March launch for XC60
Volvo's XC60 undercuts X3, beats Q5 to market, but even the base model can't avoid the Luxury Car TaxVolvo has revealed the pricing structure for its new SUV model, the XC60 -- and there's good news and there's bad news. Of the three variants (a base-grade diesel D5, an 'up-spec' D5 LE and the turbo petrol six-cylinder T6), only the first comes anywhere near sliding in under the Luxury Car Tax.
Furthermore, and unlike the 2.0-litre diesel variant of the BMW X3 which is the Volvo's closest competitor in the market, the diesel-engined variants cannot achieve a fuel consumption figure below the 7.0L/100km threshold that would have saved XC60 buyers from paying the Luxury Car Tax.
On the plus side for Volvo, the five-cylinder diesel develops 136kW of power and 400Nm of torque, giving it a significant edge over the base-grade BMW.
There's further good news in the XC60 arriving at a price point below the entry-level X3 -- the same X3 xDrive20d mentioned above. In its entry-level form, with a five-cylinder turbodiesel, the XC60 is priced at $57,950, which is $770 above the Luxury Car Tax threshold.
Volvo has set the price of the XC60 D5 LE at $64,450 and the petrol turbo XC60 T6 3.0 costs $500 more, $64,950. The latter is powered by a 210kW engine which propels the XC60 to 100km/h from a standing start in 7.5 seconds. Both petrol and diesel variants drive through a six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission.
According to the importer, the new SUV is "the safest Volvo ever". The company's claim rests primarily on the XC60's City Safety system, which monitors traffic around the car and the car's speed and proximity to other vehicles, taking control of the braking if a contingency arises.
"The new XC60 will further raise the levels of dynamism within the Volvo lineup, as well as introducing what is perhaps the greatest step forward yet in terms of active safety with the new City Safety system," said Volvo's local MD, Alan Desselss.
When the XC60 goes on sale, it will also be equipped with a Haldex electronically-controlled all-wheel-drive system, complemented by stability and traction control systems, as well as Roll Stability Control.
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