XCited about Volvo XC60

The Volvo XC60 is a striking looking compact SUV

Looking at the big and muscular shell of the Volvo XC60, agility is not the first word that comes to mind.

However, that tank-like exterior of this compact SUV belies a certain nimbleness on the road.

Inside, our test car was an oasis of luxury with a gorgeous cream leather interior (not the best for sticky little hands though, in what is very much a family car) and a brushed chrome centre console with storage area behind.

There are also lots of storage cubbies in this five-door. Unusually though the front door bins don’t hold bottles upright, but the ones in the back doors are moulded to do so.

A decent sized covered centre console box houses the USB and Aux ports, while the 12 volt is located between the two front seats. There’s also a large glove compartment.

As you’d expect from a SUV, there’s lots of leg and headroom, front and back, and the rear comfortably seats two adults.

The plush leather seats are comfortable and both front seats in the test car were heated, with lumbar support.

The cockpit in the Volvo XC60 is intuitive and driver focused

The boot in this car is very large when the rear seats are in place and absolutely huge when they’re folded (and lie flat) – I could lie down and stretch out in it.

One of the drawbacks of a large boot is smaller items tend to get thrown around in it. However, the XC60 has a handy boot divider to prevent this and there’s also a strap to hold upright carrier bags.

There was a button on the tailgate to softly close it, and this could also be operated from the driver’s seat.

The cockpit in this car is very nice. The centre console is angled towards the driver and the dials in the instrument panel are large, with a digital speed read out in the middle.

Different drive modes can be selected, including eco and performance, which alter the colour of the instrument panel. Cruise control was easy to use and I liked the dual zone air conditioning controls.

One thing I was surprised about was the non-touchscreen infotainment unit, the screen of which I found was very small and almost old fashioned.

In saying that though, the radio and music streaming were very easy to use and I loved that it automatically reconnected to the last song you were playing on Spotify if the app was still open on your phone when you restarted the engine.

The boot in the Volvo XC60 is huge

We headed down the country, from Dublin to Limerick, in the Volvo XC60 so our route comprised city, motorway and winding country roads.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I loved driving this 2.0litre D4 six-speed manual car – it’s a perfect motorway cruiser.

The engine was really powerful, with great acceleration making overtaking a breeze.

It was also beautiful and smooth in the city and I found it great fun on winding country roads.

However, it is a big car and it feels like this when it comes to parking – thankfully, rear parking sensors are standard in the SE trim I was driving.

Overall, I really liked the Volvo XC60. It’s a classy, comfortable, practical car that’s a pleasure to drive. It also proved to be a talker on the street, with lots of admiring looks.

The Volvo XC60 is available now in both front and all wheel drive models. Prices for the entry level ES FWD model start from €39,995. The mid-level SE test car costs from €42,795.

Tech Spec
Engine: 2.0litre 181hp front wheel drive diesel
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 8.5seconds
Maximum Speed: 210kph
CO2 emissions: 117g/km
Combined fuel economy: 4.5l/100km
Annual road tax: €200

Visit the Volvo Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.