I give Volvo credit for evolving its styling over the last few years to today’s nice lines and, dare I say it, an appealing design identity. The XC60 looks slick inside and out, especially inside. This is a fantastic interior, in both its design and execution. The flat-finished wood trim on the floating center console is a nice touch, and I say that as someone who generally despises wood trim in modern vehicles. But with the dark cocoa color scheme, it provides a nice contrast here. Again, the execution is fantastic.

The price is high, but I think this vehicle provides a perception of luxury and quality to justify it to those who are into such things, and that’s a rarity with most similar utes that usually fail in their efforts to impress enough to excuse the price. I give Volvo credit for this as well.

On top of all that, the XC60 is a fine driver with the right amount of power and well-composed handling and road manners. Like its C30 stablemate, however, this vehicle’s design suggests that it is sportier than its actual dynamics reveal. I don’t mean to suggest there is anything wrong with its performance, but it is not going to knock your socks off if you get into it expecting an adrenaline rush.

I only drove it for one night and did not put many miles on it, so I too was baffled by the blank nav screen. I couldn’t figure out how to turn it on without consulting the manual. But it’s silly to complain about that since an owner will certainly get the full rundown on all the bells and whistles.

Read The full review on AutoWeek.

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Highlights from a 2010 Volvo XC60 review coming from Auto Scraze:
First up, Volvo has always made major emphasis on safety features. That is why in practically every Volvo car; you will find features like safety cages, three-point seatbelts, and even child door locks. In the 2010 Volvo XC60, much has not changed in respect to safety. Volvo has taken major advantage of electronics to give you high-tech safety solutions – there is distance alert system, and also City Safety – which means that the brakes are automatically put on if a low-speed collision seems likely.
The car is great to drive on city streets, because the maneuvers are pretty darn easy. There is a fantastic blind spot warning system available – which turns on a warning light if another car happens to be in the XC60’s blind spot on either side. This is really beneficial when it comes to city and freeway traffic. City Safety, as mentioned before, is the signature feature of the XC60.
There is a lane departure warning system – which works pretty well on this car. If you let the car drift over a lane line, or change lanes without signaling appropriately, the system warns you with a continuous beeping sound. You should definitely try out the adaptive cruise control – which is another feature of the Technology package. This feature uses forward-facing radar to detect vehicles in the lane ahead, and then reduces the speed of the XC60 to match the other vehicles’ speed.

Automobile · Autos · City Safety · Makes and Models · Recreation · Seat belt · Volvo · VolvoXc60

Drivers of used Volvo cars may be interested to note that the manufacturer enjoyed particular success in February, with registrations more than 90 per cent up compared with the same month in 2009.

With 1,378 registrations and a market share of 2.01 per cent, Volvo has also seen heightened performance of all models across the range, particularly the XC90 seven-seat SUV, S80 executive saloon and XC60 crossover.

The XC90 hit the top spot in February, with registrations increasing more than threefold compared with the previous year’s figures, while Volvo XC60 crossover registrations were up by 115 per cent.

Source: Carmony

Automobile · Insurance Institute for Highway Safety · Makes and Models · Sport utility vehicle · Volvo · Volvo S80 · Volvo XC60 · Volvo XC90

With 1,378 registrations and a 2.01 per cent market share, Volvo Car UK has experienced a very successful February 2010 and the good news doesn’t stop there. All models in the Volvo range have performed significantly above last year’s February results particularly the Volvo XC90 seven-seat SUV, S80 executive saloon and award-winning XC60 crossover.

Volvo XC60 crossover
With the help of the DRIVe engine, the award-winning Volvo XC60′s February registrations were up 115 per cent over the same period last year – ahead of the Audi Q5 year-to-date.

