![]() I discovered this when Volvo let me try an XC60 fitted with one of those low-grip training systems (an extra set of computer-controlled castors that raises the car up and reduces the amount of grip the tires have). Of course, absent driving on a frozen lake, XC60 drivers are unlikely to try that out. In fact, if you can find a surface with low enough grip, it will drift quite happily as long as you turn off traction and stability control. As with the XC90 T8, the XC60 does not encourage you to speed-even though 0 to 60mph takes 4.6 seconds-but it does feel a little more engaging to drive. But even if the XC60 T8 can rival a Porsche Macan Turbo when it comes to power output-both have 400hp, remember-this is still a Volvo and not a Porsche. Volvo says that, compared to the 90 series cars, the XC60 (and the other 60 series vehicles that are coming) feature a more aggressive driving feel. That adds up to a nice, even $5,000, which is a lot, but it's also the same amount that Tesla will ask you for if you want enhanced autopilot on a Model 3, which everyone seems to accept as a good deal (and, in this case, you get a few things that Tesla won't have, like a heads-up display). Another $1,900 gets you 360-degree parking cameras, a graphical heads-up display, and active matrix LED headlights in the Advanced package. (Lane keep assist is actually standard equipment on all XC60s, though.)īlind-spot monitors, cross-traffic alerts, and parking assists come with the Vision package ($1,100). For example, you need to pay for the $2,000 Convenience package to get Pilot Assist II, the semi-autonomous combination of adaptive cruise control and lane keeping. But some of the ADAS features are locked up in options packages. Regardless of spec, all XC60s come with Volvo's rather great Sensus infotainment system and a suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) under the name City Safety, which includes low- and high-speed collision warning/emergency braking and pedestrian, cyclist, and large animal detection. ![]() This means the mass is contained relatively low down and within the wheelbase, which is good for polar moments of inertia and the advantage of architecture that was designed with electrification in mind, compared to plug-in hybrid SUVs like the BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne where the batteries had to be fitted underneath the cargo area. Power to the rear wheels is via an 87hp (65kW) electric motor, fed by a 10.4kWh lithium-ion battery.Īs with the XC90 PHEV, the XC60 positions its battery pack along the centerline of the car. There's still a super- and turbocharged 2.0L engine up front, which provides 313hp, but that is only sent to the front wheels. The range-topping T8-$52,900-is a plug-in hybrid. Both of these send that power to all four wheels via an eight-speed gearbox. In the T5 (which starts at $41,500), it's a 250hp turbocharged engine, while the $44,900 T6 gets a turbocharger and a supercharger, good for 316hp. Here in the US, we get a choice of three different powertrains in the XC60, each of which uses a version of the same 2.0L forced-induction, four-cylinder gasoline engine. Under the skin is the same mix of high-strength steels, including an extensive use of boron steel in the passenger cell. Its SPA bone structure lays out a shape about 10 inches shorter than the bigger Volvo SUV, and it's slightly narrower and shorter, yet the proportions look-if anything-more elegant. There's no denying the XC60 is a handsome-looking thing. All are fine vehicles, but with the XC60, the stakes are higher-it's far and away the company's best-selling model. The first SPA vehicles were all big ones: the XC90, a three-row SUV that arrived in 2014 then more recently the S90 sedan and V90 station wagons. It came up with what it calls the Scalable Product Architecture, a highly flexible starting base for all of its medium and large vehicles. Freed from American corporate micromanagement, new owner Geely took a hands-off approach, giving Volvo the resources it needed to develop all-new engines and vehicle architectures. The new era started when Ford sold Volvo in 2010. This corner of the market is now all about the swanky SUV, and the 2018 XC60-tested here in its 400hp T8 plug-in hybrid version-makes a strong case that Sweden is leading the pack. Flush with funds and a supportive owner, its products over the past few years have proven you don't need to look to Germany to see a luxury car maker at the top of its game. ![]() ![]() The renaissance at Volvo is in full swing.
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