Driving Volvo's new XC60

What is it?

The XC60 is Volvo's new crossover, an SUV that's aimed at the sort of people that want their family car to offer a hint of ruggedness. That places it firmly up against cars like BMW's X3, Audi's new Q5, the Land Rover Freelander and even some of the more mainstream offerings such as Volkswagen's Tiguan and Ford's Kuga. Being a Volvo the XC60 brings some serious safety innovations to the class, every XC60 coming as standard with Volvo's new 'City Safety' accident avoidance system.

Is it any good?

Volvo has ably demonstrated, with its hugely popular XC90, that not all SUV buyers are looking for road-scorching dynamic ability. So the XC60 largely follows the formula set by its bigger relative. Majoring on comfort and cruising ability the XC60 cossets its passengers with an accomplished ride, decent body control and mostly hushed refinement. That 'mostly' needs quantifying, as when specified with the 2.4-litre D5 engine (a model expected to take 50% of sales), refinement does suffer when you extend the five-cylinder unit into the upper reaches of its rev range. Take it easier and it's not really an issue.

Choose the six-speed automatic and you'll need to be patient for it to shift on kick down, while the steering lacks any real feel - despite the opportunity to change the weighting via the XC60's on-board computer. The car is hugely comfortable though, and an able if not remarkable car in the bends. That's all very similar in personality to the XC90 and Volvo can barely keep up with demand for that model even years after its launch. The new collision avoidance technology impresses too, City Safety braking for you in town if you're distracted and capable of stopping the car completely to avoid a collision or to remove as much speed as possible should an impact be inevitable.

Should I call the bank manager?

You might think that the clever City Safety system would be an expensive extra that's only offered as standard on the top spec cars: it isn't, Volvo underlining its commitment to safety by equipping every XC60 with its new system as standard. That's in addition to an already comprehensive specification, and pricing that's competitive against its key rivals. Opt for the D5 with a manual transmission and you'll have a car that officially returns 37.7mpg on the combined cycle and emits just 199g/km of CO₂. Good forecasted residual values should also make running the XC60 fairly cost effective.

Summary

Volvo has taken the admirable step of putting its latest safety equipment on a whole line-up rather than just a model within it. That shouldn't be the only reason why the XC60 should be considered against its rivals though, as it drives well, is comfortable and refined, well equipped and neatly styled inside and out. Volvo's design signatures of simple, clear lines and smartly finished and sensibly laid out interiors are shown to tremendous effect in the XC60. It's an entirely sensible addition to the Volvo range then, and a desirable one too.

Kyle Fortune