Recently drove the superb Volvo XC 60 T5, which wasn’t the World Car of the Year for nothing. Volvo cars these days ooze class and styling that is very sought after. It certainly takes after it’s bigger sibling, the XC90, albeit on a smaller scale.
The Volvo XC 60 looks more grown up in this variant, and it shows in the styling, from the familiar Volvo grille, to the air vents, low on the left and the right. The rear looks quite rakish, with the long rear lamps. The side silhouette makes it look quite sporty. It has high-level LED headlamps front & rear. Love the 20 inch wheels, which make it very planted.
Into the cabin, which looks very upmarket, very clean and Swedish looking. Love the fold down options which give you much more space, but the boot area is pretty big anyway. The dash area is very well set out, and smart phone integration for Apple Carplay and Android. Add in key-less entry, auto dimming exterior mirrors and blind spot info system.
360 deg camera shows you the way, and what I love is the park assist pilot tech. The heated front seats are always welcome in Winter. The space in the cabin was good in the front and the rear, and seats are very comfy.
The engine is the four cylinder turbo charged petrol version, and puts out a disconcertingly fast 187kw and 350 Nm of torque. It is mated to an 8 -speed auto AWD gearbox. The Volvo acquits itself well in the performance stakes, and handles well in corners. It is a tad thirsty if you push it, although the manufacturer claims a very low 7.3 L/100km. We used far more than that from the 71 Ltank.
Safety, as would be expected from a Volvo XC 60 is well taken care of. Some of the more notable features are as follows.
- City Safety-which includes pedestrian, cyclist etc with collision warning full auto brake.
- Driver alert control, also with lane keeping.
- Rear park assist.
- Power driver & passenger seats.
- Power operated tailgate.
The Volvo brand has come a long way from mainly being perceived as just a safe car to drive. They make stylish cars, packed with superb kit, and are extremely drivable as well.
The Volvo XC 60 comes with a 5 -year /100 000km maintenance plan and extends to the same with Warranty as well. The price as tested was :
R851 150 incl Vat