Volvo XC60 (08 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 01 August 2011
Combining off-road toughness and practicality with coupe styling and driving characteristics doesn't sound like an obvious mix, but that's exactly what Volvo has aimed to do with the XC60 - an alternative to cars like the Land Rover Freelander and BMW X3. It's certainly very stylish with a less boxy and bulky look than the larger XC90, but it's designed to also be spacious and family-friendly. Volvo also offers a low-emission, front-wheel drive version badged DRIVe. On the road it doesn't handle like an off-roader, with good body control, while the ride quality is excellent, making it a superb long distance machine. There are three engines available, including the punchy D5 diesel, although this is fairly noisy and not as refined as newer diesels. The XC60 is also the safest car Volvo has ever made and all models get City Safety - a system designed to prevent low speed impacts.
4 out of 5

Other Volvo reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

List prices for the XC60 look competitive compared to alternatives, particularly when you look at the standard equipment. Insurance groups are 13 for the 2.4D, 14 for the D5 and 15 for the T6. Volvo claims that some insurance companies are offering discounts on the XC60 because of its City Safety system which can help prevent low-speed bumps. DRIVe versions offer more than 40mpg for the auto and 47mpg for the manual. Volvo servicing and parts tend to be slightly cheaper than other premium makes and depreciation should be as slow as that of its premium German rivals, if not slower.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,860 - £2,557 *

Diesel

£1,282 - £1,885 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Two years/18,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£135.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
    149
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    274

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Front-wheel drive versions of the XC60, badged DRIVe, offer lower running costs than other versions thanks to their lower emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions of just 159g/km for the manual and 183g/km for the automatic is exceptional for a car of this type. Emissions for D5 and T6 versions are far more in line with what's expected for a relatively heavy 4x4.

Find the exact engine and CO2