Read the rest of the story on The Auto Channel

Audi Q5 · Makes and Models · Recreation · Sport utility vehicle · Volvo · Volvo S80 · Volvo XC90 · VolvoXc60

On paper the XC60 looks like just what the yuppie doctor ordered. The XC60 boasts a Grand Cherokee and LR2 besting 9.1 inches of ground clearance, the same AWD system as the LR2 (which it should be noted was originally borrowed from Volvo’s S80 to begin with), sexy curves and some rugged looking plastic on the front and rear overhang. At 4174lbs, the XC60 is no lightweight but does somehow manage to be slimmer than both the LR2 and the Grand Cherokee.

Inside the XC60 is modern Volvo all the way. The only low point in this otherwise well designed cabin is the Nav system. Volvo used to be known for their trick pop-up nav system, and the coolness factor of the pop-up was a welcome distraction from the basic design of the system. Instead of this arrangement used in all other Volvo models, the Swedish design team crafted an Audi like pod for the nav screen in the center console and moved the screen for the radio up to a strange binnacle on the dash. There are two problems with this: First, the radio controls are way too far from the radio’s screen, and secondly the nav screen looks ill fitted and far too small for the hole they gave it in the dash. Adding insult to injury is the fact that should you not opt for the $1,800 nav system you get a bizarre cubby where the screen should go that tells all your passengers you were too cheap to splurge for the nav. I have been told to expect the new 2011 S60’s totally revamped Nav and audio package in the 2011 XC60, let’s hope so; it can’t get here fast enough.

Unlike a “true” SUV, the Haldex system operates using a locked center differential (to be honest there is no center diff at all, the transmission has the front and rear power outputs permanently locked), between the rear diff and the transmission lays a Haldex clutch pack that infinitely varies the connection between the transmission and the rear wheels. Power transfer takes less than 1/7th of a tyre rotation should a slip be detected, and the system can vary the clutch pack on its own whenever it feels like it. The system operates as advertised and strikingly well on sand, several inches of mud, steep ruts, a few inches of snow and moderate off-roading. As with many crossover AWD systems, when the going gets icy, the lack of a locking center differential becomes readily apparent. When climbing a steep driveway with an inch of slippery ice coating it, the XC60 spent much of its time spinning the front wheels, it was only when the traction control was disabled that the car shifted power to the rear and made it up the drive. That being said, I clocked over 26 hours on unpaved backcountry roads in the XC60 and didn’t get stuck. There were ditches we had to stop and fill in with logs to traverse, trees that had to be moved out of the way, and jaw-dropped looks from ATV and jacked up Wrangler owners we passed along the way.

The XC60 proves that Volvo can make a dirt road-capable CUV with styling flair and enough electronic nannies to satisfy the risk-adverse in the crowd (not to mention your insurance broker). The real question is if buyers will actually cross-shop the XC60 with its German competition. Stacked up to the Q5, X3 and GLK, the Volvo shines with more power, excellent cargo capacity, unique styling and a suitably upscale interior. Starting at $33,000 for the FWD 235HP, model, our Volvo provided tester hit the nosebleed section at a whopping $47,395. Admittedly this can seem like a bargain when you look at the Q5’s starting price of $37,350 and a similarly equipped price of $51,625, the question is: Can Volvo get you to buy one?

Read the full review on The Truth About Cars

Auto · Four-wheel drive · Haldex · Makes and Models · Sport utility vehicle · Volvo · Volvo S80 · VolvoXc60

Volvo’s about to change hands from Ford to China’s Geely, and (like fellow Swedish automaker Saab now under Spyker’s wing) if it’s going to survive, it’ll need a solid product. This could be it.

Previewed in concept form at the Detroit Auto Show, the production version of the new Volvo S60 made its debut here at the Geneva Motor Show. And when it comes down to it, that’s what Volvo’s all about: safety. So it comes as little surprise that the new S60 also debuts the company’s new Collision Warning system that will, if necessary, fully engage the brakes.

The S60 makes its debut in T6 guise, packing a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six with 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. More engines will be on offer worldwide once new S60 car reaches the market over the course of the coming months.

Read the full story on AutoBlog

Automotive industry · China · Ford Motor Company · GenevaMotorShow · North American International Auto Show · Swedish language · Volvo · Volvo S60