Road Test
2009 Volvo XC60 First Drive
The Swedes Do a Cannonball in the Crowded Import Crossover Pool
Believe all the reports and Swedish big fish Volvo is either bleeding money, is on the auction block, is eager to be separated from parent company Ford anyway, or all of the above.
Believe the spreadsheets and Volvo needs a winner. Sales in North America have screamed past lackluster and are about to enter dismal. Sales charts for the last five years look like a ski slope of the double black diamond variety. Things are so bad that North American headquarters has moved from sunny Southern California to the garden spot that is northern New Jersey.
And now here comes the 2009 Volvo XC60 crossover. First seen as a showcar at the January 2007 Detroit Auto Show, it just may be the winner Volvo needs. Motoring the 2009 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD (the only version coming to North America) along the challenging roads around Valencia, Spain, provided several pleasant surprises, including an enjoyable drive. The XC60 hits all the right marks and then some, making it an honest pirate of Acura RDX and BMW X3 sales, not to mention of the entire raft of recent premium crossovers.
The Safest Volvo Ever
And at the forefront of its pitch? You guessed it, safety.
Actually, Volvo's head of safety communications Thomas Bruberg goes so far as to say, "The XC60 is the safest car in the world." Such boldness would make us snicker if it came from the mouths of any other car company, but this is the Volvo XC60, so....
And the list reads like a what's what of active safety features: blind-spot information system (BLIS), active bi-xenon lights, City Safety, collision warning with auto brake (CWAB), driver alert control (DAC), lane departure warning (LDW), adaptive cruise control (ACC), distance alert (DA), dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC), trailer stability assist (TSA), roll stability control (RSC), and the list goes on. Several of these are also available in an eerily labeled Collision Avoidance package option for $1,695 on the new S80 sedan.
Taking center stage for the 2009 Volvo XC60 launch is the new City Safety that comes as standard equipment on all XC60s worldwide. This new system for lower-speed driving, operating via a camera and lasers set above the rearview mirror, acts as road nanny if the driver ever stops paying strict attention. Up to a 10-mph difference between the XC60 and a car in front, City Safety hits the brakes just in time to avoid any collision if it senses you're out to lunch. Up to around 19-mph difference, the system does the same and at the very least drastically minimizes damages and injury.
We tried City Safety ourselves and it works brilliantly. This is good tech and because of it Volvo is close to inking deals in the U.S. and Canada to get owners of XC60s up to 25 percent off their auto insurance premiums.
Solid Motor, Solid Handling
A popular engine size in this class is the 3.0-liter six-cylinder and Volvo mounts its inline unit crossways and gives it strong breathing assistance with a turbocharger good for 8.7 psi maximum boost pressure. This gives the 282-horsepower XC60 T6 AWD a solid 295 pound-feet of torque starting at just 1,500 rpm. So, though weighing roughly 4,300 pounds, Volvo says the T6 XC60 accelerates to 62 mph in a respectable 7.5 seconds.
Switching the center console shift lever to the right for automanual also sets the powertrain into Sport mode where gears are held for longer in higher revs and throttle tip-in gets brisker.
On several stretches of Spanish provincial roads, the 2009 Volvo XC60 in Sport mode was a true contender, responding to all of our wishes. The Gen III Haldex differential maintains a 90/10 percent fore/aft torque split, but this can flop to as much as a 35/65 split if acceleration is hard, and the RSC, standard 18-inch wheels and tires also help handle any drama calmly.
In fact, the XC60 can equal the dynamics of the BMW X3 once the tight turns show up. And the Volvo's suspension tuning strikes a very good default level of comfort and sturdiness.
Built in the company's Belgium factory (20,000 are on their way to the U.S.), the XC60 uses Ford of Europe's EUCD architecture intended strictly for all-wheel or front-wheel-drive vehicles. Also on this platform are Ford Europe's Mondeo and Volvo's S80 as well as Land Rover's LR2.
Exterior: Not Just a Baby XC90
The XC60 is also the first Volvo completely overseen by the company's latest design director Steve Mattin, and he has certainly moved the company forward while respecting past cues. This new look makes the larger XC90 seem a little dowdy by comparison.
