The Volvo XC60: A Reassuringly Familiar Package with a Modern Twist

Reportedly, the new Volvo XC60 doesn't look all that different from its predecessor, but upon closer inspection, it's clear that Volvo has made some significant changes. The exterior design language is unmistakably Volvo, but the car's dimensions have been tweaked to make it longer, lower, and wider than before. This is a clever move, as it allows Volvo to create cars of varying sizes while still maintaining a common architecture. Under the hood, the XC60 comes with a range of engines, including petrol, diesel, and hybrid variants.

One of the most notable aspects of the XC60's architecture is its scalable product design. This means that most of the components forward of the front wheels are identical across different models, allowing Volvo to create cars of varying sizes without sacrificing consistency. The result is a car that feels reassuringly familiar, yet with elements of modernity. In particular, the interior design has been improved significantly over the previous generation XC60. The materials and build quality are top-notch, and the touch-screen system is intuitive and feature-rich.

Volvo's focus on creating an airy, comfortable cabin is evident throughout the XC60. Despite being a diesel-powered car, the cabin feels light and spacious, with plenty of room to move around. However, it's worth noting that Volvo's engines are limited to 2 liters or less in displacement, with most cars featuring 4-cylinder configurations. The D5 diesel engine is particularly notable, with its turbocharged operation and forced induction via a little-used air tank.

One of the XC60's greatest strengths lies in its ability to reduce turbo lag. Volvo has implemented a clever system that utilizes compressed air to quickly spin up the turbine, reducing the delay between throttle input and power delivery. This makes the car feel more responsive and engaging, especially when compared to its predecessors. The engine itself is also notable for its quietness, with a smooth and refined operation that sets it apart from some of its competitors.

In terms of driving dynamics, the XC60 is a joy to handle. With multiple drive modes available, drivers can tailor their experience to suit their preferences. We found ourselves preferring a combination of soft suspension settings and dynamic drivetrain, which adds a level of responsiveness without sacrificing comfort. Volvo's semi-autonomous features are also impressive, with the car able to subtly steer and adjust its speed in certain situations.

One area where the XC60 truly shines is in its suspension setup. Despite being an SUV, it rides better than any car on the same platform, offering a balance of suppleness and body control that's hard to find elsewhere. The steering is also beautifully refined, with a smooth, predictable operation that makes the car feel like a pleasure to drive.

In terms of practicality, the XC60 is an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable, dependable SUV. It has plenty of space for passengers and cargo alike, making it an ideal family vehicle or daily driver. While some may find the exterior design to be somewhat unremarkable, the cabin's comfort and quality more than make up for any perceived shortcomings.

