2016 Volvo XC60

The Volvo XC60 radiates with the basic 5 trims namely T5 Drive, T5 AWD, T6 AWD, T6 Drive-E, and the T6 AWD R-Design. These trims seem to be available in either FWD or AWD with variations in the powertrain. One has to manage a bare minimum of $38,000 to relish the craving. Thus, it has many offers to cater to a huge customer base. It goes against the market share of the Acura MDX, Lexus RX 350, and the Subaru Outback.  

As mentioned earlier, the Volvo XC60 has five major trims which have equivalent structural integrity and cabin insulation. The trim does show some signs of superiority as we move upwards as the base T5 Drive-E has the Adaptive Shift which just gets better with the Advanced Quick Shift in the T6 AWD R-Design. 

Not just that, the T6 AWD rests on the 18" Leda Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels while the elder sibling gets the pairs of 20" Ixion II Alloy Wheels. The comfort has been taken care of by the Volvo with a touch of feel in the T5 AWD’s T-Tec Textile Seatings. Moreover, the powertrain does upgrade from Turbo to Turbo-Supercharger coupling trim-wise with increased engine capacity.  

All the trims have been armed with some standard features which are as rich as they can be and the list includes the Trailer Sway Control along with the EPAS. The Engine Auto Stop-Start is standard as well. If that is not enough for you to settle you down with it then it further expands its enclosure with the 8-Speaker Audio Set and Voice Activation Commands. Precise and interactive is the infotainment package, one is destined to use. Thus it is simply top-notch for its basic offering which can be amplified with additional extensions.  

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The price is something that makes one be very cautious before making a final call and that is completely sane to have it. Hence, it is recommended to go for T6 Drive-E as it gives you the thrill of the turbo-supercharger coupling with parallel safety to counter it. Moreover, the comfort and premium feel have been bestowed in the mentioned trim. So it hardly makes much sense to spend more for a little increment of pleasure instead of opting for the T6 Drive-E. 

The XC60 powertrain is as diversified as its trim nature. There is basically a standard 2.0L Turbo I-4 which can produce 240 hp of power and 258 lb-ft of torque. This variant mutates with an additional supercharger which increases the power surge to level at 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of characteristics. A bit more greed might drive you towards the top-dog 3.6 L Turbo I-6 with 325 hp and 354 lb-ft curves at its disposal. There is a middle ground as well in the midst of this chaos which comes with 2.5L Turbocharged I-5 which offers a trade-off in the numbers somewhere in the middle. The whole setup is in conjunction with an 8-Speed Automatic transmission in either with the FWD or AWD.

As far as comparison is concerned, the XC60 swift past clothes with a blistering acceleration which allows it to cover a quarter-mile within 14.9 seconds and reach 60 mph from a standstill in just 6.4 seconds. It is in line with the MDX, but mind you that the latter needs a bigger capacity to achieve the same feat. The Subaru Outback is simply the most underwhelming SUV among the aforementioned.

Performance is important but fuel economy is as important as the former. The XC60 is impressive in this department as it leads the pack with 23 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg overall. This is further assisted by a huge fuel tank of 18.5 gallons which allows it to cover 481 miles on average in a go. This figure can even touch 573 miles on the highway and 425 miles in the city making daily commuting easy. The size of the engine compliments the economy and turbo boosts the performance.

As per data, it is quite evident that others can also be given consideration as they have pretty much comparable mileage. The Outback might be lagging a little and can be annoying for its range capacity. The Acura MDX and RX350 both have their maximum reachability above 500 miles, thanks to their comparatively bigger fuel tanks where the Outback misses out by less than a gallon. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the XC60 is a clear favorite to own here.

Precision and accuracy will be enough to define the interior appeal offered by the Volvo XC60. The seat height and positioning are power-assisted and hence it makes the visibility and long hauling a simple science at the driver’s end. The spaciousness gives you the freedom to stretch and power-heating keeps you cuddling in the bucket seats. It does get a level up in the higher trims with R-Sports seats. Apart from that, the memory function has been integrated into it as well. The T-Tec Textile and Leather Upholstery are given a nice texture all around to achieve the premium feel from this beauty.

The XC60 outclasses all significantly in the cargo capacity and row seating. The one which is pretty close to it is the Subaru Outback or it won’t be misleading to accept the latter one a bit better as well. But MDX has a generous offering to seat 7 whereas others have a maximum capacity of 5 only. All of them are quite sound in their space management which is actually a part of their utilitarianism. Some of the features are:

• T-Tec Textile Seats
• Power-Assist Adjustment
• Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
• Power-Heating 
• Dual Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning 

How intuitive is the 2016 Volvo XC60’s infotainment unit?

The XC60 offers quite an interesting and flashy infotainment package which includes a standard 7” Display Unit along with Sensus Connect. Further adding to that is the 8-speaker audio set with an amplifier and SiriusXM satellite radio. Some other intangible assets are the Voice Activation Commands and Speed Compensated Volume Control, both being handy and functional simultaneously. The content does have HD Radio, iPod function, and USB standing next to in the line. Some of the features have been mentioned as follows:

• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Sensus Connect
• 7” Display Unit
• 8-speaker audio set 

The XC60 silhouette will never get outdated irrespective of time and generation. The bulged-out headlamps on the front with chrome accent grille are perfectly matched. Moreover, its look is so deceptive that it is equally tough to imagine the thrust it holds in its belly. The wide 18" Leda Diamond Cut Alloy or 20" Ixion II Alloy Wheels are charming as well which are in a golden aspect ratio of the overall design dimensions. The rear has a rear lip spoiler more for the downforce phenomenon and to cancel out turbulence than for the appearance perspective. On the whole, it will suit any frame and any curvature.

It is definitely a difficult task to conclude any story out of the spec sheet as all of them are in congruence with the standard figures of the segment. Even weight has a variation of 200 pounds or so among them which again does not seem to draw any conclusion. Therefore, on paper, they are on par in terms of their handling dynamics, body leaning, and body roll. And on top of that, there is a slight chance, they might even have the same nose dive as well. Some of the exterior features in the Volvo XC60 are:

• 18" Leda Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels
• 20" Ixion II Alloy Wheels
• Chrome Accent Grille
• Lip Spoiler

This domain is the forte of Volvo. Name it and it will definitely have it. XC60 has an overall 5-star in the NHTSA crash test in all parameters except the rollover. Even the IIHS has marked it with “Good” in all columns. This is concrete proof of its structural integrity. Now if one adds the spice of advanced tech-end, it becomes a recipe of its own league. Features like the Roll Stability Control, Electronic Stability Control, and Traction Control come as a standard along with Emergency SOS. It even gets Trailer Sway Control for extra benefit and control with the loading around the corner. Some of the features are:

• Trailer Sway Control
• ABS
• Traction Control
• Roll Stability Control
• Electronic Stability Control

With no doubt in one’s mind, the Volvo XC60 definitely makes it to the top of the wishlist. Adding it to the cart and exploring others might just waste your time as there is no one close to it in the myriads of offers. Speciousness, performance, and premium touch all at once can be availed of at the same time. The trim variation and powertrain availability make your job even more interesting to land on the special one which will serve your purpose to the fullest.