- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.4DTT, 5 cyl.
- Engine Power
158kW, 440Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 6.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2009)
Volvo XC60 D5 Luxury new car review
It’s stalemate in the mid-sized luxury SUV segment right now. There hasn’t been a really significant new-product bang for a while, leaving the focus to fall instead on the mandatory midlife updates.
Of the class bigwigs, Audi blinked first with a refreshed Q5 back in late 2012 and BMW has just unveiled a re-jigged X3, due in the dying months of this year. Volvo, too, has been at it with the updated XC60 tested here.
What do you get?
The updated XC60 line-up spans four engines (T5/T6 petrol, D4/D5 diesel), three trims (Kinetic, Luxury and R-Design) and a price range of $56,990 to $78,990.
Lower level T5 and D4 models come in either Kinetic or better appointed Luxury trims. The more upmarket T6 and D5 use Luxury as the springboard to topline R-Design trim.
Even the cheapest Kinetic variants get leather trim, power driver’s seat, power tailgate, Bluetooth and a CD/DVD infotainment system with a seven-inch colour monitor. A reversing camera and Volvo’s collision-mitigating City Safety system headline their strong five-star ANCAP safety package.
Luxury models like the $69,990 D5 Luxury tested here add satellite navigation, keyless entry/start, leather dash, 18-inch alloys (instead of 17s) and more.
R-Design versions cede some Luxury trinkets (power passenger seat, alarm) for more sprightly Polestar-optimised engines, sports chassis and the expected sporting visual addenda.
Not surprisingly for a premium Euro, you can go to town on a massive array of options.
Our test car was fitted with the ‘Driver Support Pack’. Even with this costly $5000 extra the D5 Lux remains cheaper than most alternatives yet its massive array of modern driver aids gear (blindspot monitors, cross-traffic alerts, lane-departure/lane-keeping aids, forward-collision warning, pedestrian/cyclist detection, road-sign information, auto high beams and active cruise control) puts in on another level altogether for safety.
What's inside?
The XC60 driver now fronts the full TFT instrument display first seen in the V40 hatch with its three different modes, slick graphics and comprehensive range of analogue and digital displays.
New trims, inlays and, on Luxury models, a stitched leather dash also add razzle dazzle to what was already a classy, tasteful cabin.
On more fundamental fronts the status quo remains but it’s no bad thing. There are no space or significant vision or storage issues up front, nor any aches and pains likely to be derived from the pampering, highly adjustable seats.
Rear occupants enjoy a very comfortable bench with plenty of space (though leg room is more adequate than generous) and welcome features like face-level air vents. Clever inbuilt booster seats for both outward positions are a boon for parents with young children.
The bench’s 40/20/40 split-fold setup, which is more versatile than 60/40 equivalents, also gets a big tick. Fold the back seats and the already capacious boot expands to form a long, intrusion-free and totally flat load space.
What’s not to like? The oh so clean and crisp dash would be even more so, and the infotainment system less fiddly, with a touch-screen setup rather than the current knob-based system (with the knob is located on the dash rather than more conveniently between the seats) and smattering of buttons.
Rear vision, while not terrible like some rivals, is some way short of brilliant and you have to stomach a space-saver spare.
Under the bonnet
The D5 Luxury’s 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel trails rivals like the Q5 3.0 TDI and X3 xDrive30d for power, torque and sprinting ability.
So does the more powerful, torquey and quicker Polestar-optimised version in the D5 R-Design. It bumps power from 158kW to 169kW, torque from 440Nm to 470Nm and the 0-100km/h time down from 8.3 to 8.1 seconds but, alas, isn’t quite optimised enough to cut it with its fleet-footed alternatives.
For all that, the on-road reality isn’t disappointing. The D5’s robust, very flexible supply of power makes it a responsive, easygoing partner in regular driving and it’s not short on kick or willingness when asked to work harder. If it’s not quite as silver-tongued as six-cylinder rivals, its refinement stands up to scrutiny.
The same can’t be said of the six-speed auto. It does the job but doesn’t have an answer for the smarts, shift finesse and spread of gearing of benchmark eight-speed rivals.
Volvo, too, has missed a trick by not equipping the D5 with an auto stop/start system for saving fuel in heavy traffic. An official economy rating of 6.9L/100km is further evidence that it’s not quite cutting-edge in this area, as was our distinctly unremarkable 9.2L/100km test average.
On the road
Pushing hard through the bends in the D5 Luxury isn’t a particularly graceful exercise. It rolls noticeably, is less than razor-sharp in its responses and the tyres seem better at making noise than actually holding the road. The steering lacks the responsiveness, accuracy and feedback of the best setups.
Truly keen drivers, then, will want to investigate the sportier D5 R-Design or alternatives with established driving credentials.
Still, while the Volvo is on the soft side of the driving coin it’s no pig, offering more than enough agility, poise and surefootedness to please most buyers.
It’s not a hard car on the senses either. The ride soaks up low-speed urban uglies, rough gravel roads and mostly everything in between (if not serious dirt-road corrugations) with good grace.
And aside from the noticeable five-cylinder gargle when pushed (we call it character) aural intrusions are kept well to the background.
Verdict
Sub-benchmark performance, economy and on-road credentials add up to a lot of points lost for the D5 Luxury here.
But the Volvo’s value, safety and practical, clever and high-quality cabin are attractions that justify an audience. Its on-road and drivetrain shortcomings are only likely to be conspicuous to those who are finicky about this kind of stuff.
So the power hungry, ultra-keen drivers or those who quibble over a few dollars of fuel might want to keep other mid-sized premium SUVs on their radar for now. Many others in the XC60’s target-buyer base, though, are likely to find this functional, able and appealing package exactly what they’re looking for.
Vital statistics
How much? From $69,990
Engine: 2.4-litre turbo diesel five-cylinder. 158kW/440Nm
Fuel use: 6.9L/100km
Emissions: 183g CO2/km
What's it got: Six airbags; Stability control; Collision-prevention braking; Rear parking sensors; Reversing camera; Dual-zone climate control; Power front seats; Power tailgate; Satellite navigation; CD/DVD/MP3 stereo; Bluetooth; 18-inch alloys.