Volvo XC60 review
Scandi-cool and safe family SUV is a great all-rounder
At a glance |
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| New price | £47,470 - £67,780 |
| Lease from new | From £625 p/m View lease deals |
| Used price | £18,670 - £61,050 |
| Fuel Economy | 28.0 - 282.1 mpg |
| Road tax cost | £165 - £520 |
| Insurance group | 31 - 44 How much is it to insure? |
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PROS
- Spacious, stylish and comfy interior
- Excellent safety credentials
- Broad range of engines and trims
CONS
- High-spec models are expensive
- And some engines costly to run
- Ride is firm without adaptive suspension
Is the Volvo XC60 any good?
Sales of medium-sized, upmarket SUVs remain strong, which explains why the Volvo XC60 is one of the Swedish brand’s more popular models. Sandwiched between the dinkier XC40 and plusher XC90, the XC60 offers safety, style and solidity in spades.
From the scaled-down XC90 exterior design to the luxurious, high-technology interior, it feels every bit the modern family accessory, giving strong competition to the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 in particular, but also the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
It also features more standard safety equipment than any of its rivals, and a distinct warm, cutting-edge image without the aggression of some of the German alternatives.
What’s it like inside?
Jump behind the wheel of the XC60 and you could be driving any model in Volvo’s range, so uniform in style and use is the dashboard. That’s no bad thing: there’s a simple yet classy design with a set of digital dials, a portrait-oriented touchscreen and not much else.
The materials broadly look and feel suitably expensive, the seats are utterly brilliant and comfort is key. There’s also a lot of technology lurking beneath all of this, with the firm’s Intellisafe driver assistance and safety systems available, high-end sound systems and plenty of other convenience features you’d expect.
Read more about the Volvo XC60 interior
What’s it like to drive?
Galvanising its appeal is a very broad selection of engines, including mild- and plug-in hybrids. They’re refined, the ride is comfortable, and performance is brisk throughout the range.
Whichever XC60 engine you choose, it will come with a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. You’ll have to look elsewhere if you want a manual SUV.
All barring the B5 come with all-wheel drive as standard, although confusingly – again – Volvo’s opted to badge all of its mild-hybrid models with a B-prefix, regardless of whether its petrol or diesel. At least the price lists helpfully insert (P) and (D) to distinguish them, as we do here for clarification.
More power is available should you choose a plug-in hybrid. Until 2020, Volvo persisted with referring to these as Twin Engine models, but now they are all badged Recharge.
The Recharge T6 is the entry-level PHEV, while the Recharge T8 Polestar Engineered is the flagship model.
Read more about how the Volvo XC60 drives
What models and trims are available?
Quite a few, with some recent rejigging by Volvo increasing the number and complexity, somewhat. Standard equipment is extensive, high-tech and user-friendly across a wealth of trim levels. Narrowing down your choice to one is the tricky part, but that’s where we can help.
Entry point to the range is the well-specified Momentum, but from that point you can take either a luxury or sporty path. The former meanders via Inscription Expression and Inscription to Inscrption Pro (we said it was complex), while the latter ventures via R-Design and R-Design Pro to Polestar Engineered. You can also boost each of these trim levels with various option bundles that add specific extra kit to each model.
Whichever you go for, all XC60s come with the following equipment:
- Leather upholstery
- LED headlights
- Two-zone climate control
- Heated front seats
- An electric tailgate
- 9.0-inch Sensus touchscreen infotainment with sat-nav
- Volvo City Safety with Steer Assist
With so many engine and equipment options, there should be a version of the popular Volvo XC60 for anyone in the market for a premium SUV. It’s certainly proving a hit for those looking for an upscale off-roader that doesn’t wear one of the more obvious premium-market badges.
Dealwatch special
Our leasing partner, ZenAuto is offering the Volvo XC60 for £625 per month. The usual terms and conditions apply.