"The designs now just need to stand out more," says Mattin during our drive. And the 2009 Volvo XC60 is hard to miss with its large, muscular body-length shoulder line, the larger grille that is also more vertical, and the immense eye-popping rear LED lights that now flow better than on any previous Volvo. It all makes you look without poking you in the eyes.
Two more facial touches include the now frameless Volvo grille badge that is 200 percent larger than before and the two pairs of diagonal "DNA lights" between the headlights and grille. Overall, much more attitude is going on here and less frozen Scandinavian discretion.
The Living Space
Our test vehicle had the full-on Scandinavian health spa treatment with light wood inlays, silky metals, velvety beige floor mats and very comfortable minimalist front seats. The color schemes are also generally light and airy, and the panoramic sunroof is always welcome in such a premium cabin.
The floating center console that has defined recent Volvo interiors is now turned decidedly toward the driver and all of its switchgear is clearly understandable. Although its left edge dug into our right knee for the whole day (a soft pad there would be appreciated), interior width is quite abundant so the situation is comfortable. Tall people can sit comfortably in front or back for long trips (no third-row seat is offered) while wind, road and engine noise are kept at bay as well as in any German or Japanese competitor.
Volvo's Road Traffic Information onboard computer is the only real fumble. The screen is small for this size of crossover, the graphics are not easily readable, the interface is awkward and the very idea of a separate remote control hand unit is downright Stone Age.
This is an area that requires massive updating to be current with Audi's MMI system or BMW's latest greatly improved version of iDrive. Skip this $2,120 option and go buy a TomTom.
How It Stacks Up
The projected $38,000 base price for the 2009 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD places it square with the BMW X3 3.0si ($38,600), north of the four-cylinder turbo Acura RDX ($33,695) and south of the Infiniti FX35 AWD ($42,350).
Volvo's new crossover is as distinctively styled certainly as either the Infiniti FX or the new Mercedes GLK, while being less polarizing in a good way. Its towing capacity is massive at 4,400 pounds, and cargo hits the average at between 17.5 cubic feet and 51.4 cubic feet (not including the front right seat that also folds flat for added cargo). The 9.1-inch ground clearance on the XC60 is tops in this class, too.
The XC60 starts deliveries in Europe in October, but ours don't arrive until March 2009.
It's squarely in the ballpark of what premium crossover shoppers desire. Now Volvo just needs the marketing muscle to say it loud, proud and a lot.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
Believe the spreadsheets and Volvo needs a winner. Sales in North America have screamed past lackluster and are about to enter dismal. Sales charts for the last five years look like a ski slope of the double black diamond variety. Things are so bad that North American headquarters has moved from sunny Southern California to the garden spot that is northern New Jersey.
And now here comes the 2009 Volvo XC60 crossover. First seen as a showcar at the January 2007 Detroit Auto Show, it just may be the winner Volvo needs. Motoring the 2009 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD (the only version coming to North America) along the challenging roads around Valencia, Spain, provided several pleasant surprises, including an enjoyable drive. The XC60 hits all the right marks and then some, making it an honest pirate of Acura RDX and BMW X3 sales, not to mention of the entire raft of recent premium crossovers.
The Safest Volvo Ever
And at the forefront of its pitch? You guessed it, safety.
Actually, Volvo's head of safety communications Thomas Bruberg goes so far as to say, "The XC60 is the safest car in the world." Such boldness would make us snicker if it came from the mouths of any other car company, but this is the Volvo XC60, so....
And the list reads like a what's what of active safety features: blind-spot information system (BLIS), active bi-xenon lights, City Safety, collision warning with auto brake (CWAB), driver alert control (DAC), lane departure warning (LDW), adaptive cruise control (ACC), distance alert (DA), dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC), trailer stability assist (TSA), roll stability control (RSC), and the list goes on. Several of these are also available in an eerily labeled Collision Avoidance package option for $1,695 on the new S80 sedan.
Taking center stage for the 2009 Volvo XC60 launch is the new City Safety that comes as standard equipment on all XC60s worldwide. This new system for lower-speed driving, operating via a camera and lasers set above the rearview mirror, acts as road nanny if the driver ever stops paying strict attention. Up to a 10-mph difference between the XC60 and a car in front, City Safety hits the brakes just in time to avoid any collision if it senses you're out to lunch. Up to around 19-mph difference, the system does the same and at the very least drastically minimizes damages and injury.
