Although I only had the XC60 on test for a few days this week I ended up driving it more than expected, mainly because I liked it so much. The test car was in R-Design specification, which looks great, especially in this blue colour, and it's powered by Volvo's exceptional new D4 diesel engine. This unit is at least the equal of the 2.0-litre turbodiesel you'll find in thousands of BMWs around the country with quiet manners, good economy and decent performance.
I reckon the new Geartronic automatic gearbox suits the XC60 best, but this car came with a manual transmission and it's fine, if slow in shift. The rest of the car is highly polished though, from the high-quality cabin to the tactile switchgear and surprisingly competent chassis. On the Dublin Mountain roads it clung on gamely when pushed and absorbed the worst of the bumps nonchalantly. This enables it to cover ground rapidly. It disguises its pace though, as the engine is smooth and quiet - and it never delivers an obvious hit of power.
After 150 kilometres of quick driving in poor conditions the trip computer showed an average of 8.4 litres/100km (33.6mpg). I'd expect that to improve in normal driving.
The XC60 may not be the first car on the minds of buyers considering the Audi Q5, BMW X3 or new Land Rover Discovery Sport, but it stands up well in comparison to them all.
Key tech specs:
- €39,995 to €55,895
- Manual and auto options
- Front- or all-wheel drive
- D4 (181hp) or D5 (215hp) turbodiesel engines
- Emissions from 117g/km
Further reading: