Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE Lux Start/Stop Premium Geartronic 5dr Car Review - February 2012

The XC60 AWD SE has a combined fuel economy of 41.5mpg which is impressive for a four wheel drive vehicle. In comparison the larger 4x4s have a far poorer economy; the Vauxhall Touareg is only capable of delivering 31.0mpg. When comparing the Volvo to similarly sized 4x4s the XC60 does come up a little short. For example the Audi Q3 2.5Tperforms a little better managing to achieve an impressive 47.9mpg.

Despite its disappointing lack of speed the XC60 AWD SE does redeem itself in acting as a market leader in terms of its handling. Volvo offers active suspension system which they call the Four-C, which gives the driver three options - comfort, advanced and sport which allow the driver to alter suspension to suit their own driving style or particular journey type. 4x4s often suffer from body roll however Volvo has kept this to the absolute minimum. The steering is well balanced and feels much more stable than many of its rivals.

Many small four wheels drives suffer from the same styling problem. They try to keep the looks of larger 4x4s despite being much smaller; because of this some of them seem to look a little boxy and awkward. One particular example of this is the Nissan Qashqai which is not exactly the most attractive of cars. Volvo has managed to avoid this by using smooth lines and rounded edges. There a number of exterior design features which add to the attractiveness of the XC60 AWD SE. The sculpted bumpers and rear LED lights add to the overall quality appearance.

The interior of the Volvo has been equally as well designed as the outside. The front seats provide an excellent amount of support and comfort, the adjustable steering column also adds to the sense of security. There is plenty of headroom and legroom for even the tallest of drivers and passengers. The boot is also bigger than its rivals with a capacity of 495 litres, which is actually a similar size to the larger Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid which has a capacity of 493 litres.

The XC60 AWD SE is fitted with an impressive array of features as standard, some of these include 17 inch alloy wheels, and steering wheel mounted stereo controls, USB input, climate control, reverse parking sensors, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Volvo V70 AWD SE scored the maximum available five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests, which is to be expected from a car of this quality, price and size. There are a number of safety features as standard; including twin and side airbags, cabin length window airbags, a strengthened roof and anti-whiplash head restraints.

Volvo offers a three year/60,000 miles warranty, and the brand has a reputation for quality.

With a purchase price of £39,235, the XC60 AWD SE is not cheap. In comparison, the Audi Q3 2.5T is priced much lower at £28,460, but of course delivers far less. In the ends it depends on how much the customer is willing to spend, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.

The fuel economy of the Volvo XC60 AWD SE is also poorer than that of the Audi and is more expensive to run, adding to this the Volvo produces more CO2 emitting 179g/km, higher than the 156g/km of the Audi Q3 2.5T. This means that the Volvo is in the more expensive I road tax bracket, compared to the Audi’s band G.