Hasta la vista, baby
GOODBYE 1969cc, 4cyl turbodiesel, FWD, 181bhp, 295lb ft 74.3mpg, 99g/km CO2 0–62mph in 7.6secs, 140mph 1632kg
£30,595/£40,050 Total mileage 10,230 Driver Paul Horrell Why it’s here Will Volvo’s engine plan reinvigorate the company?
ccording to the computer, which is accurate on time and distance, it took 44 hours and 23 minutes to drive 2,713.3 miles, an average of 61mph. It also claimed 49.0mpg, but the fuel computer fibs – it was actually 47.0mpg. Even so, it was, statistically, a decent outing. As an actual journey, it was even more impressive. Some 2,500 miles of that total were done in four days of driving, a two-day outbound and two-day return for a week in Galicia, northwest Spain. I was travelling alone with my thoughts and my music, so it was pretty important that the Volvo didn’t tire me out.
It didn’t. Honestly, I have never had an easier long continental trip. No one drives fast in France any more, as cameras are so prevalent, whereas as recently as five years ago there was always some member of the bourgeoisie sailing past you at 170km/h. So I set the V60’s radar cruise control to an indicated 138 – true 133 or 83mph. It is, by the way, one of the very best systems of its kind, operating smoothly and giving you lots of warning, via the cleverly designed instruments, of what it’s up to.
And then there’s the new diesel engine, which isn’t only quiet but is easily capable of 700 miles on a tank. And the general
Aquietness of road and wind noise – much better than my last long-term car, a BMW 328i GT. And the amazingly wonderful seats – amazing not because you notice them when you first get in, but because you get out after a 12-hour stint and realise you haven’t noticed them at all. So when, at the far end of the trip, I met family and friends who’d gone by air or ferry, I didn’t regret my mode of travel.
The roads down there are brilliant, and empty. At which point I was reminded that the V60 is a moderately powered diesel estate, and not the very most dynamic of them. The cornering is a bit soggy and underdamped. But of course it’s on the non-sport chassis and smallest wheels. I had specified those things when the car was new, and had never regretted the choice as the V60 did its daily running around the congested, bumpy roads of southern England.
So, at the end of our six-month relationship, I still enjoy having this quietly alternative machine. It looks good, and the engine and chassis are, in their modest way, perfectly set up for the real world. You might think a Volvo estate should have more space in the boot, but if it did, it wouldn’t be so good-looking. Anyway, I pack light.