – even the boot, which with the seats down will give you 1441 litres of space.
The T6 hybrid mates a 2.0-litre turbo- charged petrol engine to a battery-powered electric motor. There are three modes as well as a constant all-wheel drive mode. Pure will give you electric- only driving for up to about 34 miles, Hybrid uses both the petrol and the electric motor, cutting in and out when needed, and Power gives you an incredibly sporty drive with both motors working in tandem.
However, even with this kind of performance, Volvo says you will get up to 156mpg using the plug-in and the CO2 emissions are a mere 41- 46g/km.
Charging varies depending on your power source but probably about six hours from a domestic plug and half that from a wallbox.
As with all Volvos, the V60 is packed with safety systems and driver assistance features designed to make life easier behind the wheel.
This is the perfect car for the man or woman who has to put in the hours driving, whether it be for business or pleasure.
It’s a powerful and comfortable drive with plenty of tech to optimise any journey and then the astonishing efficiency from that T6 engine.
Really, Volvo, there’s absolutely nothing to apologise for.