Volvo XC60 Part 2: Interior & User Experience

The Volvo XC60 is said to be the safest model ever created by the automaker best known for its contributions to vehicle safety. To its long list of passenger protecting innovations - which include the three-point seatbelt - Volvo introduces even more clever safety-minded technology in the XC60.

A lot of the advanced safety technology on board the XC60, you will hopefully never use. One feature I never want to test is the very descriptive Collision Warning with Auto Brake system. Another is the Lane Departure Warning system that alerts you audibly if you're drifting out of your lane. If you pay attention, and maybe mix in a double-espresso when you're feeling tired, you should never need them. But of course, they're not called accidents by accident, which is why the City Safety feature - which is standard on all XC60s - is perhaps the most useful of the various systems on this newest Volvo.

Volvo tells us that a full one-third of all reported accidents are low speed, rear impacts - in which the driver often doesn't even brake at all - So City Safety monitors the distance to the vehicle in front as you're crawling around with other traffic at up to 20 mph. If it determines that a collision is probable, it will pre-charge the brakes by moving the pads closer to the rotors and building pressure in the brake lines. If the driver really isn't paying attention and continues to get closer and closer to the vehicle in front, City Safety will actually apply the brakes at the last possible moment to prevent a collision.

In fact, the system works so well that many auto insurance companies will offer a lower premium to owners of XC60s. Expect many manufacturers to offer similar systems in the future.

While the laser-based City Safety system is pretty remarkable, I did find one downside. The radar and laser detector that so many of us use when commuting up and down the freeway are rendered pretty much useless by the windshield-mounted laser from the XC60, which keeps detectors beeping and buzzing every few seconds. It's so annoying, you just end up unplugging the thing, putting it in the glovebox and driving at the speed limit. Which if you think about it, is probably a good thing.

With all the talk of safety, it's easy to forget the quality of the XC60's interior. As is the case with most current Volvos, the floating center console is the focal point of the well-built interior. And while our test car's all black color scheme didn't represent the cabin to best effect, there are several optional colors and finishes available to liven up the interior. One thing that looks great as-is, is the view from the driver's seat.

The view out of the windshield is less Sport Utility and more Sports Car, with the thin A-pillars providing an expansive view ahead, and the sloping hood dropping away so quickly that you can't even see it, giving the XC60 a much more sporty feel than most vehicles of its type.

The XC60's small footprint helps with the sporty feel and provides ample space for four adults, although it's a bit of a tight fit for five - which, to be fair, is the case with most offerings in this class. And while there's ample cargo space in the back - 31 cu-ft to be exact - this XC is simply more sport oriented than utility oriented, which the young, active customers Volvo is expecting will probably appreciate.

But the main focus of the XC60's story and its biggest advantage remains safety. To paraphrase the popular bumper sticker - "stuff happens." And although most of us like to think it won't happen to us, the truth is, it can indeed. You don't get to choose the moment of an accident. That moment chooses you. With the numerous active safety technologies onboard the Volvo XC60, you can improve the odds that moment will pass you by.

Watch the video
Read Part 1: Design
Read Part 3: Performance

Volvo XC60

Performance
- Acceleration: Within its category, this thing is a rocket - nearly imperceptible turbo lag
- Handling: Surprisingly stiffly sprung, so it's sharp, although the ride suffers due to its non-compliant suspension - numb steering feel
- Braking: Like the steering, the brake pedal isn't exactly communicative, but it is effective

Design
- Exterior: Arguably the best looking Volvo in the company lineup (but the concept version was better still) - less Volvo-looking than some might want
- Interior: More drab than expected on our test car (go for the two-tone option) - a couple of design afterthoughts sprinkled about as well as some unexpected ergonomic flaws

Utility
- Comfort: Good seats, good visibility, and all the creature comforts expected - only the choppy ride lets it down
- Space: More spacious than almost all others in this class in back as well as in cargo area

Safety
- Dynamics: Sharp moves help the XC60 avoid accidents in the first place...
- Technology: ...but if they occur, it's got everything we've come to expect from a Volvo and then some - City Safety is an impressive feature (but a little scary to try out!)

Value
- Price: Considering the standard safety tech on board, it does represent good value - still easy to bump that price up high with options
- Mileage: Turbo thrust has its price, and the fact that the power is addictive doesn't help the cause in this area

Emotional Appeal
- Heart thumpin' factor: Perhaps if Scandinavian design is your thing, otherwise, not really
- Fun to spank: Not on the menu

SPECIFICATIONS

Layout: Front engine / All-wheel drive
Engine: 3.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-6
Power (SAE): 281 hp
Torque: 295 lb-ft
Gearbox: 6-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 4225 lbs.
0-60 mph: 7.1 sec.
Top Speed: 120 mph (electronically limited)
Mileage: 16 city / 22 highway
Base Price: $37,800
Competitors: Audi Q5, Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz GLK 350, Cadillac SRX