What’s It Like to Drive?
The biggest changes are the powertrain – the engine and transmission are all new, and the Haldex coupling, which hands the drive to all four wheels, is upgraded to the latest generation unit. The new Drive-E four-cylinder unit displaces 1,969 cc and makes 181 PS – up from 163 in the five-pot – in D4 guise. The torque remains 400 Nm. The transmission, however, is the new eight-speed torque converter; that’s two more ratios than the old Geartronic, and should allow for a smoother, punchier drive.
Start the engine and a familiar hum resonates. It’s not as quiet as some would like, but it sure packs the motive force. With the amount of preventive safety kit on board as standard, it’s easy to travel with complete peace of mind. The electronic stability control (ESC), renamed from dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC), and the roll stability control (RSC) with enhanced braking systems, including corner brake control (CBC), work together to let you simply relax and enjoy the drive, whatever the road surface or weather conditions. The light and rain sensors step in when needed, further improving the drive experience and taking care of the important things which begin to feel mundane when they’re done for you.
Heading out of town over the hills and far, far away, the agility of the XC60 can be a surprise for many who aren’t familiar with Volvos. The 1.9-tonne XC can be shown a corner at triple-digit speed and not blink going into it tight and in complete control of the line. The acceleration is more than adequate, but the slight lag in power delivery remains, particularly when overtaking, even if it is for a fraction of a second. The XC60 climbs to 160 km/h with ease and then climbs at a diminishing rate towards its claimed maximum of 210 km/h. The eight-speed ‘box can also be harnessed with the paddle-shifters as well as the ‘S’ mode on the gear lever. It can hit 0-100 km/h in less than 10 seconds and let you have quite a bit of fun, while being cocooned in complete Scandinavian-ice-proving-ground safety.
That said, there are some things which could be a lot better. The sound insulation in the cabin, for one. Driving off-road or on a pothole-ridden path results in a bothersome judder, and the stiff ride doesn’t help things either, thanks to the ‘dynamic’ chassis. The available ‘comfort’ chassis (or the Active 4C as well) and 17-inch rims with higher-profile tyres considerably improve ride quality.
Efficiency also sees a change for the better. Yes, it’s a new, lighter and more efficient motor and delivers up to 14 km/l. The improvements arrive because the common-rail has been replaced with i-ART direct-injection, where each cylinder has its own pressured fuel supply. The forward thrust from this motor is, thus, more than adequate, though more power would always be appreciated. The high injection pressure, diesel particulate filter and advanced emission control also mean the car makes India’s BS-4 emission standard seem like something from 20 years ago. Yes, warm the car up to a burbling idle and the exhaust stream is actually cleaner than the air outside, if you happen to be in any of the metros.
