But what always gets me in a Volvo are the seats. The test vehicle following the XC60 was a Nissan Murano; by comparison, Nissan perches are church benches. Cuddled and snuggled, the Volvo's passengers are treated to a serene environment which promotes calm and relaxation.
Taking it easy
And this is obvious in the drive too. All controls are heavy but not sloppy. Pressure on the gas pedal is met with smooth unrushed acceleration. Steering too is weighted, not numb but slightly detached without sacrificing precision.
The 3.2L inline 6-cylinder engine is of the same school. Its low purr on acceleration seems equal to its laid-back nature with a decent but far-from-exciting 235 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. I must point out that this particular 3.2L was the most spirited of all the previous 3.2s I've tested is such Volvos as the V70, S80 and XC70.
If more action is what you are craving, Volvo offers up its T6 turbocharged 3.0L I6 powerplant in its top-of-the-line version. Good for 281 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, passing and out-right performance is greatly improved. What does suffer, one way or another, is gas mileage. The tested 3.2L returned 14.5L per 100 km over a 500 + km week of driving. Last spring, my 700 + km test drive of a T6 model netted just over 15L per 100 km even with more than 75% of the mileage being accumulated on the highway.
Niggles and naggles
Other than the fuel consumption, I found the standard 6-speed autobox to be a slow of the uptake, if you know what I mean. Anything more than a little throttle application resulted in a delayed reaction, very frustrating especially in passing manoeuvres. In normal city traffic, the thing works like butter though...
Volvo is Swedish, we all know this. It's cold in Sweden, we all know this too. How is it then that I encountered such a primitive problem: at -10 degrees, the doors would not lock because the onboard computer would think that the driver door was not closed when in fact it was. A frozen door sensor? I have not seen this issue in a car in a decade... Colour me pee'd-off when I had shopping to do and could not lock the doors behind me.
An underdog
Volvo as a brand is often overlooked. In my opinion, those that choose competing European or Japanese brands such as BMW, Audi or Infiniti, especially if driving dynamics are secondary to comfort, are missing out on some of the most cosseting cars on the road.
The $39,995, the base XC60 faces stiff competition from the likes of the Audi Q5, Infiniti EX35, BMW X3 and Acura RDX. With an as-tested price of $53,445, the XC60 is not the least expensive but it does include all the kit one could ever want, save for the navigation system which is a $2,625 option. A basic T6 carries a price tag of $49,995.
If being different, meaning not driving a BMW or an Audi, does not scare you, the Volvo will surely impress even the most discerning buyer with its high level of quality and creature comforts.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
Taking it easy
And this is obvious in the drive too. All controls are heavy but not sloppy. Pressure on the gas pedal is met with smooth unrushed acceleration. Steering too is weighted, not numb but slightly detached without sacrificing precision.
 |
| In fact, the XC60 is what you would get, in my mind, if you took every model in Volvo's portfolio. |
The 3.2L inline 6-cylinder engine is of the same school. Its low purr on acceleration seems equal to its laid-back nature with a decent but far-from-exciting 235 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. I must point out that this particular 3.2L was the most spirited of all the previous 3.2s I've tested is such Volvos as the V70, S80 and XC70.
If more action is what you are craving, Volvo offers up its T6 turbocharged 3.0L I6 powerplant in its top-of-the-line version. Good for 281 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, passing and out-right performance is greatly improved. What does suffer, one way or another, is gas mileage. The tested 3.2L returned 14.5L per 100 km over a 500 + km week of driving. Last spring, my 700 + km test drive of a T6 model netted just over 15L per 100 km even with more than 75% of the mileage being accumulated on the highway.
Niggles and naggles
Other than the fuel consumption, I found the standard 6-speed autobox to be a slow of the uptake, if you know what I mean. Anything more than a little throttle application resulted in a delayed reaction, very frustrating especially in passing manoeuvres. In normal city traffic, the thing works like butter though...
Volvo is Swedish, we all know this. It's cold in Sweden, we all know this too. How is it then that I encountered such a primitive problem: at -10 degrees, the doors would not lock because the onboard computer would think that the driver door was not closed when in fact it was. A frozen door sensor? I have not seen this issue in a car in a decade... Colour me pee'd-off when I had shopping to do and could not lock the doors behind me.
An underdog
Volvo as a brand is often overlooked. In my opinion, those that choose competing European or Japanese brands such as BMW, Audi or Infiniti, especially if driving dynamics are secondary to comfort, are missing out on some of the most cosseting cars on the road.
The $39,995, the base XC60 faces stiff competition from the likes of the Audi Q5, Infiniti EX35, BMW X3 and Acura RDX. With an as-tested price of $53,445, the XC60 is not the least expensive but it does include all the kit one could ever want, save for the navigation system which is a $2,625 option. A basic T6 carries a price tag of $49,995.
If being different, meaning not driving a BMW or an Audi, does not scare you, the Volvo will surely impress even the most discerning buyer with its high level of quality and creature comforts.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
Article Gallery