2017 Volvo XC60 Review
Gosh Volvo – that’s three out of three so far!
By Shahzad Sheikh
Click below to watch our Volvo XC60 review now
First there was the new Volvo XC90 and we were impressed. Then there was the S90 and we were seduced. And not there is the XC60 and we are… hold on a second!
Okay now the old XC90 was a solid machine admired by many, and the S90 was always an elegant thing but the XC60? C’mon that was a bit mumsy. A bit dull innit?
That may well be on-point, but it was still a bit of a hit for Volvo, with it previously accounting for 30% of its global sales. That’s essentially one in three Volvos sold!
But truth be told I wasn’t much of a fan. It was pudgy and pedantic – not great looking on the outside and driving you mental on the inside with all its binging and bonging as it flashed up obstacles ahead, warned you about wandering off course, and fretted that you hadn’t had a proper breakfast that morning.
It was well-meaning and annoying, like a mum. I was expecting the new XC60 to be a further amplification of that theme – Mother Superior if you like. Only we’re not talking lady in a headscarf with a Tardis bag that contains everything from bandages to a vomit bag.
We’re talking MILF and a hot one at that, with thigh-length boots and a tightly-waisted black leather coat, open up top to amplify its buxom beauty. Okay, I might have said too much just then. Basically it’s a shrunken XC90, but slinkier, chicer and sexier. Put some bulging big wheels on this thing and it would be hot-roddy!
Inside it’s Tesla-tablet-tastic like its siblings, but also classy, cool and a cocoon of quality. The Swede’s have not lost their touch. Feels like it will last too.
Bizarrely the Twin-Charge 2.0 in this thing doesn’t make it feel much more rapid than the rather more shockingly sprightly big-bro XC90, probably because they seem to weigh the same. And also because you’re expectations are already tuned to expect more punch in this racier looking Volvo SUV.
Comfort’s a given, though magic carpet ride isn’t and your wish won’t be its command, because it is a bit jittery on the move. Perhaps the stonkingly enormous wheels that give this car its street cred are guilty. It’s more than tolerable of course, better even. But there are those pesky expectations again.
Handles alright though, and the overall drive is very likeable indeed. Easy to helm, eager to please, and not as distant as some competitors in this segment. It’ll talk to you. Sometimes in a husky low come-hither voice.
I ended up liking this car a lot more than I thought I would. And would almost be tempted to say get this over the XC90. But really, if you can stretch to the Big Daddy Volvo then definitely get that. For everyone else the Big Mama Volvo is as accommodating as they come and game for a laugh too. New Age Volvo continues to impress. Can’t wait to try little brother XC40!
