Picture Gallery: 2010 Volvo XC60 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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Starting at $45,495, the XC60 is priced smack-dab where it should be as a base model car, but things do get a little silly when you option it out, like my tester is. The base specifications are impressive, especially the 3.0-litre, turbocharged, six-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission. This combo produces 281hp and 295ft-lbs of torque from 1,500 rpm.
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The 2010 Volvo XC60 is also the first vehicle to be offered with standard “City Safety,” a system that Volvo pioneered and is rolling out as a mainstream feature, starting with the XC60. In short, City Safety monitors vehicles ahead of you at low city speeds and applies the brakes if required for emergency stops; I’ll explain a little more later.
My tester is fully loaded, so forget the $45,000 starting price. Extras on my tester include: the $3,050 Luxury Package, which includes Volvo’s Four-C active chassis, adaptive headlights, park assist (front and rear) and rain sensing wipers. But of course it doesn’t end there. The Tech package, for $4,100, adds: a 12-speaker premium sound system, Blind Spot Indication System (BLIS), collision avoidance system, retractable mirrors, and personal car communication with keyless entry.
I should almost list what the car doesn’t have as it would be shorter, but to continue, the Convenience Package, for another $2,100, adds: power tailgate, auto leveling system, speed sensitive steering, grocery bag holder, sunglasses holder, an air quality system and homelink. A few extra tick boxes finish it off, adding 18-inch wheels ($500), wood inlays ($950), laminated panoramic roof ($1,800), Volvo navigation system ($2,500) and a rear parking camera ($1,100).
2010 Volvo XC60
MSRP as tested (including destination): $63,310
For more information on Volvo and the XC60 visit Volvo Canada
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One must remember that though my tester is loaded with options, a lot of the interior fit and finish details would be the same if they had the extra features or not, and the XC60 is quite impressive in this regard. Trunk finishings always seem to be a rather hot topic and the XC60 has one of the most exquisite trunks in the industry with a carpeted rear hatch the attention to detail is remarkable here.
Rear cargo space looks excellent for this class I was surprised when I first opened the rear tailgate. The rear seats fold perfectly flat and are easy enough to operate with a little latch atop each side, and the headrests flip down so there is no need to move the front seats forward before flopping the rear seats down. They also go down with the front seats all the way back which is very rare indeed.
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Fit and finish is near perfect everywhere and, of course, this includes the front as well. The floating centre console is angled towards the driver, making it ergonomically proper. Things get a little silly in the button department, though, as there are three enter buttons, two do the same thing (one on the steering wheel and one on the dash), controlling the phone and the radio. The third is for the navigation system, and is behind the steering wheel, in an odd location.
There are no navigation controls on the centre stack so you may think your passenger is out of luck until you pull out the remote control that is provided — a little odd. Without the remote, the driver has two buttons and a joystick on the back of the steering wheel to program the system.
I suppose you would get used to the number of buttons if you were to own one of these vehicles, but the XC60 has been the only vehicle in a very long time where I was at a loss on how to operate many of its functions, being that I was overwhelmed with knobs buttons and switches.
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What City Safety is supposed to do is stop the vehicle or reduce its speed just before low-speed impacts with stationary objects like cars. It does not work for people or animals; it needs to be a large object and it only works at speeds between four and 28km/h. When a sensor in the windshield detects a stopped or slow moving vehicle ahead, it applies the brakes to prevent you from slamming into the obstacle. I’m apparently not brave enough to test it, as it has never intervened while driving.
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The drive itself in the 2010 Volvo XC60 surpasses my expectations. The 3.0-litre I6 engine is extremely smooth and turbo lag is nil as power surges from 1,500 rpm to redline. With the all-wheel drive system, the transmission set into sport mode and shifting manually, the XC60 rockets up to 80km/h in a flash; it feels like 0-100km/h happens in under eight seconds, according to the butt dyno.
The Four-C active chassis controls body roll and allows the XC60 to handle not as well as a sports car, but comparable to many sedans. Also surprising to me is the lack of a “this vehicle will roll-over” sticker on the visor, suggesting the XC60’s wide stance provides it with excellent stability.
