2021 Volvo XC60 First Drive Review

Safety equipment

Exclusivity

No diesel option

Lumpy high speed ride

So here’s the thing. The XC60 is Volvo’s best-selling SUV pretty much everywhere it’s sold; however, there’s a good chance that it may not be your first choice if you are in the market for a mid-size luxury SUV. It’s just that Volvo in India has never been in the forefront when it comes to absolute luxury and brand value even though the cars itself are very special and competent. The new XC60 is exactly all those thing and more!

I would have struggled to say the same for the old XC60 because that car was frankly quite vanilla next to the earlier generations of the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. The second-gen XC60 though was a revelation even for fans of Volvo. Based on the brand’s Scalable Product Architecture platform, the second generation XC60 made its way here in early 2018 and since then, it has become one of the highest selling models for Volvo India. Fast forward to 2021 and what you are looking at here is the midlife refresh for the second generation XC60 which is now a petrol only SUV although you do get a mild-hybrid system for efficiency.

So is the XC60 yet another Volvo that’s quietly impressive and worthy of your money if its design, safety, comfort and value that you are after? Time to find out.

Volvo has gone the Audi route wherein the brand has stopped offering diesel powered cars. The new XC60, as a result, is a petrol only model although it does get mild-hybrid tech for improved efficiency. Under the hood there’s a 2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that’s paired to a 48 volt integrated starter-generator motor. Now this motor supports the engine and improves fuel efficiency at city speeds and it does that by recovering energy from the brakes and storing it in the 48 volt battery. The combined output you get is rated at 250bhp and 350Nm of torque.

So what about the performance then when you've so much power and torque? Well, the XC60 doesn't feel as rapid as the X3 petrol but then it's incredibly smooth for everyday driving and once you're up to speed it feels effortless and quiet. The 8-speed gearbox, again, isn't the quickest when it comes to changing gears and down shifting on demand but its silky smooth and refined when you're not rushing it.

Now it’s not the most powerful thing in the world but the drivetrain offers decent shove when you want to go fast. What’s not so good is the excessive vertical movement that you get when you are doing highway speeds over long undulations. The XC60’s high speed ride isn’t as flat as we would like and when loaded up it’s constantly moving up and down. It gets much better at low speeds though and you can hardly feel the bumps and potholes inside the cabin. Dynamically, the XC60 is a decent cruiser with good steering feel and body control. It’s just that it’s let down by a bouncy high speed ride that only gets better when you dial it down and carry a leisurely pace. Overall we feel like this whole drivetrain has been designed to bring you a new level of calm and comfort to your everyday drives.

It’s all refreshing inside the XC60 and we are talking purely about the design and the look of materials in here. Unlike the Germans who use plenty of beige and light colored surfacing, Volvo has gone for an all-black look for the dash along with tan leather for the seats and the door pads to set the ambience. And I must say it all looks very cool and more than anything else it's just refreshingly good.

Like the exterior, the XC60’s cabin design has stood the test of time rather well. Volvo hasn’t changed anything in here and yet it still looks like a 2021 design thanks to the clean, minimalist approach for the aesthetics. What’s surprising though is how small the main vertical display now seems next to the giant touchscreens that have taken over the cabins of luxury cars. Now it may seem a little small but this 7-inch display is extremely fluid and the touch response is equally smooth. Also, I think it’s time for manufacturers to take a break from super widescreen displays and adopt the portrait-orientation like Volvo has because it just looks very cool.

Speaking of cool, the crystal glass that has been embedded into the gear lever is a brilliant touch. And because it's backlit in such a subtle manner it looks cool when you are driving at night. Also, we are huge fans of the 15 speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system and even though it's not the top of the line spec that you get in the XC90 or the S90 it sounds incredible and is plenty powerful nonetheless.

Now remember the XC60 is a mid-size SUV so it’s clearly not as generous as Volvo’s flagship offering the XC90 when it comes to space. Still, there is a lot of room in here and the rear seats themselves are very comfortable overall. The legroom is also plentiful and in terms of seating comfort, the backrest angle is just right and this rear seat has good cushioning to keep your muscles relaxed.

What’s also going to keep every owner of the XC60 very relaxed is the fact that it’s loaded to the roof with safety tech. Of course, clever safety features are in its DNA and besides ABS, ESP and airbags you also get stuff like automatic braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, collision warning, road sign information, 360 degree parking and so much more. The visuals for the 360 degree parking feature, however, aren’t the best and there are inconsistencies with the way the cameras stitch together the images to create the 360 degree view.

Now the big update inside the new XC60 is that it has Google built into the infotainment system. You get Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play which all add up to deliver a more familiar connected car experience.

Now it's clear that the XC60 has all the things we love Volvo for - it's extremely safe, it's good to drive and given the fact that there's just one fully loaded variant, you cannot really go wrong. So while the overall emphasis is certainly on luxury, the XC60 also offers more on the value front and exclusivity compared to all its rivals. Now, Rs 61.90 lakh might seem a bit much especially once you add registration and insurance, you can be comfortable knowing that you are getting all the safety equipment and comfort features that Volvo has to offer in this single variant. Sure, the new Audi Q5 and the BMW X3 have a lower starting price but the XC60 is good value considering the amount of safety equipment you are getting for your money.

Pictures by Kapil Angane