Review: 2015 Volvo XC60 D5 SE Lux AWD GT
What is it?
Since its introduction in 2008 the XC60 has won a raft of awards, and there's no sign of it slowing down. There's a certain appeal to this adaptable SUV, its sleek lines, refined road manners, family orientated classy interior and of course there's typical Volvo safety features, no wonder it's been the marques best selling model since 2009.
On the road
I found the XC60 to be at home on any surface, from plodding around town to an easy green lane, but for me it excelled on long motorway journeys - it's such lovely cruiser and although it’s a big car, it doesn’t feel so when driving. With the range topping 220bhp D5 5 cylinder lump under the bonnet, this XC60 isn’t exactly a docile car and the 6-speed manual gearbox was slick and well geared, but when I changed a few settings and used flappy pedals it became a completely different car, it's transformation was remarkable.
Off the road
Although it wasn't designed to go head-to-head with anything from the Land Rover stable, the AWD Volvo XC60 is more than capable of tackling muddy country lanes and flooded roads thanks to its four-wheel drive system, high ground clearance and hill descent control. In fact, it's actually quite capable in the rough stuff and would be able to handle far more than the average owner will ever need.
Interior
There’s no denying that the interior of the XC60 is a comfortable place to be, the seats for instance are very comfy. Although you have a number of buttons on the centre console, it isn’t cluttered, we especially liked that the heaters, blower and volume controls are all dials, and therefore are easy to use, unlike buttons. I really dislike having to press a button to turn up the heat. So the dash layout receives a huge thumbs up.
What didn't was the USB port, it appeared to be an afterthought in the back of the centre cubby box which was awkward to reach.
Rear passengers are going to be comfortable too, the seats are just as comfy as the front and they have plenty of knee room. It also has a built-in kiddie’s booster seats and a pop-out picnic table. The seats fold flat to open up a huge loadspace of 1,455 litres.
Overall the interior is neatly designed with simple yet sturdy controls, it was clearly designed by someone who knows how to move a family around in style and comfort.
Safety Stuff ‘n’ Equipment
Honestly, I don't know where to start. Volvo have always been innovative when it comes to safety, in 1959 they famously gave away the patent to the 3-point seat belt so other car manufactures could adopt it in their designs, therefore putting lives before profits.
Conclusion
Like all our test cars, we took it shopping, we took it along country lanes and we visited to Lake District, and during all these excursions it quickly became Muddy Madams favourite AWD. It was comfy, roomy, had lots of gadgets and plenty of poke. If we could afford one, an XC60 would be sat outside Muddy Towers as a replacement for Muddy Madams ageing Skoda Fabia, she was quite enamoured by it. However, at £31,660, or £47.685 after you've included all the option packs, she may be waiting a couple of years for the price to drop, but one thing is for sure, we're gong to miss this car.
