Motoring

Volvo XC60

A brand renowned for safe, steady vehicles ups the ante to compete with performance cars. Bob Hickman is intrigued

The name Volvo has always been synonymous with vehicles that are steady, secure, and safe, but the company has now entered the established premium car brand market place dominated by the German manufacturers.

The XC60 looks large from the outside, and the looks do not belie the interior space – it is absolutely cavernous. As a six-footer I relaxed in the rear seats with more leg room than in business class on an aeroplane. From this position, a switch caught my eye: this allowed me to adjust my own personal air conditioning via the central pillar and I was also able to switch on the rear seat heaters, so I was cocooned in luxury with ample head, shoulder and leg room. Three adults could comfortably be carried in the rear.

The cabin is a delight of design – the amount of leather is incredible – and the driving perspective and driver’s seat are superb. It was a really able companion on a lengthy motorway journey, not least because pressing a button within the seat provided me with a massage.

The 9in touchscreen where the abundance of individual controls are accessed is in easy reach. The centre console has a button to allow a choice of driving modes, including pure hybrid, around town, and four-wheel drive. Another pleasing feature was the ability to store the battery energy created by the

engine, so when you near the end of your journey you can use battery-only mode around town. The engine is a four-cylinder petrol of 1969cc, giving a healthy output of 303bhp – and when you ally this to the additional electric motor fitted another 87bhp is added, making for a phenomenally powerful vehicle. Considering the car’s weight and bulk, 0 to 60 in a mere 5.2 seconds is incredible and a top speed in the region of 112mph is claimed. The allimportant CO2 emissions are given as 64-56g/km. The WLTP combined fuel economy figure is quoted as 100.9 to 113mpg; with A delight of leathery design petrol alone a vehicle of this size would be lucky to achieve 40mpg. The satellite navigation is accessible and easy to operate, while added features included a rear parking camera – highly useful for a vehicle of this size, allowing you to park in the smallest of gaps. The XC60 T8 AWD Inscription Pro is priced at £58,850, but the extra equipment Volvo adds takes the on-the-road price to £64,950 – placing it in directing competition with Audi, BMW and Mercedes. It will be interesting to see if Volvo’s venture into this premium marketplace is a successful one.

Bob is a devoted car and motorcycle fan. After “Pressing a 30-year career as a a button within police motorcycle patrol officer and latterly as a sergeant, patrolling the the seat motorways of the Midlands, provided me with a retirement beckoned and he embarked on writing about his love of transport. massage” Bob is a member of the Guild of Motor Writers and the Midland Guild of Motor Writers. In his spare time he rides a Royal Enfield Continental GT motorcycle and drives a 1994 MG RV8. Such a large car gives a superb driving position