Volvo V60 a premium estate to challenge the SUV

IT’S just a sneaking suspicion, but it would not at all shock me if — when he is finished his exhausting Christmas schedule — Santa and Mrs Claus strike out for their holidays from their North Pole lair, they would do so in a Volvo V60 D4 Inscription.

Sat, 22 Dec, 2018 - 00:00

Declan Colley

This notion struck me when testing the car recently. I was musing to myself — as one does when pondering the important aspects of life, the world and things in general — that Santa and his hard-working crew must get pretty knackered in the run-up to Christmas.

I mean, what with the endless hours of preparation for the big day and then that frantic global rush to get presents to every child in the world, poor Santa, Mrs Claus and all the elves must be knackered by the time it is all over and thoroughly in need of a deserved break.

That being so, what sort of a car would they have to have that would easily meet all their diverse needs and requirements as they head south for their holliers.

Given Santa’s geographical location it is only fair to assume he would have a predilection for cars made in neighbouring Sweden and, given that Volvo is the only such thing left, it would have to be one of theirs.

And, of course, in order to get all his gear in to such a car — not to mention that of his missus and their adopted elfin family — it would probably have to be an SUV or an estate. As he spends so much time in his sleigh, I suspect the joys of an SUV would be a little lost on him. Thus the Volvo V60 would be an ideal choice for the great man.

Competing against the might of the German hordes in the mid-sized executive estate market and facing the likes of the Audi A4 Avant, the BMW 3 Series Touring and the Mercedes C-Class Estate, the Volvo has a tough beat to work.

That said it is a very executive looking thing; all clean, confident lines, highly spacious and jammed with tech. It is a highly accomplished vehicle — albeit with one or two minor things to quibble about — and a dashingly handsome one and those twin factors add up to a machine which is every bit the sophisticated type that its German rivals market so successfully.

Indeed since Ford sold Volvo off to the Chinese and allowed it rediscover its design mojo on the back of substantial Sino investment, the Swedish company has rarely put a foot wrong — particularly on the model development front.

They kicked off with the XC90 and continued with the S and V90, the XC60, the XC40, the S60 and now the V60. And there’s a lot more to come on the road to establishing Volvo as one of the true premium brands.

Volvo estates, of course, have always had an appeal for middle-ground buyers who didn’t mind the traditional brick-like styling and mild performance parameters of yore.

Nowadays, however, the company has moved into producing seriously upper-class cars which largely look and drive like they should. People will like this Volvo a lot too.

It is also worth pointing out that a car such as the V60 also has a real shot at taking sales from the by now all-conquering SUV, simply on the basis that it has all the built-in practicality of such things and all the on-road presence as well. It might not have the SUVs high driving position, but such is the opulence of the cabin, people will forgive it that.

The basics of this car are that it is a front-drive machine and possibly therefore looked-down upon by those who prefer the rear-drive systems employed by the Teutonic hordes, but it is something which works well both in an urban environment and especially so as a cruising machine which will eat miles of motorway roads without demur.

Some might posit that you will find on minor or B-roads it is well surpassed in the handling and ride departments by its German rivals, but this is to overstate the abilities of those rivals. Sure the V60 might not be as dynamic under pressure, but for the ordinary family driver that is something they will neither want nor need to find out.

It has a poised demeanour, whatever reasonable task is asked of it and that also translates into an exceptionally comfortable experience for both driver and passengers. Throw in some of the most comfortable seats you’ll find this side of a sofa factory and you have a very desirable package indeed.

A familiar D4 two-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine is a smooth and potent performer, what with some 190 bhp on tap, as well as an earthy 400 Nm of torque. This translates into a 7.9 second 0-100 kph time and a 220 kph top speed, all the while returning a 5.9 l/100km (47.4 mpg) consumption rate and a 141 g/km emission level for a €270 annual tax bill.

The engine is allied to an eight speed auto ’box which appears programmed to keep engine speed at within lower range than some might like, which makes the system a tad jerky if you’re constantly seeking to extract the most from it. But the system also highlights the ‘cruiser’ nature of the car and underlines its appeal to drivers who prefer smooth and simple rather than fast and brutal.

IT will also appeal to people who love the high quality Scandi design on offer here. Again the car looks the Germans in the eye and doesn’t flinch. It oozes class and — in Inscription spec — you get leather upholstery, electric seats and that wonderful infotainment touchscreen layout which we first saw in the XC90 and which is still one of the most intuitive and easy to use such systems there is around.

The interior décor makes the V60 a really nice place to be — even for very long periods to time and the brightness and airiness Volvo has built in is certainly an object lesson to those manufacturers whose preference is for a considerably gloomier look.

Interior space too is impressive, although the middle seat in the rear is somewhat compromised by the transmission tunnel built into the car for the 4x4 variants which are sold in other European markets. But that is only a small quibble.

Volvo has made a seriously good car here and one which will, I have no doubt, find favour with very many customers who want something different from the German offerings out there.

I suspect Santa feels that way too and once his enormous workload in the coming days has been completed, I’d lay hard-earned money it’s a V60 he is loading up for his well-earned holiday. I must write to him to ask.