2007 Volvo XC60 Review

Specifications

Volvo Prepares for Premium Compact SUV Segment With XC60

It hasnt caught on across the board yet, but the wholesale downsizing of premium sport utilities is just around the corner. Weve started to see evidence of this with Acuras turbocharged RDX and the segments pioneer, the BMW X3, but its going to get a lot more crowded over the next couple of years. Almost every premium automaker is going to put their best efforts into this profitable segment as consumers move out of their larger, thirstier utility vehicles into more efficient and dynamic products, while still delivering the look, the height and the luxury of traditional premium SUVs and crossovers. Industry analysts expect that over the next two years the segment will grow by 75-percent to 443,000 units. And Volvos going to be there, right alongside the best in the business with a vehicle thats being previewed at this years North American International Auto Show as the XC60 Concept.

Right away, the XC60 is going to have people talking, simply because its the first big leap forward for Volvo in visual appearances since the days of the S80. Theres a good reason for this though; it doesnt look anything like the XC90, or Volvos latest stuff because it wasnt designed by the same team. Certainly many of the same designers are part of Volvos various studios, but the XC60 is the product of Steve Mattin, Volvos new head of design who took over the reigns from Peter Horbury, whos since gone on to add some Bold (styling) Moves to Fords American products.

Though Volvo doesnt exactly have an image problem, the XC60 is the first of a new wave of vehicles designed to further strengthen the brands identity. Theres a lot going on between the two oldest cues on the car - the Volvo iron logo up front and the spread out Volvo text in the rear. The grille, for instance, isnt the typical Volvo rectangle, but rather its gained height and has two extra sides, plus a pair of nostrils that flank to the left and right. The headlamps are pulled back, rather than being set front and flush with the nose. Though theres a certain degree of prominence to the XC60s front end, the grille is no longer the leading edge of the car; its the sculpted front bumper. Its Volvo as we know it, yet, somehow it isnt.

Curviness is something thats blessed Volvo over the past couple of years, yet for Mattin the current crop of cars and crossover just arent shapely enough. The XC60 is even more rounded, more flowing and sportier than any vehicle Volvos ever done before. The Swedish brands trademark in body design has been symbolized by strong shoulders and a coke-bottle-like profile, for its sedans, but the XC60 brings an angular window line that divides the car into its upper and lower parts. Above the line, the windows progressively narrow, yielding an almost coupe-like shape. Below the belt, the XC60 explores the effects of light on curved metal with concave door panels that look as if the cars flexing its abs. Theres the slightest hint that the new concept has off-roading potential with its glistening skid plate mounted low on the bumper, but it has neither the ground clearance nor the running gear.

When Volvo decided to put the one-piece glass tailgate into the C30, rather than a traditional hatchback, it was onto something. Theyve now taken that idea and advanced it one step further. Its a three-piece unit, composed of both metal and glass; the upper glass half swings up for loading in smaller items while the unit as a whole can also be opened and shut like a traditional tailgate, as seen on many SUVs and wagons. The neat bit, mind you, is that the lower metal section can be swung up and over the upper half, creating a slot so that small objects can be slid underneath. The tailgate has a couple of additional secrets too, the first being that the lower section features glass inserts allowing the driver better rearward visibility. As with the C30, the rear taillights wrap themselves around the tailgates outline.

Besides the door handles, which look as if they belong on the inside of the vehicle, theres nothing special about getting in or out of the XC60, thanks to conventional doors and hinges. But you couldnt say that about the cabin once inside. As the years pass, Volvo has constantly evolved what it refers to as Scandinavian luxury. Its about interior architecture thats as cool as ice, yet warm and comforting to be in. The airy ambience of the XC60s cabin is delivered by natural light that enters from above, and the light and dark contrasting colors for the fixtures and seats. The formed, “floating” seats are trimmed in white leather, with their lower accent pieces being upholstered in espresso brown leather. If youre wondering what the vertical indentations on the seats do, theyre Volvos “ponytail slots” that first appeared on the YCC concept car back in 2003.

Moving around the cabin, Volvo has once again gone back to the drawing
board. The major contribution to interior design on the whole - the floating center console - is featured here, but not like weve seen it previously. Its asymmetrical in design, forming to the dashboards contours and made from white glossy plastic, which makes it look like a gigantic iPod. Finished with a chromed surround, four knobs and a biometric HVAC control, it doesnt look like much… until the car is turned on. The snow white console dims, with the buttons and functions projected from the rear of the display in bright aqua; they are touch sensitive. The door mounted controls and interior ambient lighting are also done in a similar manner. Also incorporated into the console is the on-board computer display that shows the vehicle information system as well as the navigation. Theres also no gearshift lever, so to speak, but rather its been done away with in favor of electronic connections like BMWs latest X5. Operation of the automatic transmission works by sliding a stubby handle back and forth, like a DJs mixer.

The purpose of the XC60 Concept was showing off the future of Volvo design, rather than technical expertise. But aside from featuring Volvos City Safety traffic warning system, which uses forward looking radar to keep an eye out on the road ahead of the driver, warning and automatically prepping the brakes if an accident seems imminent, nothing has been revealed about whats under the skin. From what we know, the production XC60 will be based off of Fords Global EU-CD platform, which will serve as the basis for a wide variety of products, ranging from the Land Rover LR2, the European Ford Mondeo III and S-Max/Galaxy minivans, to Volvos own S80, and the next-generation S60 and V70. Power is most likely to come from the new 3.2-liter inline six, although the Yamaha-designed 4.4-liter V8 isnt out of the question.

Volvo has a lot of yet-to-be-seen competition for the XC60 in the form of the upcoming Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, plus the Saab 9-4, not to mention the existing BMW X3 and Acura RDX. Whats more, Volvo is going to have to fight for sales within the Ford group itself. After all, Mazdas affordable but speedy CX-7 and Land Rovers brand new LR2 are prime competitors for the baby Volvo SUV. Nevertheless, the Swedish brand has shown that its more than capable of carving out a niche in a given segment, and with the XC60 looks to do it with cutting edge style, sophisticated technologies and safety. Expect to see the production version of this vehicle by 2009, ready for the new generation of premium compact sport utility vehicles, and those young families ready to move up and out of their C30s, S40s and V50s.

Oh, and the good news? Well, I suppose the news may be good or bad depending on whether you love or hate the XC60 Concepts design direction, and no doubt there will be polarized opinions. Either way, 98-percent of what you see here will make it to production, according to Volvo. Say, whats that noise I hear? Oh yes, I think I can hear the fingers of Volvos disenfranchised conservative crowd, the ones still realing from the introduction of the S80, frantically typing away letters of disgust. The rest of us continue to have new reasons to consider buying a Volvo.