2010 Volvo XC60 Full Test and Video

After driving the 2010 Volvo XC60 through our slalom test at 65.1 mph — the second-fastest speed we've recorded in this vehicle segment — two observations were easy to make: 1) This SUV handles — probably better than it needs to; 2) will anyone care?

After all, we don't know any Volvo owners who list "lightning-quick reflexes" among their top purchase priorities. But maybe that's just it. Maybe Volvo is expanding its horizons. You certainly won't catch us complaining that any crossover utility vehicle handles too well.

As a result, one thing is certain: Volvo realizes that performance is a priority in this segment. And by that measure, yes, people will care. But there are other benefits as well.

What You Get
With a base price of $37,200, standard all-wheel drive, a 281-horsepower inline-6 and a six-speed automatic transmission, the 2010 Volvo XC60 is, on paper at least, right in the mix with the segment's big players. Its 109.2-inch wheelbase is marginally longer than the 108.5-inch wheelbase of the Mercedes-Benz GLK and just short of the Audi Q5's 110.5 inches.

The Volvo's power plant, however, tops them both. Under the hood lies a transverse-mounted inline-6 utilizing a twin-scroll turbocharger and intercooler to produce 281 hp at 6,100 rpm and an even more impressive 295 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm. The six-speed automatic with its manual shift mode offers up smooth, quick shifts and delivers power effectively via all-wheel drive. This third-generation Haldex AWD system maintains a torque split of 90 percent front/10 percent rear under most conditions, but can vary to 35 percent front/65 percent rear under hard acceleration.

And this SUV wouldn't be a Volvo if it didn't offer unique safety enhancements like the standard City Safety feature. Below 19 mph, City Safety will automatically apply the brakes and bring the vehicle to a stop if it senses a frontal collision is imminent.

Our tester was equipped with three options. The $2,700 Multimedia package includes premium audio, a navigation system and a rear park-assist camera. The Climate package added heated front and rear seats, heated windshield-washer nozzles and several other amenities. Electric silver metallic paint added another $525, bringing the total with destination to $42,250.

The Size/Function Equation
The key to properly sizing a small SUV is striking a balance between carlike handling, wagonlike cargo capacity and SUV-like visibility-enhancing height. Volvo has found this balance with the XC60. With the rear seats up, it provides 30.8 cubic feet of cargo space — more than the BMW X3 (30 cubic feet) and Mercedes-Benz GLK (23.3 cubic feet), but less than the Lexus RX 350 (38.8 cubic feet). With its seats folded flat, capacity increases to 67.4 cubic feet, which is more than the GLK (54.7 cubic feet) and Land Rover LR2 (59 cubic feet), but less than the RX 350 (85 cubic feet).

The rear seats are a 40/20/40-split folding design that incorporates a pass-through to maximize utility. The rear seats offer enough room for a 6-foot-1 adult to sit comfortably behind a similarly sized driver, with ample headroom and comfortable seat height.

The front seats are also unique, with surprising support and distinctly modern headrests. The standard leather seating surfaces add the expected luxury and utility. Still, we found the dash and steering wheel materials less appealing to touch than those of the Audi Q5. For example, the hub section of the steering wheel has a distinctly rubber feel, which is out of place on a vehicle this costly.

Worse is the navigation system, which utterly lacks intuitive functionality and is controlled primarily by a set of buttons behind the steering wheel. Changing map scale requires a minimum of four button pushes — more if you want to change more than one step at a time. And good luck entering a destination, as this function requires you to push the "back" button when the map is being displayed in order to get started, Better read the manual. Twice. There's also a remote so your passengers can struggle with the system, well, remotely.

City Safety
Say Volvo's press materials: "Colliding with the vehicle in front of you can be both a physically harmful and emotionally unpleasant experience." We ingloriously demonstrated this one afternoon by accidentally ramming the wife's car while pulling into the driveway. Surprised by the damaging jolt, she returned fire with a slap across our face as we got out to explain. The marks inside and out are yet to fade. Volvo is right.

