Volvo V60 2018 Review

Sibling rivalry

The biggest threat to the sales potential of Volvo’s new V60 won’t emerge from the German triumvirate of Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. It will be much closer to home.

The XC60 medium SUV that precedes this new station wagon has been an out and out success for the Swedish marque, winning accolades and sales with its mix of style, safety and high-riding finesse.

Volvo isn’t delusional; the firm knows SUVs are all the rage in countries like Australia. But in Europe, its home market, the wagon is still a huge drawcard, especially with families.

To truly counter the explosion of SUVs including the XC60, Volvo has leveraged the V60’s space and practicality for 2018. On sale in Australia from the fourth quarter, priced from about $60,000, the V60 is based on the Volvo’s SPA architecture – the fifth such new model to employ the underpinnings.

The V60’s other major appeal is that of safety, thanks to development of systems already employed in other recent releases.

Engine choices are still up for debate in Australia, but will be purely a four-cylinder range. Here, we’ve tested the four-cylinder T6 petrol and D4 diesel. In time, Volvo will offer the T8 plug-in hybrid as it does with other models.

We put the V60 under the microscope this week at its international launch in Spain.

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New heights

A direct result of the V60’s new underpinnings is that is has grown considerably. Matured, even.

Side-by-side images of the outgoing model against its replacement reveal a car with more striking features, including those fancy ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlights, bolder character lines and a re-worked glasshouse that helps lend the vehicle an extended, more premium appearance.

Overall length has been increased by 13cm, most of that absorbed by a 10cm longer wheelbase. The front overhang is shorter and the rear overhand longer – the upshot being considerably more occupant space than the outgoing model, which engineers concede was “the short one” in its segment.

The numbers agree. According to spokespeople, the V60 now boasts class-leading second-row knee room and its 529-litre boot in fact measures larger than the XC60 (505 litres).

The safety arsenal on V60 is a formidable one. A stronger passenger cell teams with an improved version of Volvo’s City Safety with Autobrake function, which allows the vehicle to drive itself (hands still on the wheel, eyes on the road) at speeds of up to 130km/h, keeping tabs on pedestrians, cyclists and large animals.

Initially, the V60 will available in two trim levels. Momentum models offer black cladding around the exhaust outlets, window trims, and lighting surrounds, while flagship Inscription models introduce chrome embellishments to those areas, along with bespoke 19-inch alloy wheel designs.

Momentum models will be offered with a textile cloth seat fabric in Australia, Inscription adding leather and other inlays and interior highlights. All Volvo V60 models will come with Volvo’s Sensus infotainment setup, which does away with a lot of the buttons and clutter by integrating them into a large central touch-screen. It also gets the usual Apple and Android phone compatibility.

The range will be broadened down the track with the introduction of a sportier R-Design variant. Volvo officials are reticent to say whether the R-Design offering will truly spice up the V60 dynamically – our initial drive suggests there is plenty of scope to do so.

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Handsome Swede

Climbing into any one of the V60’s five chairs is almost an exploration in design, such is the quality of materials and integration of the cabin.

Premium timber inlays combine with tasteful stitched leather, comfortable chairs and crisp LCD displays across both rows of seating. Two USB points up front combine with a second row household power outlet in European V60 models, along with a 12-volt socket in the boot.

We will ultimately reserve judgement on the final finish and equipment levels until Australian-specific models touch down. Early suggestions are that many of the interior niceties will be optional.

What we are guaranteed of getting is the Sensus infotainment set-up. Navigating menus within the 9.0-inch display screen can be tricky at first, made harder by the lack of physical switchgear, but the overall mix is strong and elevates the V60 on previous offerings.

Elsewhere, storage is generally well thought-out, with enough nooks and cubbies for day-to-day ease. Second-row space is certainly plentiful, lending the Volvo a slight edge over the Germans.

However, the V60’s family amenity isn’t without criticism. A high-set window line that rakes up at the rear promises to impose restrictions on outward viewing, particularly for small children.

The rear seat bases are quite short, which limits comfort and support. In addition, Volvo doesn’t offer the V60 with in-built child booster seats that have been such a drawcard in the XC60 – despite touting it as a ‘family estate’.

Further back, the V60 claws back valuable points against its SUV brethren with a handy 529-litre boot replete with handy partitions, a luggage cover and 60:40-split quick-fold seat releases for access to the second row.

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On the road

The V60 arrives at a confusing dichotomy behind the wheel. It is neither a standout for ride quality or noise and vibration levels, nor a new class benchmark for dynamism. Conservatism clearly reigns at its manufacturing base in Sweden.

In daily conveyance, it bears all the hallmarks of a svelte European wagon thanks to a quiet, rattle-free environment, nippy handling and adequate body control. But limitations are soon discovered.

Riding on 19-inch wheels, the V60s we drove on Spanish backroads were fitted with adaptive dampers (fixed-rate shocks will be standard in Australia). The longer proportions and upscale interior suggest we’re in for a soft, pillowy ride, but that’s not always the case.

Harsh bumps are reflected as such through the cabin and the V60 doesn’t appear to set any new noise and vibration standards on Barcelona’s mostly bowling green-smooth roads.

And while the added space is a boon for families, the larger proportions and added 55kg in kerb weight has imposed some restrictions on the V60’s dynamics.

In the face of competitors like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, the 1720kg V60 feels big, flat-footed and, at times, off the pace.

Slow, slightly numb steering, a gearbox with uninspiring shift patterns and a lack of steering wheel paddles leave the V60 feeling somewhat unconvincing on a challenging piece of road.

The gearbox is the major buzzkill, refusing to hold onto gears in manual mode, and simply shifting when you don’t want it to. Even the manual gate is ho-hum, thanks to a back-to-front shift configuration.

These traits occur irrespective of drive mode, the sportiest ‘Dynamic’ setting failing to elicit significantly more enthusiasm from the steering rack or the eight-speed automatic.

Fortunately, the 228kW/400Nm T6 petrol engine shades some of the dynamic oversight. It is simply brilliant, offering an ease of use at low revs that belies its small 2.0-litre capacity.

In Volvo speak, the T6 is ‘twin charged’, concurrently employing a supercharger and turbocharger. Peak torque materialises from 2200rpm, while maximum power is available from 6000rpm – ensuring a brisk enough 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds.

It is a pliable engine and offers a useable torque curve at low revs. Yet it will happily stride towards its 6500rpm cut-out, singing a muted but satisfying tune in the process.

By comparison, the diesel-powered 140kW/400Nm D4 struggles to give you a real reason for consideration over the T6 petrol. It’s grumbly, prone to more low-down lag, and feels a little languid under hard acceleration.

Officially, it has a 0-100km/h time of 7.9 seconds and a combined fuel figure of 4.7L/100km.

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Has Volvo reinvented the wagon, then?

The new V60 is a considerable leap forward on its predecessor and its added proportions will be welcomed by its target market.

But in some respects, the V60 struggles to outclass key competitors, or for that matter the formidable new XC60, where it really should.

Yes, it is stylish, safe and practical. But in making the V60 more family-friendly, has Volvo compromised what should be its key selling point over any SUV: fun, low-slung dynamics at the wheel?

How much is the 2018 Volvo V60 T6?
Price: $73,000 (estimated)
On sale: Q4 2018
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo/supercharged petrol four-cylinder
Output: 228kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km
CO2: 184g/km
Safety rating: TBC