2018 Volvo XC60 Review
Car Tested: 2018 Volvo XC60; Road Test No. 888
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 70,53,400/-
The Volvo XC60 is one SUV which is hard to ignore because it is this close to perfect!
As I was veering down the East Coast Road from Chennai to Mahabalipuram, the steering turned a few degrees on its own to bring the car back in its lane and that was the Lane Keeping Aid at work. As a public transport bus non-chalantly overtook me from the left, a bright orange warning light lit up on the left side ORVM to warn me of a possible blindspot. As I came near city roads, the Head-Up Display started showing that the top speed on these roads is 40 km/hr. Damn, cars these days come with so much technology and it is overwhelming to see how things are evolving at such a rapid pace. Today, I am talking about a car which made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show just a few months back, and it has already arrived in India, the new Volvo XC60.
Motor Quest: Volvo cars are very finely built and come with special attention to detail which is what gives them an edge over rivals. While the older generation cars were good too, the company has been churning out very good products which are based on the newer Scalable Product Architecture platform and they have already launched the XC90, S90 and V90 Cross Country based on this platform in India.
I am a fan of Volvo’s designs which look quite special
Exteriors – A first look at the exterior of the SUV reminds you of its elder sibling, the XC90. In fact, the XC60 looks very similar to the larger SUV from most angles, especially at the front. The Thor LED headlamps lend an angry look to the car and the sleek chrome grille adds a lot of class. The side profile looks very proportionate with no unnecessary bulk while the rear gets the trademark upswept Volvo tail lamps. There are some good dashes of chrome on the body, but the design is just too beautiful and nothing feels overdone. Honestly!
The boot is very practical with a capacity of 505-litres
Interiors – I usually get into the driver’s seat first, of any new car, but this time around, things were different. As our car waited in the hotel lobby, I went towards the boot with my bag and simply opened it by moving my foot below the tail gate. Neat feature, no? As the large 505-litres boot gulped down my small bag, I couldn’t help but lift up the spare wheel cover to check out how things are arranged. The space saver spare tyre can be used for speeds up to 80 km/hr but what I found interesting was the placement of two air cylinders on either side of the spare wheel, neat!
Volvo cars have seats designed by orthopaedic surgeons
The interior of the XC60 is just brilliant, similar levels of kit as the XC90
I now jumped into the rear seat which is so nicely designed and well-sculpted, it is almost art! Support for the back and thighs is brilliant and the seats are placed at just the right height, allowing you a good view out of the window. While head room and shoulder space are good, knee room is quite limited and tall passengers will hardly have any space between their knees and the front seat unless the front seat is pushed far ahead. Other than that, no disappointments. While you do get the conventional AC vents at the rear, Volvo has also fitted additional vents on the B-pillars.
The XC90-inspired interiors are super awesome
The front seats are again super, good in size, excellent in comfort and support. You also get a good view out from the driver’s seat. The dashboard carries the same styling as the XC90 which isn’t a bad thing. Volvo has used very premium materials for the interior upholstery and it shows. The centre console houses a long storage space next to the diamond-cut engine start-stop button. The doors also get bottle holders and enough space to keep small things and the overall practicality in the cabin is good.
The kind of technology that luxury cars offer these days is unfathomable
Talking about the features, I’ll start off with the audio system because, well, this is a Volvo and the Swede automaker has been providing top class acoustics in its cars. The Bowers & Wilkins music system sounds crisp with a variety of settings which help you find just the right balance for your personal choice. As for me, I always select the Gothenburg Hall setting which matches my liking and it sounds extremely good. You also get other features like Ambient Lighting, massage function for the seats, 360-degree view camera, Park Assist, etc. In India, the Volvo XC60 will be offered in only the Inscription D5 trim which means you get all the bells and whistles.
The XC60 produces more power and torque than even the XC60
Performance – Propelling this luxury SUV is the same 1969cc, 4-cylinder, diesel engine which is tuned to produce 235 horses and a massive 480 Nm of twist which is 10 HP and 60 Nm more than the XC90!. Paired to an 8-speed gearbox, the engine is gets a bit vocal when you fire up the car but settles down nicely. At low RPMs, there’s hardly any engine noise inside the cabin but you can hear a thrum as the revs increase which isn’t very bothersome. While driving in the city, the XC60 feels very eager and responsive and the gearbox has a tendency to upshift quickly.
