Car review: Volvo XC60 D5 Inscription Pro auto

State-of-the-art XC60 set to steal the limelight, says Mike Stone
Revamped: Volvo’s XC60 will keep fans of the Swedish brand happy
Mike Stone25 July 2017

Volvo’s medium-sized SUV, the XC60, seems to have been around for eons — nearly a decade — and has been Volvo’s best-seller in the UK.

But models such as the V90 and S90, with the latest Scalable Platform Architecture underpinnings, have been stealing the limelight, so the XC60 has been revamped.

Its lines are a bit more taut, frontal styling includes “Thor’s hammer”- type headlamps and the extremely well-made cabin has been sharpened up. It is also the smallest Volvo so far to get the new Spa platform and shares many components with its big brother, the XC90.

Of all the two-litre, four-cylinder engines coming to the UK market, the 190bhp D4 diesel will probably be the biggest seller but there is also 235bhp D5 and a 254bhp T5 petrol unit. The 320bhp T6 won’t be coming, but the 407bhp T8 Twin Engine hybrid will follow.

Volvo has improved the semiautonomous Pilot Assist system, although its steering inputs can feel intrusive. As always with Volvo, safety systems are thorough.

IntelliSafe Assist helps maintain your speed and keep your distance from other traffic, while IntelliSafe Surround combines the latest radar and camera technology to give you a 360-degree view around the car.

The system aims to give the driver an extra pair of eyes, and includes Blind Spot Information with Steer Assist, Rear Collision Warning and Cross Traffic Alert, all potential life-savers.

One of Volvo’s great talents is to produce a calm cabin atmosphere. Well considered pale, matt wood, brushed aluminium, pale leather and piano black detailing creates a soothing ambience and assists the company’s ambitious safety targets.

With the D5 engine the XC60 didn’t feel particularly engaging on the road, despite Volvo’s best efforts. The steering felt a bit dead and the car’s ruthless efficiency was at the cost of its personality. A brief run in a T6-engine car proved much better, but that model isn’t coming here.

Priced from £37,205 to £57,950 for the T8, it should keep the Swedish brand’s fans happy for years to come.

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