2010 Volvo XC60

Review

Swooping into “the zone” with a new crossover luxury SUV, Swedish Automaker Volvo introduces its new XC60, designed to round out the market.

Not content with their XC90 being the only offering into the SUV market, the automaker has designed a smaller brother to that car to debut in 2010: the XC60, which is a luxury crossover SUV that boasts a long line of safety features and options available in just two trim levels.

Struggling financially as a company, the introduction of the XC60 is a bold move for Swedish automaker Volvo. Bold, but effective in creating a solid, workable machine that does well enough to score a leading 3 out of 7 in Luxury Compact SUVs according to U.S. News Rankings & Reviews.

Performance

Road tests of the XC60 in auto reviews find a capable and nimble vehicle with only “OK” acceleration, but decent top speed and handling ability. Not much of a corner-taker, with body roll doing little to inspire confidence, the XC60 can handle highway and street performance with the best of them.

The 2010 Volvo XC60 comes available with two trim levels: the base 3.2 model has a 3.2-liter inline-6 engine that has 235 hp in a standard front-wheel drive while the T6 model is an all-wheel drive model that has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 that can generate 281 hp. The turbocharged model can get from zero to sixty in just over seven seconds which is pretty good for this class of vehicle compared to the competition. Fuel economy is 18/27 with 21 combined which is also fairly impressive when compared to its competition-mates.

Exterior Features

In photos, the XC60 is an adequate-looking SUV from the outside. Foglamps are standard even on the base model along with 17-inch alloy wheels to support a car that has a distinctly “Volvoesque” look about it. The rear of this SUV is particularly, telling, however, with uniquely curving lights and an optional roof spoiler that does nothing for performance, but adds an uncharacteristic edge to a Volvo.

Interior Features

Inside a power driver seat that has basic memory functions, cruise control, Bluetooth and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls for the eight-speaker CD/MP3 stereo system are standard features along with Volvo’s City Safety system which can help prevent low-speed collisions by applying the vehicle brakes.

The upgraded T6 model comes with privacy glass, leather upholstery and a power seat for the passenger as well. The interior of the Volvo XC60 is well-done and refined overall, even for the base model without options on the T6 model. You can upgrade the interior to a beautiful two-tone upholstery that uses real-wood trim. The nicely designed 40/20/40-split rear seat can be dropped and folded down in order to add more cargo space, giving a maxim available 67 cubic feet which is more than what you can expect to find in the competition.

Safety & Specifications

Though the government has not yet released crash test safety ratings for the Volvo XC60, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has and rates the SUV “Good” which is no surprise considering the wide range of safety features available on this SUV including antilock brakes with brake assist, rollover-sensing stability control, side curtain airbags, front-seat side airbags, and whiplash-reducing front seats as standard features along with the aforementioned City Safety system. Optional safety features include a driver alert system, heartbeat monitor for detecting intruders, a lane departure warning system and a collision warning/braking system. This may mean cheap car insurance for consumers, although this varies depending on each insurer.

Upgrade Options

Though the base model XC60s are quite nice on their own, Volvo could not let this all around SUV go without offering some upgrades and amenities which allow buyers to customize their Volvo experience. A Premium package for the base 3.2 model gives all of the basic T6 amenities for a price. Beyond that there is the 12=speaker surround-sound audio system and navigation system that can be added with a Multimedia package. A Climate package gives heated front and rear seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, headlamp washers and rain-sensing wipers. The Technology package adds a driver attention alert system, adaptive cruise control and a lane-departure warning system as well.

adaptive xenon headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless ignition/entry a panoramic sunroof and a dual-screen rear entertainment system are all additional options that may be added to the Volvo XC60 separately from any of the packages.

How the 2010 XC60 Compares to Other Luxury Compact SUVs

When it comes to car pricing, the XC60 tends to do better than its rivals which includes the BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Acura RDX, Audi Q5, Infinity X35, and Mercedes-Benz GLK350. Performance and handling are all on par with these others, however, but care safety goes a long way above and beyond the call of duty.

Conclusion: Is the 2010 XC60 a Smart Buy?

The New Vehicle Limited Warranty for Volvo vehicles in the U.S. is 4 years/50,000 miles which isn’t too bad considering that many automakers are now offering a subpar 3 years/36,000 miles. The Volvo XC60 is a great start into the compact luxury SUV market. One can only hope that Volvo continues the trend into 2011.