The Four-C Active Chassis suspension does a good job of swallowing road undulations in Comfort mode, while the Sport mode controls body motions on twisty country roads; you can feel a difference between the two. The XC60's all-wheel drive system is developed by Haldex and is front-wheel biased until a loss of adherence is detected; it can send up to 100% of available power to the rear.
Competition
The XC60 is a good deal at $45,495, but our test vehicle includes just about every option in the catalog: Luxury Package I ($3,050), Convenience Package ($2,100), Tech Package ($4,100), wood steering wheel ($350) and interior wood trim ($600), Merac 18-inch wheels ($500), navigation system ($2,500), backup camera ($1,100) and metallic paint ($790), for a breathtaking total of $60,585. The power moonroof is currently a no-charge option.
Competitors include:
Acura RDX, 240 hp, $41,400
Audi Q5 3.2 FSI quattro, 270 hp, $43,400
BMW X3 xDrive30i, 260 hp, $45,300
Cadillac SRX V6 AWD, 255 hp, $49,535
Hummer H3 Luxury, 239 hp, $41,180
Infiniti EX35, 298 hp, $40,900
Land Rover LR2 HSE, 230 hp, $44,900
Lexus RX 350, 275 hp, $46,900
Lincoln MKX, 265 hp, $42,700
Mazda CX-7 GT AWD, 244 hp, $36,095
Mercedes-Benz GLK350, 268 hp, $41,800
Mitsubishi Endeavor Limited AWD, 225 hp, $43,298
Nissan Murano LE, 265 hp, $47,498
Subaru Tribeca Limited, 256 hp, $45,195
Volkswagen Touareg 2 3.6L Comfortline, 280 hp, $44,975
Conclusion
The XC60 has arrived just in time for Volvo, and should drive newfound customers into their showrooms. It's more sensible and efficient than the XC90, trendier than an XC70 and should sell more than both of them.
If this new Volvo interests you, the options list should be reviewed carefully, as the price could escalade quickly. We think a no-options XC60 is fine if you don't need all that electronic gadgetry; after all, you'll appreciate it more if you don't let it drive itself.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
Competition
The XC60 is a good deal at $45,495, but our test vehicle includes just about every option in the catalog: Luxury Package I ($3,050), Convenience Package ($2,100), Tech Package ($4,100), wood steering wheel ($350) and interior wood trim ($600), Merac 18-inch wheels ($500), navigation system ($2,500), backup camera ($1,100) and metallic paint ($790), for a breathtaking total of $60,585. The power moonroof is currently a no-charge option.
 |
| The XC60 is a good deal at $45,495. |
Competitors include:
Acura RDX, 240 hp, $41,400
Audi Q5 3.2 FSI quattro, 270 hp, $43,400
BMW X3 xDrive30i, 260 hp, $45,300
Cadillac SRX V6 AWD, 255 hp, $49,535
Hummer H3 Luxury, 239 hp, $41,180
Infiniti EX35, 298 hp, $40,900
Land Rover LR2 HSE, 230 hp, $44,900
Lexus RX 350, 275 hp, $46,900
Lincoln MKX, 265 hp, $42,700
Mazda CX-7 GT AWD, 244 hp, $36,095
Mercedes-Benz GLK350, 268 hp, $41,800
Mitsubishi Endeavor Limited AWD, 225 hp, $43,298
Nissan Murano LE, 265 hp, $47,498
Subaru Tribeca Limited, 256 hp, $45,195
Volkswagen Touareg 2 3.6L Comfortline, 280 hp, $44,975
Conclusion
The XC60 has arrived just in time for Volvo, and should drive newfound customers into their showrooms. It's more sensible and efficient than the XC90, trendier than an XC70 and should sell more than both of them.
If this new Volvo interests you, the options list should be reviewed carefully, as the price could escalade quickly. We think a no-options XC60 is fine if you don't need all that electronic gadgetry; after all, you'll appreciate it more if you don't let it drive itself.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
Article Gallery