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These were only minor inconveniences: I only had to pull the remote out of my pocket re-lock the vehicle and unlock the vehicle each of the three times to get the central locking to function again.
On the gas mileage front, the T6 performed admirably for this class of vehicle, returning 12.1L/100km in mostly city driving, as I headed out to the airport a couple of times this week. The Volvo XC60 proved spacious, comfortable and luxurious; the base price is competitive but the options seem to inflate it to the point that many may look elsewhere. If you are interested, be sure to take a look at a base model XC60, as it may just have everything you want and/or need.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2010 Volvo XC60
MSRP as tested (including destination): $63,310
For more information on Volvo and the XC60 visit Volvo Canada
September 04, 2009, 10:16:27 am 5 car lengths is plenty...at a certain speed. At a higher speed it might be far too little. Travelling at 60 mph, it takes maybe 130 ft to stop, plus the time it takes to react to a situation and hit the breaks. If you travel 50 ft in that time, you need 180 ft to stop. So that might be 5 car lengths for a 1976 Pontiac Parisienne, but in anything else you'd pile into the car ahead.
A set distance is meaningless without considering speed.
September 04, 2009, 10:54:27 am Trust me, go test drive the XC60 you'll be annoyed, as you slow down for a red light and you approach the vehicle ahead of you a bright red light flashes in your face.
September 04, 2009, 11:01:16 am If one needs a flashing red light on the dash to notify the driver that he is appoaching another car well it is time for that driver to TAKE THE BUS! and do the rest of us a favour.
September 04, 2009, 11:04:34 am Flashing lights would be a distraction and could actually cause an accident. Can they be turned off say when in city traffic and then used on the highway? That makes more sense to me if so.
September 04, 2009, 11:05:32 am yes there is a button to turn the system off.
September 04, 2009, 11:55:16 am
I agree, it should only warn you when you're getting too close to another car when driving over 60kph or something.
September 04, 2009, 11:57:53 am I disagree, why do I need a light, the car is right there in front of me! Perhaps I pay too much attention?
I think it is good if there is a sudden speed differential that you may not notice but at the same speed?
September 04, 2009, 12:42:41 pm I can see where wing is coming from. The "you're following too closely" light is really quite over-cautious. It should be speed and acceleration-dependent, and maybe activate only when the driver is consistently following too close or the car calculates a collision to be fairly probable. Like wing said: coming to a traffic light and stopping behind another vehicle will cause it to light up. And I don't think anyone argues that one should stop 5 car lengths behind the car in front for the sake of safety. The first thing my dad asked was "how do you turn it off"? CitySafety was neat (the dealer demonstrated it with an inflatable object) but ultimately wouldn't be something I'd spring that much money for.
When we were shopping for my dad, we loved the XC60 but for two things--fuel economy and price. While the T6 engine Volvo's used was fantastic on the test drive, we couldn't see using or needing its capabilities enough to justify the rather high fuel consumption numbers. I'll be interested to see what wing's numbers are. I think Volvo should've brought a more fuel efficient powerplant first rather than sway people away with the fuel economy numbers (I'd love for them to have brought the diesel--would've made a good media splash too).
Second was the price. Sure, it starts at a tuck under $45K, but bring it up to a respectable specification and you're looking at at $55K. I'd take an X3 (which gets better fuel economy!) before that.
But yeah--loved the design, the seats, the functionality, and the interior (though, wing, do your front passengers sometimes find the metallic strip at the top of the center stack is ill positioned when it comes to glare from the sun?).
Went with an A4 Avant in the end. Dad finally decided it was time to give up the high seating position.
September 04, 2009, 01:13:08 pm Your Dad is a very smart man.
September 04, 2009, 03:17:42 pm
I think it is good if there is a sudden speed differential that you may not notice but at the same speed?
But with this system, you won't be bumper-humping the other car, which means sudden speed differential won't ever be a problem.
If well-calibrated (i.e. only activated when going faster than 50kph), but I like this system. Nothing wrong with passive safety.
