Volvo XC60: fine-tuning for the new bestseller
Until recently, the iconic Volvo 240 with its massive black bumper and angular design was the best-selling Swede of all time. Now the Volvo XC60 has overtaken it. Reason enough to give the stylish compact SUV an upgrade.
Even if the legendary Swedish steel with the large bumper still has its charm today and the first Volvo 240 - so typical of the brand - set standards in terms of safety with crumple zones and a reinforced passenger cell: for our test drive, we take a seat in the brand's new customer: the Volvo XC60. The model series has been in the range for 17 years and, with 2.7 million sales worldwide, has just overtaken the 240, which was produced from 1974 to 1993, in the Volvo sales hit parade.
As a reward, the current generation of the XC60 has been given a visual and technical fine-tuning. To recognize the exterior changes, however, you have to be a connoisseur or lover of the Swedes: The front grille with the typical "Iron Mark" logo has been adapted, as have the front air intakes. At the rear, the tail lights have been kept darker, some new wheel designs and also new exterior colors - including the green-greyish "Forest Lake" and the pink to violet undertone "Aurora Silver", two completely new colors - have been added, that's it.
Inside, there is the typical Swedish chic with pretty wood inlays, fine leather, chrome air vents and excellent workmanship. Practical: the wireless smartphone charging station in the center console is now easier to access. And the infotainment system, which has already celebrated its premiere in the two electric models EX30 and EX90, is now also used in the XC60. Its layout has been adapted. More importantly, various Google functions are now integrated and there is now the option of online updates. The new functions and applications are accessed via the free-standing, central 11.2-inch touchscreen, which enables sharp displays thanks to increased pixel density. The new system is also more than twice as responsive.
In addition to the two-liter petrol engine with all-wheel drive and 184 kW/250 hp, the compact SUV is powered by two plug-in hybrids. In the T6 Twin Engine, the 18 kWh battery is combined with a four-cylinder engine with 186 kW/253 hp, which gives a system output of 293 kW/350 hp and an electric range of 65 to 80 kilometers. In the T8 Twin Engine, the drive battery is even paired with 228 kW/310 hp from the combustion engine, which gives the SUV even more dynamism and sportiness. Despite weighing over two tons, the XC60 accelerates to 100 km/h in under five seconds thanks to a total of 335 kW/455 hp. However, if you take advantage of this sporty acceleration too often, the electric range dwindles noticeably. But it's still fun!
Just like every drive in the dignified Swedish car. Thanks to the improved noise comfort, including the laminated windows, we now glide along in the XC60 even more comfortably and quietly than before. The revised Volvo XC60 can be ordered from CHF 66,700, while the plug-in hybrid versions start at CHF 79,900.