City Safety could have prevented this "unpleasant" domestic altercation had we been driving an XC60. It uses a laser near the rearview mirror to monitor the gap to traffic in front of the SUV. Making 50 calculations per second, the system determines the necessary braking force to avoid a collision. If the calculation exceeds a predetermined level without a driver response, it applies the brakes and closes the throttle.

We conducted our own impromptu test of the system with a garbage can and cardboard boxes — obstacles that are admittedly narrower and less able to reflect a laser beam than a car. Yet sure enough, even when driving at the boxes without lifting off the throttle, City Safety did its job. We did, however, discover a few limitations. The system was successful every time the boxes were centered on the sensor. Offset them by centering them on the headlights and performance was erratic. This might mean that you could still hit a motorcycle or cyclist on one side of the lane. (We won't be testing this theory on the wife's bike, however.)

Still, the technology clearly works and it does so without intervening in normal driving, since its activation is triggered far later than when any alert driver would apply the brakes in such a situation.

Straight-Line Performance
At the track, the 2010 Volvo XC60's performance falls into the upper echelon of compact SUVs. None of its numbers can match the hyper-athletic Infiniti EX35, but most are a close second.

The XC60 hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds (6.7 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and broke through the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 93.8 mph. These numbers are quicker than the last BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK we tested.

What's not so obvious here is the drivability the engine affords this 4,247-pound crossover SUV. With all its torque available at only 1,500 rpm, the turbocharged inline-6 offers better response than many of its competitors. The combination of the six-speed tranny and grunty power delivery means you don't need to hammer the throttle to move the XC60 quickly through traffic or achieve freeway speed up an on-ramp.

There's a price for this power, however. We recorded an average fuel consumption of just 15.6 mpg, with a worst one-tank result of 14.3 mpg and a best of 18 mpg.

She Turns, Too
Most surprising of the XC60's dynamic abilities is its slalom performance. Volvos are traditionally hindered by conservative stability control tuning, so we don't expect them to impress us with their transitional response at high speed. But the XC60 seems almost tuned for this kind of test. Despite its non-defeatable stability control, it rips between the cones like a well-mannered sedan. Best of all, it responds well to on-throttle steering inputs in the last few cones, indicating that its designers were genuinely interested in the car going where it's pointed when driven by someone who points it with intent. The result is a slalom speed of 65.1 mph — better than the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK.

Around the skid pad, the stability control system trimmed the Volvo's cornering attitude in direct proportion to steering inputs. More steering angle immediately translated into less throttle as opposed to many systems, which allow large slip angles with the front tires and then punish momentum with brake application. We managed a 0.77g performance, which is average for the class.

The XC60's highway ride isn't as compliant as a Mercedes GLK but it proves far less busy than a BMW X3 with the Sport package. Still, we think some Volvo fans might find it leans more toward the sporty side than they prefer. Steering feel lacks the precise feedback of a BMW, but at the limit it offers ample information. Overall, there's still a marginal bit of refinement missing from the driving experience that can be found in this SUV's German competitors, but the difference isn't so great that it would keep us from giving the Volvo a solid look if we were shopping in this segment.

Why Bother?
Initially we couldn't help but wonder why we'd pay this much for the 2010 Volvo XC60 when the luxury leaders in the segment offer such superb alternatives at near equal pricing. But we don't have to think for long to find several perfectly good reasons.

For one, the Volvo offers a unique look. Its flared fenders and slender canopy provide an unusual style that can't be found in any of the German or Japanese alternatives, and we like that. Plus, none of them have those bitchin' taillights.

There's also City Safety, which as a standard feature might just save you money, hassle and possibly even a slap in the face down the road. The XC60 is also equipped with other standard and optional safety features like curtain airbags and integrated rear child-booster seats — not all of which are available in the competition.

Finally, that the 2010 Volvo XC60 actually goes around corners with speed and without drama is as solid a reason as any to own one. It's even refreshing enough to make us care.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.