We tried City Safety ourselves and it works brilliantly. This is good tech and because of it Volvo is close to inking deals in the U.S. and Canada to get owners of XC60s up to 25 percent off their auto insurance premiums.
Solid Motor, Solid Handling
A popular engine size in this class is the 3.0-liter six-cylinder and Volvo mounts its inline unit crossways and gives it strong breathing assistance with a turbocharger good for 8.7 psi maximum boost pressure. This gives the 282-horsepower XC60 T6 AWD a solid 295 pound-feet of torque starting at just 1,500 rpm. So, though weighing roughly 4,300 pounds, Volvo says the T6 XC60 accelerates to 62 mph in a respectable 7.5 seconds.
Switching the center console shift lever to the right for automanual also sets the powertrain into Sport mode where gears are held for longer in higher revs and throttle tip-in gets brisker.
On several stretches of Spanish provincial roads, the 2009 Volvo XC60 in Sport mode was a true contender, responding to all of our wishes. The Gen III Haldex differential maintains a 90/10 percent fore/aft torque split, but this can flop to as much as a 35/65 split if acceleration is hard, and the RSC, standard 18-inch wheels and tires also help handle any drama calmly.
In fact, the XC60 can equal the dynamics of the BMW X3 once the tight turns show up. And the Volvo's suspension tuning strikes a very good default level of comfort and sturdiness.
Built in the company's Belgium factory (20,000 are on their way to the U.S.), the XC60 uses Ford of Europe's EUCD architecture intended strictly for all-wheel or front-wheel-drive vehicles. Also on this platform are Ford Europe's Mondeo and Volvo's S80 as well as Land Rover's LR2.
Exterior: Not Just a Baby XC90
The XC60 is also the first Volvo completely overseen by the company's latest design director Steve Mattin, and he has certainly moved the company forward while respecting past cues. This new look makes the larger XC90 seem a little dowdy by comparison.
"The designs now just need to stand out more," says Mattin during our drive. And the 2009 Volvo XC60 is hard to miss with its large, muscular body-length shoulder line, the larger grille that is also more vertical, and the immense eye-popping rear LED lights that now flow better than on any previous Volvo. It all makes you look without poking you in the eyes.
Two more facial touches include the now frameless Volvo grille badge that is 200 percent larger than before and the two pairs of diagonal "DNA lights" between the headlights and grille. Overall, much more attitude is going on here and less frozen Scandinavian discretion.
The Living Space
Our test vehicle had the full-on Scandinavian health spa treatment with light wood inlays, silky metals, velvety beige floor mats and very comfortable minimalist front seats. The color schemes are also generally light and airy, and the panoramic sunroof is always welcome in such a premium cabin.
The floating center console that has defined recent Volvo interiors is now turned decidedly toward the driver and all of its switchgear is clearly understandable. Although its left edge dug into our right knee for the whole day (a soft pad there would be appreciated), interior width is quite abundant so the situation is comfortable. Tall people can sit comfortably in front or back for long trips (no third-row seat is offered) while wind, road and engine noise are kept at bay as well as in any German or Japanese competitor.
Volvo's Road Traffic Information onboard computer is the only real fumble. The screen is small for this size of crossover, the graphics are not easily readable, the interface is awkward and the very idea of a separate remote control hand unit is downright Stone Age.
This is an area that requires massive updating to be current with Audi's MMI system or BMW's latest greatly improved version of iDrive. Skip this $2,120 option and go buy a TomTom.
How It Stacks Up
The projected $38,000 base price for the 2009 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD places it square with the BMW X3 3.0si ($38,600), north of the four-cylinder turbo Acura RDX ($33,695) and south of the Infiniti FX35 AWD ($42,350).
Volvo's new crossover is as distinctively styled certainly as either the Infiniti FX or the new Mercedes GLK, while being less polarizing in a good way. Its towing capacity is massive at 4,400 pounds, and cargo hits the average at between 17.5 cubic feet and 51.4 cubic feet (not including the front right seat that also folds flat for added cargo). The 9.1-inch ground clearance on the XC60 is tops in this class, too.
The XC60 starts deliveries in Europe in October, but ours don't arrive until March 2009.
It's squarely in the ballpark of what premium crossover shoppers desire. Now Volvo just needs the marketing muscle to say it loud, proud and a lot.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
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