2018 Volvo XC60 review, road test

Luxuriously appointed, smart-looking and relaxing to drive, the new XC60 is a serious contender in its segment.

Published on Mar 15, 2018 02:43:00 PM

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It isn’t the last word in refinement but the engine delivers its power in an effortless and fuss-free manner.

Air-sprung suspension delivers good high-speed stability.

Volvo’s Sensus touchscreen system can split opinion. On one hand, you have a large, easy-to- use 9.0-inch screen, while on the other it lacks a navigation dial or trackpad that would have enabled few more operations without having to take your eyes off the road. Plus it’s laid out vertically, unlike the landscape orientation that’s the norm; this does offer some benefits like instinctive vertical scrolling instead of side swiping and seeing more of your route ahead on maps. Another rather cool bit is how you can split the screen into two halves and use the car’s OS as well as Android Auto or Apple CarPlay simultaneously. The screen isn’t the last word in touch-responsiveness but it’s quick enough to not prove irritating. What is irritating though is the lack of a folder view to access the music on your pen drive; you instead get categories like song list, artist, album and others. The sound quality from the 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system is stellar, and the signature yellow speaker cones are a rather cool touch as is the Gothenburg City Concert Hall sound setting.