The 2.0-litre engine offers linear performance
The The XC60 feels effortless to drive and doesn’t cause fatigue even after long drives
As you get going on the highways, the XC60 surprises you with its grunty performance. It never really feels short on power and torque and performance is very tractable.The low-end and mid-range have enough juice and the engine feels comfortable doing speeds well above the ton too. 100 km/hr comes up in 4th gear at 3500 RPM and if you’re cruising, you can do the same speed in 8th gear at 1500 RPM. 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 7.2 seconds while top speed is 220 km/hr.
The transmission is a tad slow to respond to aggressive throttle inputs
The 8-speed gearbox works well when you’re driving sedately but if you stomp the throttle, it is hard to not notice the small delay it takes to downshift and gather pace. The gearbox misses put on a Sport mode though you do get a manual mode and also paddle-shifters. For driving modes, you get Eco, City and Dynamic which alter steering and suspension characteristics along with engine response. While we couldn’t really test the fuel efficiency, you can expect around 12 km/l in a mixed driving cycle.
AWD is standard on the Volvo XC60 and it gets an off-road mode
Driving Dynamics – The Volvo XC60 feels very stable no matter what type of road you’re driving it on. It never feels out of composure and instils a lot of confidence in the driver. The steering is fairly light at low speeds and weighs up very well. The suspension is tuned to provide a comfortable ride to passengers and the large tyres also do a good job of absorbing bumps. The XC60 comes with specially-designed Michelin tyres and the compound of these tyres is made specially for Volvo and the sidewalls even have an exclusive engraving.
The different driving modes drastically alter the ride quality
In Comfort mode, the XC60 feels very relaxed to drive with the steering not feeling very heavy and the suspension having a softer setup. Body roll is a bit noticeable in this mode. When you shift to Dynamic mode, the steering feels way more heavier, the suspension gets firmer and the car overall feels so much more agile and tighter with reduced body roll too. You also get an Off-Road mode which increases the ride height of the car by 1.5-inches allowing it to pass over off-road terrain without scraping the underbelly.
The XC60 gets some intelligent features
Safety and After Sales Service – Safety features like multiple airbags, ABS, Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Collision Warning, Pilot Assist, Blind Spot Information with Steer Assist and Cross Traffic Alert (BLIS), iTPMS, Traction Control, Hill Hold, etc are present on this SUV. Volvo’s network in India isn’t as wide-spread as its German rivals but the company is slowly and steadily working its way up there and increasing their reach across the country.
Volvo is known to price their cars well in India
Verdict – Volvo is an underdog in the Indian luxury 4-wheeler market. The company makes such brilliant pieces of engineering that it is a bit unfortunate that Indian buyers are only obsessed with German offerings in these segments. While nothing in this world is perfect, there are some things which are close to perfection. The 2018 Volvo XC60 is one of those cars which is hard to fault and the only thing which loses brownie points is the limited leg-space at the rear. If you want a powerful luxury SUV that isn’t too large in size but offers good driving pleasure, intricate details and mind-numbing features, the Volvo XC60 is definitely the one to go for.
The Volvo XC60 will be brought down as a CBU initially
What’s Cool
* Design of the SUV is classy and premium, looks beautiful
* Comes with very intelligent bits of technology
* Very good performance from the 2.0-litre engine
* Feels great to drive as well as be a passenger in
What’s Not So Cool
* Limited rear seat space
Alternatives: Mercedes GLE, BMW X3, Audi Q5, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar F-Pace
India will get only the D5 AWD Inscription trim
2018 Volvo XC60 Specifications
* Engine: 1969cc, 4-Cyl, DOHC, Diesel
* Power: 235 HP @ 4000 RPM
* Torque: 480 Nm @ 1750-2250 RPM
* Transmission: 8-Speed AT
* 0-100 km/hr: 7.20 seconds (claimed)
* Top Speed: 220 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 12 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: Air Suspension
* Brakes: Discs (Front), Discs (Rear), ABS
* Safety: Airbags, ABS, TCS, Hill Hold, BLIS, Rear Collision Warning, Pilot Assist, iTPMS
2018 Volvo XC60 Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 4688 mm X 1902 mm X 1658 mm
* Boot Space: 505-litres
* Wheelbase: 2865 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.7-metres
* Kerb Weight: 1879 kgs
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 71-litres
Would you prefer a Volvo over some Germans?
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