Besides, based on the number of people I see every day driving way too close to the car in front of them, I think this system could benefit a LOT of people...
September 04, 2009, 11:11:28 pm Maybe that those who need this annoying ang distracting system to drive safely should not be driving. There is a limit to be taken by the hand.
September 05, 2009, 09:23:11 pm Some where once upon a time not too long ago I thought I read a review that this puppy uses regular fuel. Now I have checked both US and CDN websites and they make no mention of the type of fuel required.
Wing - what does the manual say - or the gas cap? Yesterday I aw one in that exact colour too - nice.
September 05, 2009, 09:29:44 pm I'll let you know when I head to the pumps ... probably Monday!
September 06, 2009, 03:31:05 pm
Not a chance. We need every single electronic nanny that can possibly be installed in a vehicle; then we can get rid of all those annoying driving tasks and focus on the important stuff like texting, eating, and websurfing.
September 07, 2009, 07:46:52 am "then we can get rid of all those annoying driving tasks and focus on the important stuff like texting, eating, and websurfing."
And put them on public trtansportation where they belong.
September 07, 2009, 11:23:32 am This vehicle is wayyyy overpriced for something that was designed by FORD under the name of Volvo and that shares so much parts and underpinnings with other ford cars.
I never really understood volvo...what are they charging for?? they think they're a premium brand worthy of mention alongside bmw and mercedes benz...lol
September 07, 2009, 12:30:23 pm
What a well informed posting - not. Just because Volvo Cars are part of Ford Motor Company does not mean their cars are designed by FORD. I suppose you feel the same way about Toyota, Honda and Nissan and their luxury brands, too.
September 08, 2009, 11:15:52 am Hmmm this XC60 loaded out is almost the exact price of a completely loaded A6 Avant (Special edition, sport package, S-line). Put in this context the Volvo pricing seems ridiculous.
On a side note I think I have found the car to replace my VR (see above).
September 08, 2009, 11:21:07 am
How's your gas?
September 08, 2009, 11:42:37 am I'll fill her up at 2 today, sorry forgot about the Holiday!!
September 08, 2009, 12:23:31 pm I am betting that the premium "requirement" is buried deep within the owners manual. The published engine numbers are attained using a higher octane fuel and if the owner wants to access the published power then he has to pay for it. Regular fuel CAN be used but the engine will not make the published numbers.
Premium is probably reccomended but not required. If it were my car I would man up and pay for the premium. The engine can retard the timing to compensate for the lower grade of fuel but just because you can doesn't mean you should.
September 08, 2009, 12:41:27 pm I agree with Wing that the following too closely system is useless - at least in this version of it.
I thought driving was a priviledge - not a right. If you need this thing to judge distance I have 2 questions for you: Why are you still driving? AND What did you do before this system?!
September 08, 2009, 05:45:53 pm Regular!
September 08, 2009, 09:42:09 pm Yes.
Three times it was mentioned in fact, however in looking at the Q5 and the GLK that were also tested with it - all of them are more than 4100 pounds. Yikes.
September 09, 2009, 01:25:12 am Nearly 12,000 Volvo S80, XC60, and XC70 models recalled over stall concerns
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/nearly-12-000-2008-2010-volvo-s80-xc60-and-xc70-models-recalle/
A software glitch is responsible for 11,993 Volvo models being recalled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The campaign includes model year 2008-2010 S80 models, 2010 S60 models, 2009-2010 XC70 models, and the 2010 XC60, all running faulty software in their central electronic modules (CEM). According to NHTSA, the signal from the CEM may fail to reach the fuel pump electronic module (PEM), inhibiting the fuel from reaching the engine even as the vehicle's throttle is depressed.
Normally, this would just result in an engine that fails to start. However, residual pressure in the system may allow the vehicles in question to drive a short distance before the engine quits... and if the vehicle stalls in certain conditions, a crash could occur. Affected owners are asked to contact NHTSA (888-327-4236 ) or Volvo (800-458-1552), to see if their vehicle requires a free software update to remedy the problem. Full press release after the jump.
That's great.