Volvo XC60 T5: The Review
A Wheel Thing is wrapping up a month of Volvo with the XC60 T5; the upper mid sizer is a great way to travel, comfortable and roomy and a fantastic long distance traveller.
Powersource.
It’s the now familiar 2.0L turbo petrol engine, with that 350Nm of torque from 1500 to 4500 revs. Performance is slightly dulled in the XC60 thanks to the 1766 kg dry weight (then add fuel, passengers and cargo) but never to the point of feeling lacklustre.
The torque is pushed out via the front wheels through a eight speed auto, geared to take advantage of that torque. Acceleration is rapid, as a result, surprisingly so for the bulk, at just a tick over seven seconds. Economy will vary, naturally, on driving style and location, however in one week it rounded out as close as dammit to 8.0L per 100 kilometres covered from the 70 litre tank. This was, admittedly, helped by a good length country drive to Kiama, on the NSW coast just 90 minutes south of Sydney.
The Suit.
She’s a good size, slotting nicely into the upper mid size bracket, alongside competitors such as the Hyundai Santa fe, Kia’s Sorento or Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. It sits high but not so that a five year can’t get in easily. It’s a pleasing mix of curves, both subtle and overt, especially along the rear haunches.
Sitting on a 2774 mm wheelbase, with a length of 4628 mm, there was plenty of sheetmetal to work with and throughout its design life the XC60 (first released in 2008), it’s been a bluff, upright yet handsome beast to look at.
In profile it’s a wedge shape, perhaps a touch heavy in the rear quarter, with a leaned forward tailgate, whilst seen directly from the rear, it’s a mostly squared off look, softened by the inwards tapering tail lights. The front is standard Volvo family fare and rolling stock were 18 inch alloys, clad in 235/60 Continental tyres.
On The Inside.
It’s little different to look at, dash wise, to the other members in the Volvo family with the three colour choice display, key slot (proper keyless start here however), a mix of black and off white plastics, a brushed alloy look to the steering wheel spokes, B pillar mounted air vents for the rear seat passengers plus built in child seat boosters.
The rear gate is power operated, using the key fob or buttons inside; it’s simple and effective access to the cargo area, which has a false floor, offering extra cargo space if needed.
The front seats are, naturally, power operated, with the driver getting a choice of three memory settings. Again, it’s a cozy, comfortable workspace, with room enough thanks to the total width of 1891 mm and height of 1715 mm.
A downlight is the offering of shifter paddles, a totally needless addition.
On The Road.
Sure, it’s close to 2000 kegs when loaded up, but that torque and gearbox work so well together it’s not really noticeable. Most of the mass is low down, so a hard turn sees the centre of gravity effect kept to a minimum. Even the brakes have no issues in hauling down the XC60, with a smooth and well modulated pedal feel adding to the overall luxury ambiance.
The high style is backed up by the high sidewalls offering up a compliant and plush ride, doing a great job to balance out road imperfections and handling. It’s a front driver, the T5 yet torque steer was minimal and understeer was only noticeable when ferociously pushed into a turn. The steering was well weighted, with enough pull and push feel to have a driver not wish for more or less.
The Wrap.
It’s been a great five weeks with Volvo, with one more to come soon; the XC60 is a great way to wrap up the month. There is no doubt that the Volvo XC60 T5 offers family friendly luxury at a good price, it’s both roomy and fuel efficient enough and with plenty of driving dynamics to please a driver with sporty pretensions. Head here: http://www.volvocars.com/au/all-cars/volvo-xc60/pages/default.aspx for XC60 details.
Anne De Silva says:
Please inform about your better deals on SUV’s cars etc etc
March 27th, 2015 at 3:05 pm