To start with, Volvo is offering the XC60 only with the D5 engine mated with a six-speed auto-box and an all-time four-wheel drive system. The 2.4-litre, five pot, turbocharged oil burner offers tremendous amount of torque, 420 Nm to be precise. The best part of this is its flat curve. Kicking in at 1,500 rpm, the maximum torque is available all the way until 3,250 rpm. With so much on offer through such a wide rev range, the XC60 will be extremely tractable in almost any given situation.
Though time constraints didn’t allow me to test the car’s off-road abilities, I had a go at Delhi’s crowded streets as well as open three-lane roads. The car feels pretty much at home in both these conditions. Within city traffic, the pull from the torque makes the car extremely drivable. Even in slow moving traffic, there is no hint of a jerky response from the engine.
The steering of this car feels a little on the soft side, even at comparatively high speeds. The chassis and suspension come with three settings to choose from – Comfort, Sport and Advanced. In the Comfort mode, the XC60 feels very comfortable but in the Sport and Advanced modes it stiffens up the drive a little. The only complaint about the XC60 comes in the form of engine noise. Even with the windows rolled up, the sound from the D5 penetrates the cabin. Of course, the phenomenal Harman & Kardon audio system (optional) playing your favourite music, will ensure that you don’t hear a sound from the engine!
The brand-name Volvo is synonymous with safety and the XC60 is no exception. The SUV is loaded with safety features and technologies that include Radar and Camera Assisted Automatic Braking, Active Bending Headlights, Hill Descent Control (Forward and Rear), Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, Roll-Over Protection System, ABS with EBD and the list can go on and on. The SUV that we got for our test-drive had the a-c status, car settings and such other things displayed on a small screen popping out of the dash.
However, the car that will actually appear in the market will get rid of this display and instead have a seven-inch LCD that will integrate everything, including the music system and the optional navigation system.
Volvo is planning to position itself aggressively in the Indian market and the most important feature of this is the price of the XC60. At under Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom), the XC60 is expected to give serious competition to the Q5 and X3. This SUV has potentially everything that can change Volvo’s fate in this country. Let’s hope the XC60 does that for the Swedes.
BLURB
With 420Nm of torque on offer through a wide rev range, the XC60 will be extremely tractable in almost any given situation
CAPTIONS
1&2: The Radar on the grille and Camera on windshield work together to detect and determine an obstruction and feed the data to an electronic module that handles auto braking
3. Audio controls and ports for headphones at rear make for a good feature
4. Well laid out buttons on wooden centre console lend a classy feel to the interiors
5. Enough leg room in the rear offers sufficient comfort
6. Boomerang shaped tail-lamps lend aggression at the rear
