First Drive: 2010 Volvo XC60

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January 30, 2009

2010 Volvo XC60; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

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2010 Volvo XC60

Sausalito, California – What you’re looking at here is the safest car Volvo has ever built, according to the Deputy Director of Volvo Cars Safety Centre, Thomas Broberg. “The XC60 is the safest Volvo so far, probably the safest car in the world,” he announced at the XC60’s North American media introduction near San Francisco earlier this week. That’s quite a claim given how safe Volvo’s vehicles already are, and how many other safe vehicles there are on the market. One thing is for sure: the new 2010 Volvo XC60 is loaded with active and passive safety features, some of which are exclusive.

But first the basics: on sale in Europe since last September, the new 2010 XC60 T6 arrives here in March with a starting price in the high $40s to low $50s – Canadian MSRPs have not yet been finalized. It will compete in the same compact luxury segment as the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Land Rover LR2, and Mercedes-Benz GLK.

2010 Volvo XC60; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

Utilizing a new platform that borrows components from the S80, XC70 and V70, the XC60 is 20 cm shorter than the XC70 and slightly lower than the XC90. In Canada, there will be one powertrain choice: a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline transversely-mounted six-cylinder engine producing 281 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque that runs on Regular gas – this is a variant of the 3.2-litre engine currently available in the Volvo S80, V70, XC70 and XC90. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic “Geartronic” transmission – a manual transmission is not offered. All-wheel drive with Volvo’s Instant Traction system is also standard equipment.

The XC60’s tall, wagon-like styling is similar to the XC90, but it has a unique nose with a trapezoidal grille and bolder Volvo emblem, shorter, rounder proportions, and unique wrap-over LED tail lights. Some might call it an SUV, some might call it a wagon, and some might call it a hatchback, but Volvo prefers to call it a premium crossover.

Indeed, the XC60 is a cross between several different types of vehicles: it has the cargo space and utility of a wagon, the ride height and AWD capability of an SUV, the handling of a unit-body vehicle with a fully independent suspension, the interior comfort of a luxury car, and the safety attributes of a top-class luxury sedan.

It’s the XC60’s safety features that are likely to differentiate it from its rivals. Its new “City Safety” system (standard in Canada) is a market exclusive. City Safety is a crash avoidance/mitigation system that works to help avoid rear-enders at low speeds, primarily in city traffic. According to Volvo, 75 per cent of all collisions take place at speeds under 30 km/h, and in half of these cases, the driver did not brake at all before the collision, mainly due to being distracted. City Safety is designed to take over when the driver fails to brake in time.

The XC60′s City Safety system (top two photos) and Brake Support. Click image to enlarge

Laser sensors at the top of the windshield judge the distance to the car in front, and if the driver of the XC60 fails to brake, the XC60 will do it autonomously. At speeds up to 15 km/h, the XC60 will brake and stop automatically before hitting the car in front. At speeds up to 30 km/h, the XC60 will automatically brake to reduce the collision severity. City Safety reacts to vehicles in front that are either stopped or moving in the same direction as the XC60.

To demonstrate this, Volvo set up a driving demo where inflatable cars took the place of real-life “crash-ees”. At speeds under 15 km/h, the XC60 stops suddenly in front of the car in front at the last second, flinging the driver and passengers forwards onto their seatbelts, but avoiding a potentially harmful and costly rear-end collision in real life. It’s important to note that City Safety doesn’t take away the driver’s control until the crash is almost unavoidable – drivers would still have time to avoid a crash if they were paying attention.

The sensor area on the windshield is cleaned by the windshield wipers, but it’s unclear how effective it would be if there was a build-up of snow, ice or dirt over the sensor, and how well the car would brake in the snow. I can say it works well in sunny California.

Also new on the 2010 Volvo XC60 is enhanced dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC) that now registers the car’s roll rate as well as its direction to detect slowly built-up skids. As well, new Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) offers improved stability when towing a trailer (max. 3300 lbs)

Other Volvo safety features standard or optional on the new XC60 include Collision Warning with Brake Support, a high speed version of City Safety that warns of potential collisions and brakes automatically; Roll Stability Control, a stability-enhancement system that monitors the vehicle’s yaw rate; Fading Brake Support that boosts hydraulic pressure when it varies; four disc brakes with four-channel anti-lock and Brake Assist for emergency braking; Lane Departure Warning that offers audible warnings when the car strays across the line;

The XC60′s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) (top); the lower front structure that matches the bumper height of smaller vehicles; Volvo’s Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) Click image to enlarge

Blind Spot Information System which provides visual and audible warnings of cars travelling in the XC60’s blind spots; Distance Alert that shows a warning display in the windshield when a pre-determined following distance is reached; and Driver Alert, a system that warns the driver if they’re getting drowsy behind the wheel.

On top of all this, the XC60 includes an AWD system that automatically distributes engine power between the front and rear wheels; Instant Traction which shifts power from the front to the rear wheels when starting from a standstill on slippery surfaces; Hill Descent Control which uses the vehicle’s braking system and engine torque to slow it down on steep hills up to a maximum speed of 10 km/h; Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept (Four-C) (late availability) that allows the driver to select one of three suspension settings: Comfort, Sport or Advanced; adjustable steering effort with three settings: Low, Medium or High; Active Bending Headlights that turn with the steering wheel; and front and rear audible parking assist beepers.

The XC60’s body uses four different types of steel for strength and crashworthiness, a lower front structure that matches the bumper height of lower cars in a collision, and a nose designed to lessen impacts with cyclists or pedestrians. The transversely-mounted engine is designed not to intrude into the passenger cabin in a crash as much as a traditional longitudinally-positioned engine would.

