Volvo’s second-gen XC60 vies in a highly competitive sector and aims to underscore the brand’s latest hit features.
It’s now virtually a given that should any luxury car brand wish to find success with mid-sized SUVs in Thailand, they need to pitch their respective products in the three to 3.5 million baht price bracket. After all, that’s where all the main action is really taking place.
Look at the European camp, for one. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo all have serious contenders in the guise of the Q5, X3, GLC and XC60.
And, remarkably, the foursome all have similarly powered diesel engines to properly suit the SUV concept.
But it’s the all-new XC60, with its so-called D4 diesel motor, that’s begging for attention from potential buyers of such vehicles. With a price tag of 3.09 million baht in Momentum spec, Volvo’s second-generation XC60 is the most attractively priced option among the Europeans.
That’s because Volvo has been swift in bringing knocked-down kits to its Malaysian factory. The third-gen X3, which was launched in the Thailand late last year at roughly the same time as the latest XC60, is still an import from outside Asean. Hence, the lofty 3.699 million baht asking price.
And the good thing about the XC60 is its uncompromised kit. Despite being the cheapest around, it’s the most comprehensively equipped. In the usual Volvo fashion, there’s an array of passive safety features and driver-assist tech.
With the ability to automatically guide the vehicle on a properly marked road lane, you can consider the new XC60 to have semi-autonomous driving ability. Yes, the XC60 looks seriously good value on paper.
Design-wise, the XC60 also comes with the latest DNA already applied in the renewed XC90, S90 and V90. Distinctive exterior cues include the Thor’s hammer-style front lamps, vertical tail lights and the gentle sloping of the window lines on both sides of the vehicle.
Sure, the previous XC60 bore some similar elements, but the transition to the new model is quite pronounced and effective in giving it that Swedish feel Volvo wants to emulate.
Jump inside the XC60 and the association it has with the XC90 (and S90 and V90, as well) becomes even clearer. That shared iPad-style touchscreen and digital instrument panel are the two key things that separate old XC60 from new. Both work well and make the XC60’s driving cockpit feel quite different from all of its competitors.
18-inch wheels look a little bland in appearance.
Due to intense competition in this particular market for premium SUVs, the XC60’s usability doesn’t seem to lag behind its opposition. There are four shapely seats (the perch for the fifth occupant is acceptable, if not comfy as the others), ample legroom for everyone and a well-shaped boot that becomes flat when the rear seats fold down.
The X3 wins over the XC60 with just one practical detail: the ability to fold the rear backrests in three bits. Other than that, the field is practically level among these four European SUVs if you don’t rely on dimensional statistics.
Likewise, the XC90 is built on the latest SPA platform that underpins all 90-series models, plus the upcoming new-generation V60 and S60. This particular underpinning has been designed to accommodate both conventional engines and plug-in hybrid systems. The XC60 also has the semi-electric T8 to choose from, although the focus would first be on the D4 this week.
D4 is the most attractively priced SUV in-class.
Like in the X3, which sees a carried-over 190hp diesel block and eight-speed automatic, the XC60’s drivetrain comes straight from its predecessor.
Even so, the XC60 still offers performance, economy and refinement virtually on par with all of its competitors. In other words, the XC60 has plenty of power tractability, circa-17kpl capability and a hushed cabin when cruising.
You might wonder why Volvo, like BMW, hasn’t really tried to push the goalposts with this specific strata of diesel power.
According to top executives at the Thai Volvo office, the promotion from now onwards is on plug-in hybrid technology for petrol engines; diesel will only continue to be offered until nobody demands for it.
Diesel hits the right buttons by modern standards.
Speaking of that, Mercedes has recently confirmed that diesel isn’t out of the picture yet. At next month’s Geneva motor show, Mercedes will extend plug-in hybrid know-how to its latest four-cylinder diesel in the facelifted C-class (today’s C350e plug-in runs on petrol). So, it’s probably different strategies by different makers.
But if there’s something the XC60 can’t do better than its opponents, it would be the chassis department. The ride, for one, feels a little too soft and occasionally unsettled on not-so-perfect road surfaces. The X3, on the other hand, feels more composed and comfier.
And despite not being genuinely fluent when it comes to handling sharpness, the XC60 still steers with enough ease for the average driver. In fact, sheer driving dynamics has hardly ever been a strong point in Volvos of present and yore.
So while the XC60 may not be a total joy when it comes to the driving experience, it still scores strongly elsewhere by being having strong safety credentials, the ability to make driving easier for buyers, yet capable diesel and a modern and highly usable interior.
And all of this comes at a price to make its rivals look expensive in comparison. The latest XC60 is possibly showing Volvo’s quest to expand its sales in Thailand after being stagnant for too long while segment leaders have continuously grew over the past years.