Ultimately, the Volvo XC60 is a car that feels like a perfect blend of old and new. It's familiar in its layout and feel, yet modern in its design and features. With its scalable architecture, improved interior design, and focus on driving dynamics, it's an excellent choice for anyone seeking a reliable, engaging SUV.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: encan you believe that last year nine years after the old Volvo X was gone they sold more of them in a year than came to the fourth Sweden it's not supposed to work like that usually you launch a car company years later they speak in terms of sales volumes and by nine years time you kind of forgot about it and all buying an Audi q5 instead but when it comes to replacing the 1860 that does mean Volvo has bit of an issue doesn't it what does it do make the car better certainly but try not to change the formula too much so this is the new Volvo xc60 welcome inside it from the outside it doesn't look all that different reportedly it is it's longer its lower its wider and it's got elements of Volvo's new design language but fundamentally it still feels reassuringly like an ex 16 I think where it is differently under the students assistance on forward SP a scalable product architecture that came into being with the xc90 then the S 90 then the V 90 and what it means is that all of the bits forward pretty much of me to the front of the car are the same Allen you just add as much height and as much length behind me so you get cars of a different size works quite well inside then because it is off this same architecture it feels very different to the last xc60 which was a real sort of clunker in terms of some of the switchgear stuff on it it feels much more sophisticated it's got the same touch screen system as the xc90 it's been improved yet further for functionality so it's really quite good it is still Volvo says they brought in the windows and it's a much more coolish experience but actually if you've sat in a q5 or a Mercedes GL see this still feels like a really airy nice cabin I think because it's a Volvo there are no engines bigger than 2 litres and nothing of more than 4 cylinders but there are various lead turbos superchargers compress their hybrid systems petrol diesel this is a d5 diesel which means it's 2 litre forcing the diesel to server charges and a little bit of compressed air as well because these are all servers suffer from a bit of turbo lag and there are ways around doing it you can get a tiny little turbo which pins up very quickly or like the new Audi s q7 Bentley you can put a 48 volt electrical system in there this is quite clever it's got a little 2-liter air tank and when you come on the throttle it just some of that air into the servo gets it spinning very quickly and reduces the amount of snow Burbank clever right the engine is is pretty quietly quieter than in any of the 90 models I'm still not sure it's quite as quiet as that in say a Mercedes GLC or an Audi q5 but the response is pretty good you can change through the drive modes to change the response personally I would leave the suspension in soft and the steering light ish but put the drivetrain in dynamic because it just ups the response of the engine and gave up and we're not talking for two levels of dynamic here we're talking volvo levels of dynamic which means it looks a little bit more awake than it did a minute again now like the 90 vehicles which has got some autonomous stuff on it semi autonomous actually you're always in charge the car is never in charge but it does have pilot assist which is like active cruise control and lanky persist coupled together and the new stuff on this over cars that they've released recently is that the xc60 can control the steering slightly or give you a nudge to which steering you want to go if the city braking is on if The Blind Spot Assist is on and something's come up from the outside and you two get a pull out it'll just give you a hint that you might not actually want to do that because you have an accident now also like the xc90 to the 19's 90 the suspension is the same as well so it's got double wishbones at the front an integral link at the back you can get air suspension this one has it however whereas Volvo says that the 90 series cars are meant to be relaxing to drive the 60 series cars are meant to be inspiring to drive like a range of shower gels or something like that but is it nice here you know what it is pretty comfortable this rides better I think than any car on the sv 90 platform so far it's got all of the suppleness of the smv 90 and yet the sort of body control of the xc90 and that's quite a hard thing to do in the SUV I think they've done it pretty well the steering is really smooth we had a really nice three terms lots a lot it feels like it's come from a company that is starting to get the best out of a platform it's starting to understand what this architecture can do and I think the XE ticket is probably the best colour of it so far it's also that little bit more compact than the neck seen 19 which does in the UK from mini us and places that in the UK correctly when you park that in some multi-story car park it can see a wide this car does not actually it's a nice 2005 seater but it is a nice shape so predictable dependable very xc60 but actually you know what if the last guy wasn't clear to go by that is Novak youcan you believe that last year nine years after the old Volvo X was gone they sold more of them in a year than came to the fourth Sweden it's not supposed to work like that usually you launch a car company years later they speak in terms of sales volumes and by nine years time you kind of forgot about it and all buying an Audi q5 instead but when it comes to replacing the 1860 that does mean Volvo has bit of an issue doesn't it what does it do make the car better certainly but try not to change the formula too much so this is the new Volvo xc60 welcome inside it from the outside it doesn't look all that different reportedly it is it's longer its lower its wider and it's got elements of Volvo's new design language but fundamentally it still feels reassuringly like an ex 16 I think where it is differently under the students assistance on forward SP a scalable product architecture that came into being with the xc90 then the S 90 then the V 90 and what it means is that all of the bits forward pretty much of me to the front of the car are the same Allen you just add as much height and as much length behind me so you get cars of a different size works quite well inside then because it is off this same architecture it feels very different to the last xc60 which was a real sort of clunker in terms of some of the switchgear stuff on it it feels much more sophisticated it's got the same touch screen system as the xc90 it's been improved yet further for functionality so it's really quite good it is still Volvo says they brought in the windows and it's a much more coolish experience but actually if you've sat in a q5 or a Mercedes GL see this still feels like a really airy nice cabin I think because it's a Volvo there are no engines bigger than 2 litres and nothing of more than 4 cylinders but there are various lead turbos superchargers compress their hybrid systems petrol diesel this is a d5 diesel which means it's 2 litre forcing the diesel to server charges and a little bit of compressed air as well because these are all servers suffer from a bit of turbo lag and there are ways around doing it you can get a tiny little turbo which pins up very quickly or like the new Audi s q7 Bentley you can put a 48 volt electrical system in there this is quite clever it's got a little 2-liter air tank and when you come on the throttle it just some of that air into the servo gets it spinning very quickly and reduces the amount of snow Burbank clever right the engine is is pretty quietly quieter than in any of the 90 models I'm still not sure it's quite as quiet as that in say a Mercedes GLC or an Audi q5 but the response is pretty good you can change through the drive modes to change the response personally I would leave the suspension in soft and the steering light ish but put the drivetrain in dynamic because it just ups the response of the engine and gave up and we're not talking for two levels of dynamic here we're talking volvo levels of dynamic which means it looks a little bit more awake than it did a minute again now like the 90 vehicles which has got some autonomous stuff on it semi autonomous actually you're always in charge the car is never in charge but it does have pilot assist which is like active cruise control and lanky persist coupled together and the new stuff on this over cars that they've released recently is that the xc60 can control the steering slightly or give you a nudge to which steering you want to go if the city braking is on if The Blind Spot Assist is on and something's come up from the outside and you two get a pull out it'll just give you a hint that you might not actually want to do that because you have an accident now also like the xc90 to the 19's 90 the suspension is the same as well so it's got double wishbones at the front an integral link at the back you can get air suspension this one has it however whereas Volvo says that the 90 series cars are meant to be relaxing to drive the 60 series cars are meant to be inspiring to drive like a range of shower gels or something like that but is it nice here you know what it is pretty comfortable this rides better I think than any car on the sv 90 platform so far it's got all of the suppleness of the smv 90 and yet the sort of body control of the xc90 and that's quite a hard thing to do in the SUV I think they've done it pretty well the steering is really smooth we had a really nice three terms lots a lot it feels like it's come from a company that is starting to get the best out of a platform it's starting to understand what this architecture can do and I think the XE ticket is probably the best colour of it so far it's also that little bit more compact than the neck seen 19 which does in the UK from mini us and places that in the UK correctly when you park that in some multi-story car park it can see a wide this car does not actually it's a nice 2005 seater but it is a nice shape so predictable dependable very xc60 but actually you know what if the last guy wasn't clear to go by that is Novak you\n"