Volvo’s best-selling range, the XC60, was recently updated. Coinciding with a raft of visual changes inside and out, the addition of a number of safety features (no surprise there, it is a Volvo after all) and chassis and suspension enhancements, the company has also launched a whole new range of powertrains under the moniker Drive-E. From January, the local roll-out will start and it will be complete when every new Volvo has a four-cylinder engine under its bonnet. “January?,” you may ask. “Why then test an XC60 with an old engine?” Well, we’re not so sure why Volvo sent us one, either. But, except for the new powertrain range (see Drive-E engines for 2014 below), the rest of the revised vehicle stays the same.
The front sports flatter, wider headlamps, and the grille is all new. Colour-coding replaces charcoal-plastic accents, while 20-inch wheels are now an option. It’s a welcome visual update to a vehicle that has been around since end-2008. And it’s much needed, because since its launch BMW has introduced a new X3, Audi the Q5 and Mercedes-Benz launches a new (and RHD this time) GLK in a few months’ time.
Inside, the changes have been more subtle, and include new wood inlays and a texturised roofliner and B-pillars, and metal-look trim around the air vents and light controls.
Cabin-material quality is excellent, but our test vehicle (which, admittedly, had high mileage – 9 000 km – for a press car) rattled far more than a premium SUV should. The cabin is otherwise great, with spectacularly comfy seats front to rear and a large boot. This being a Volvo, the standard-fitment audio system is also exceptional.
The suspension gains Corner Traction Control, which functions as a torque-vectoring system that brakes the inner wheels while powering the outer wheels when accelerating out of corners. I have a confession: I never felt CTC in action simply because the XC60 washes into tyre-squealing understeer so soon that you immediately back off. The steering is also no match for the X3’s, while the ride is inconsistent – long-wave undulations are dealt with just fine but road scars often penetrate the otherwise refined cabin. On the highway, it’s great; in town, its German rivals are more composed.
The warbly 2,4-litre turbodiesel performs admirably, hitting 100 km/h in 9,09 seconds, accelerating from 80 to 120 km/h in 6,03 seconds and braking from 100 km/h in an average of 3,05 seconds. But the engine is off the pace in terms of refinement or vibration suppression. The XC60 deserves the new engines.
Spec-wise, this Elite model is at the head of the class. But so it should be; at R555 200, it costs a great deal more than the BMW X3 xDrive20d Steptronic (R514 270) and Audi Q5 2,0 TDI S Quattro S tronic (R519 000). Volvo will argue those cars have less power and torque, and expensive options, but the fact is they perform just as well – if not better – as the 1,9-tonne XC60 D5.
So, a worthwhile update to the range, but don’t buy one until the introduction of the Drive-E range (or haggle for a huge discount at your local Volvo dealer if you must have one now).
Drive-E engines for 2014
The XC60 will have three new engines: the 180 kW/350 N.m 2,0-litre T5 turbopetrol, 225 kW/400 N.m T6 turbopetrol and the replacement for the D5 driven here, the 133 kW/400 N.m D4. The latter consumes a claimed 4,7 litres/100 km on the combined cycle and emits 124 grams per kilometre of CO2. These soundly beat the D5’s 6,4/169. The case for the D5 is dismissed.
Specifications:
Model: Volvo Xc60 D5 Geartronic AWD Elite
Engine: 2,4-litre, five-cylinder, turbodiesel
Power: 158 kW at 4 000 r/min
Torque: 440 N.m at 1 500-3 000 r/min
0-100 km/h: 10,2 seconds
Fuel consumption: 6,4 L/100 km
CO2: 169 g/km
Top speed: 205 km/h
Price: R555 200
Maintenance plan: 5 years/100 000 km
Service intervals: 15 000 km
Test results:
0-60 km/h: 4,40 seconds
0-100 km/h: 9,09 seconds
40-80 km/h: 3,90 seconds
80-120 km/h: 6,03 seconds
100-0 km/h: 3,05 seconds (average of 10 braking tests)
CAR fuel index: 7,68 L/100 km
CAR fuel run: 7,3 L/100 km
