Motoring

BEST LAID PLANS SUE COOKE DRIVES VOLVO’S NEW XC60 HYBRID, AN SUV THAT DELIVERS CLEANER, GREENER MOTORING WITH SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AND LUXURY

Agood friend of mine is a planner to the utmost. He will always have a plan B and even a plan C just in case plan A goes awry. For him, driving a car powered by a hybrid system is reassurance that if the plan A electric battery runs out, then there is always plan B automatic switch to petrol or diesel. Volvo considers that hybrids are the part-time electric cars that will encourage confidence in and changes in people’s driving behaviour for a transition towards fully electric cars. The Volvo XC60 has a plug-in hybrid model with a powerful petrol engine and a battery powered electric motor. This delivers a virtually silent, zero emission city car, an astonishingly fast performance car or a reassuring allwheel drive car, all at the touch of a button. While emitting less CO 2 emissions so you pay less road tax, this medium-sized SUV has so many other benefits which I discovered during my week of road testing.

CHARITY RUN

Having spent lockdown clearing out my wardrobe, I took unwanted clothes to a charity warehouse in Shenstone. A lady came over to the car to give me some instructions and did a double take as she said: “Wow, I love the interior of your car. It is beautiful.” I received comments like that all week, but I was driving the top of the range trim – Inscription Pro. The power operated tailgate closed at the touch of a button as I unloaded black bags from the boot which will hold 483 litres and walked across the road to donate.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Model: Volvo XC60 Inscription Pro Automatic Price: £60,855 otr Engine: Hybrid T8 Twin Engine AWD Performance: 0-62 in 5.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 140mph, capped to 112mp

CO 2 emissions:

47 g/km

Combined fuel consumption:

94.2-122.8 mpg WLTP. All electric range 27.3 to 33.6 miles

There is a beautiful crystal gear lever which operates the automatic transmission with a light touch, forward or reverse. The powered glass tilt and slide panoramic sunroof provides an almost convertible-like driving mode as it stretches the length of the car but has a ‘sun curtain’ if required. I felt as if I was sitting on a cushion of air as the nappa soft leather seats have front seat cushion extensions. There is a front seat backrest massage option and plenty of space for long legs and many useful storage spaces. Keyless start meant I could keep the keys in my pocket, too.

In a week of hot sunshine, the B pillar ventilation was of more use than the heated seats. A technology which I always find useful is the head-up display which provides information on the speed of the road, the speed the car is achieving and any sat-nav instructions.

SOUND CHOICE

There is an option for a Bowers and Wilkins audio system with 14 speakers, a fresh air subwoofer and surround sound and voice activation which allows me to change the radio station, input an address in the sat-nav and even alter the cabin temperature – all without moving my hands from the steering wheel or my eyes from the road.

The XC60 has a theoretical top speed of 140mph but Volvo has announced that from 2020, all new cars are limited to 112mph. A ‘care key’ allows further speed restrictions if needed.

Whether taking a refined city drive or an exhilarating adventure there is little need for plans B or C when the very intuitive Volvo XC60 is in charge. It says it all when the company announces that by the end of 2020 its vision is that nobody shall be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo. ■

SHOWROOM

Paul Rigby-Volvo Cars Birmingham, Chester Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B24 0QY. Tel: 0121 382 1222 www.paulrigbygroup.co.uk