Inside the XC60’s cabin are multi-stage front airbags, dual-chamber side airbags with Volvo’s unique side impact protection, side curtain airbags, front head restraints with Whiplash Protection System, seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, and available integrated booster seats for children.

The emphasis on safety is a good indication of the target customers for the XC60: young well-to-do couples with young children – or who are planning to have children – who want a sporty, safe, practical and luxurious vehicle that’s also small enough to drive in a city environment.

Still, with its powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the XC60 is accented to performance more than fuel economy: Volvo quotes a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration time of just 7.1 seconds while estimated city/hwy fuel consumption is 14.7/10.7 L/100 km (19/26 mpg). For comparison, the BMW X3 is rated at 12.2/8.4 L/100 km. Fortunately, the XC60 uses Regular gas.

2010 Volvo XC60; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

After driving the XC60 up the winding roads of the California coast north of San Francisco, and back down the boring but rough 101 Freeway, I can say the driving experience is even better than the performance figures. Despite its 231 mm (9.1 in.) ground clearance, the XC60 handles like a well-balanced performance sedan with minimal lean in the corners and little pitch or dive when braking and accelerating. You can throw this ute into the corners, even wet corners, because you know it has the grip, the stability and the traction, to pull you through without drama. Still, I found the ride a bit firm over the expansion cracks on California’s concrete freeways. As my test vehicle was a pre-production European-spec car, I was informed that the shocks and suspension settings would be modified for use in North America. As well, a driver-adjustable suspension will be available later in 2009.

Peak engine torque comes on early (1500 r.p.m.) and launches the XC60 in a smooth, linear progression with an accompanying growly whine from the twin scroll turbocharger. I didn’t detect any torque-steer, and steering response was quick though somewhat vague-feeling. Steering effort defaults to “medium” which I found a bit stiff at parking lot speeds, but the “low” setting is finger-tip easy. Still, it takes some fiddling with the controls to adjust it.

The six-speed Geartronic transmission matches the torquey six very well, shifting up and down like a well-trained dance partner. Manual operation using the shift lever is possible, but I found it almost as easy to use the gas pedal to communicate with the transmission.

2010 Volvo XC60; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

Though I was in sunny California, I was imagining how good the XC60 would be on a snowy, winter day in Canada. Plenty of ground clearance, short front and rear overhangs, AWD, Instant Traction, stability and traction control, Roll Stability Control, adjustable suspension, adjustable steering effort, powerful brakes, ABS, Hill Descent Control, good visibility – it’s all made for winter driving. Let’s not forget this is a Swedish vehicle (made in Belgium), and the Swedes know snow as well as we do. The only thing missing is a differential Lock for severe road conditions, but I’m not sure the XC60 needs it.

The XC60’s roomy cabin is very comfortable. Front and rear passengers have plenty of legroom and headroom, even with the optional panoramic sunroof. Power leather seats with an attractive two-tone design and front seat heaters are standard, and rear seat heaters are available (if you don’t order the booster seats). A manual tilt/telescoping steering wheel and multi-adjustable driver’s seat make it easy to find a good driving position. The optional navi screen sits in the middle of the dash while an information display is positioned on top of the dash. Both are easy to see.

Standard interior features include a six-disc CD changer, eight speakers, auxiliary input, satellite radio with free six month subscription, and steering wheel controls; dual zone climate control, cruise control, and electronic parking brake.

The cargo area is accessible by pulling up a large hatch which reveals a fully carpeted and spacious cargo area. Under the cargo floor is another hidden storage area. The rear seats fold down in a 40/20/40 combination for maximum versatility and the right front passenger seat also folds flat. Cargo area with the rear seats up is 872 litres (30.8 cu. ft.); seats down 1908 litres (67.4 cu. ft.).

In Canada, standard equipment on the 2010 XC60 T6 will include the 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, six-speed Geartronic transmission, all-wheel drive, 18-inch all-season tires and alloy wheels, leather upholstery and heated front seats, premium audio system with six-disc CD changer, auxiliary input, eight speakers, satellite radio with free six month subscription, and steering wheel controls; dual zone climate control, cruise control, and electronic parking brake.

Standard safety features will include City Safety, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, ABS, Brake Assist, Fading brake support, headlamp washers, front fog lights, multi-stage front airbags, dual-chamber side airbags with Volvo’s SIPS side impact protection, side curtain airbags, front head restraints with Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, pedestrian/cyclist collision protection, and Intelligent Driver Information System (delays non-critical instrument warnings so as not to distract the driver in an emergency).

2010 Volvo XC60; photo by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

As well, all XC60s will get “Home Safe” lighting, Approach lighting, immobilizer and alarm, remote controlled alarm, and tempered side window glass.

The optional Tech Package (approx. $4,500) will include adaptive cruise control, collision warning with Brake Support, Lane Departure Warning, Driver Alert, Distance Alert, Blind Spot Information System, Personal Car Communicator with Keyless Drive, and Premium Sound system with 12 speakers, Dolby Pro Logic II Surround and 650-watt amplifier.

An optional Luxury Package (approx. $3,100) will include Four-C active chassis (driver adjustable suspension settings), Active Bending Headlights, front and rear audible parking assist, rain sensor (for wipers) and heated rear seats or two dual-stage integrated booster seats.

Lastly, an optional Convenience Package (approx. $2,100) includes driver-adjustable speed-sensitive steering, power tailgate, rear power child locks, humidity sensor, mass movement sensor, and level sensor.

Some options can be purchased individually: dual rear booster seats ($500), DVD navigation system ($2,500), dual-screen rear entertainment system ($2,250), and panoramic sunroof ($1,800).

All prices are approximate at the time of writing. Final pricing will be announced closer to the on sale date.