What’s hot?
- An understated design paradoxically stands out from the German competition.
- There’s a real premium feel to the interior, with good quality materials and excellent build quality.
The Volvo XC60 really does feel good inside. There’s a proliferation of buttons in the centre console but the vital stuff can be done from the steering wheel - The 215PS diesel engine offers surprisingly swift performance when required
- Volvo’s traditional safety-first approach means the XC60 probably has more acronyms to keep you safe than any other car: There’s SIPS, IC, RSC, ROPS, WHIPS, ABS, DSTC, HDC, PCD, QA, LKA, DAC, AHB, RSID and, of course, BLIS.
- Added to that, the XC60 managed to get the full five star award from EuroNCAP crash testing in 2009.
- Despite its bulk, it’s possible to turn in a surprisingly agile performance across country roads thanks to a nicely balanced chassis and supple suspension.
- Excellent seating and a quiet interior isolate you from the outside world, making long distance drives a breeze.
What’s not
- Low speed ride is uncontrolled and fails to smooth the bumps and cracks found in city centres.
- A huge array of buttons on the centre console could be overwhelming.
- The diesel engines, while smooth enough, lag someway behind the best in terms of economy and CO2 emissions.
- Official combined economy of 44.1mpg can’t match the more powerful BMW X3 3.0d, while the BMW and Audi Q5 3.0 TDi are both significantly quicker.
