The Volvo XC60 fuses SUV-like ruggedness and practicality with coupé style and driving dynamics and, at its launch in 2008, it heralded a new design direction for Volvo. The XC60 offers more space and practicality than many rivals in the small premium utility segment. The interior also celebrates the best of modern Swedish design with its attractive natural colours and high quality materials.
Not only did the XC60 show the new design direction, it also featured Volvo's ‘world first' new safety technology - City Safety - which lowers the risk of collisions below 19 mph, reducing injury (especially whiplash) and cutting repair costs. ‘This is not only the safest Volvo ever made - showcasing 80 years of Volvo safety knowledge - it is also the most stunning. That is an extraordinary combination,' says the CEO and president of Volvo Cars, Stefan Jacoby.
City Safety helps the driver avoid, or mitigate, the most common of all accidents - impacts in low speed city traffic or tailbacks. Surveys indicate that 75 per cent of all reported collisions take place at speeds of up to 19 mph. In 50 per cent of these cases the driver has not braked at all before the collision, mainly due to distraction. If the car is about to drive into the vehicle in front, the XC60 applies the brakes automatically. If an accident cannot be avoided, then at least the damage - and any potential injury - will be minimised. ‘We are the first manufacturer in the world to offer this safety feature. It comes standard on every Volvo XC60,' says Jacoby.
The XC60 can now be ordered with additional safety features such as Pedestrian Detection with Adaptive Cruise Control, Distance Alert, Queue Assist and Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake, amongst other options.
Winner of many awards and proving to be a sales success for Volvo, the XC60 is the perfect blend of style, safety and functionality, with commanding road manners and practicality in abundance. It is available from £28,300 for the DRIVe ES with start/stop up to £41,260 for the T6 AWD Geartronic Premium.
The generously equipped ES specification can be upgraded to SE, SE Lux, sports inspired R-Design trim and now also a new Ocean Race Edition. Engines and transmission options have been increased for Model Year 12 and the XC60 can now be ordered with a 2.4-litre twin-turbocharged D3 engine (163hp) and All Wheel Drive. This gives drivers who want Volvo's entry level powered diesel the option of added peace-of-mind from all-wheel-drive traction to get them out of trouble during the worst of the British winter weather.
D5
Upgraded for MY 12, Volvo has boosted the D5 engine's performance and torque from 205hp/420Nm to 215hp/440Nm, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption by eight per cent.
The various changes that have been carried out to the D5 means that the fuel consumption (EU combined) of the Volvo D5 AWD is now a frugal 50.4 mpg (149g/km of CO2) with the manual gearbox and start/stop. The corresponding figure for the automatic version is 41.5 mpg (179 g/km of CO2).
Business users are now able to drive the XC60 D5 (215hp) AWD ES for £114 (20% tax payer) and £229 (40% tax payer). These figures are best in class and means that users can enjoy significantly more power for similar or less cost than it's German rivals such as the 184 hp BMW X3 2.0D SE (£114/20% and £227/40%) and the 170hp Audi Q5 2.0 TDI S TD (£121/20% and £241/40%).
D3 / DRIVe
Unlike the D3 AWD which is fitted with a 2.4 litre twin-turbocharged engine, the D3 Front Wheel Drive (badged DRIVe if fitted with a manual gearbox and D3 if automatic) fitted to the XC60 with 163 hp and 400 Nm of torque was introduced in the Volvo S60 and V60 in 2010. It is based on the same engine as the 2.4 litre but has had the stroke reduced to make it a 2.0 litre.
Driveability has been refined in this new for M12 version by modifying and making fine adjustments to the variable-geometry turbocharger. Refinement of the engine performance and efficiency savings in modern combustion engines are now at such a level that minor and small changes are having to take place.
The injection system from the 2.4 litre engine has been carried over to the 2.0 litre sister engine but with minor control changes to tailor it for a smaller engine. Piezo-electric fuel injectors are used as they are much more precise and can be further tailored to suite stages of combustion during start-up and hard acceleration. Being able to precisely control the injection process also allows for a more effective and reduced combustion.
The corresponding figures for the D3 engine (both 2.0-litre FWD and 2.4-litre AWD) with manual gearbox are 49.6 mpg (149 g/km), while if fitted with an automatic gearbox, the FWD returns 41.5mpg (178g/km) and the AWD returns 41.5mpg (179 g/km).
