Things are definitely moving fast in today’s compact premium SUV land. And Volvo is no exception in bringing their XC60 in this segment. While it may not have the dimensions of a full-size SUV, the XC60 is considered to be a sporty wagon with lot of performance and technology attributes under its skin.
The Volvo XC60 has the real crossover character with a combination of the traditional city vehicle—a cross country bred—aimed at young, urban professionals with an active lifestyle. No wonder, it competes with other premium entries like the Lexus RX and Mercedes GLK.
Inside, the interior of the XC60 is handsome and comfortable. In the driver’s seat, all control buttons are placed within reach and intelligently laid-out. The whole interior—a combination of tone beige along with the metallic silver—adds to the soothing and classy driving experience. To some, the color scheme may be odd but, trust me, it’s like stepping inside a swanky den.
The XC60 is roomier than most ordinary SUVs. Seats can be three-split (40/20/40) rear seat and backrest offer two separate seats with an armrest in the middle, or three seats with safety belts for each occupant. The seat cushions are fixed and the backrest can be individually folded.
Being in this class means power, and that pertains to the 205 horsepower from a 2.4-liter D5 diesel engine. I guess, the more important aspect here is—the car is diesel. On my test, this writer only consumes 11.16 km per liter in mixed city driving.
Complimenting the great driving dynamics is the XC60’s aerodynamic exterior design. It drives like a sports sedan, but it doesn’t forget its SUV responsibilities. Adding to its fun factor, Volvo’s All-Wheel Drive with instant traction guarantees the best possible road grip on whatever situation occurs. Handling-wise, the XC60 is surprisingly nimble, with precise steering feedback, and crisp shifting response.
Being a paragon of safety, Volvo has structural safety features such as the dual airbags, side airbags, ABS, anti-locking brakes with hydraulic brake assist, side impact protection system, roll-over protection system, and whiplash protection system.
Luxury-minded buyers would appreciate the usual details such as USB port, making it easy to attach an iPod, MP3 players, and high performance and premium HD sound of audio system as standard.
With the new Volvo XC60 D5, Volvo takes yet another step in offering cars that are fun to drive yet comfortable to ride in. The compact format and the precise road attributes mean that the new Volvo XC60 can make its way equally elegantly both on city and province.
At P3.445 million, it should rank up there among the most desirable SUVs on the market today.
Contributed by:
KRIS C. LIM
Kris C. Lim is currently the managing director of PRLAB media and communication. Kris career spans for more than 10 years in various field of marketing, advertising, and managing editorial assignments. He was also a former managing editor of POWER WHEELS, a car magazine that focuses on aftermarket and performance tuning. A confessed car freak, Kris is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the prestigious Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) and also regularly writes for Business Mirror.
