Volvo XC60 2019 Review Long-term Test #1

If the measure of family SUV was ever premised around the way it makes you feel, we might have struck gold with our newest long-termer, the Volvo XC60.

Volvo might have a history in safety systems, and more recently it is making big in-roads with alternative drivetrain technology, but our new diesel-powered XC60 D5 R-Design is essentially a 101 in design.

That is doubles as a practical, family-friendly SUV is an added bonus. But an imperative one at that.

Priced from $75,990 (plus on-road costs), the D5 R-Design sits at the pointier end of the XC60 line-up. The R-Design is essentially the highest available grade of the mid-sizer and imbues it with added power and torque, added equipment and a sportier vibe.

Standard features include 21-inch alloy wheels with temporary spare, ‘Clean-zone’ four-way climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, sat-nav, keyless entry and start, Bluetooth and hands-free powered tailgate.

Of course, no luxury car would be complete without a lengthy options list, and the XC60 sings to the usual song sheet. Heated front seats ($500), metallic paint ($1900) and tinted windows ($650) are all part of the glossy optional extras catalogue, or can be bundled into four different packages.

Back to the internals, all the key tech functions are projected onto a 9.0-inch portrait-layout centre screen.

The screen eschews most traditional hard-wired buttons and switchgear and buys into the interior’s minimalist theme – even the climate control. While some might take issue with navigating the menus and subsequent sub-menus, over several weeks we are happy with how the system works in daily life.

The centre screen is matched by a brilliant 12.3-inch display in the driver instrument cluster. It is one of the smartest going, clearly and concisely conveying important information without distracting the driver. Elsewhere, there’s a high-res head-up display that complements eyes on the road.

On the safety front, the XC60 is naturally one of the best-equipped on Australian roads, with a range of features comprising autonomous emergency braking with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot information with cross traffic alert and rear collision warning, adaptive cruise control including pilot assist (steering input), driver alert control and lane departure warning, full airbag coverage and an overview camera with front and rear parking sensors.

The XC60 D5 R-Design is equipped with 2400kg braked towing capacity and three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Servicing intervals are rated at every 12 months/15,000km. Volvo offers two different servicing plans that can be purchased upon the point of sale: SmartCare and SmartCare Plus, the latter incorporating consumables like wiper blades, brakes (pads and discs) and pollen filters, plus the occasional wheel alignment.

All up, Volvo says the more basic SmartCare will cost $2225 over three years or $3050 in the case of SmartCare Plus. Keep an eye out for our more comprehensive servicing review when we take the XC60 to a local dealer.

Whereas rivalling SUVs have long focussed on performance or off-road credentials, the XC60 treads its own path to SUV stardom.

Interior sustenance and practicality are the key talking points, and in truth, enamour your correspondent before I’ve even driven out of Volvo Australia’s head office car park.

The interior is at once aesthetically pleasing, well resolved and practical. Take the driver’s seat, which is positioned low enough within the cockpit to make you feel as though you’re sitting in the car and not on top of it – thanks in part to a high-set transmission tunnel and door cards – yet offers a relatively unobscured outlook of the road.

Moreover, all the key controls are within reach and the materials feel top-notch, headlined by soft-to-touch contact points that are interspersed by ‘metal mesh’ décor inlays. Seat comfort is supreme, and to the earlier point of resolve and practicality, is achieved via remarkably slim chairs that are yet well bolstered and supportive.

The tech repertoire works well initially and becomes more familiar with wheel time – the centre touchscreen particularly.

If anything, the XC60’s lack of a regular reversing camera (overhead view only) tends to accentuate a natural lack of rear vision; small wing mirrors and rather cumbersome C-pillar are the key culprits here.

We’ll get to a more detailed driving impression in the coming updates but initially, the Volvo feels well acquitted across a variety of duties.

The ride and handling balance errs on the sportier side of the ledger, with a slight sharpness over b-grade roads, but is otherwise redeemed with excellent cabin acoustics and planted feeling on the road.

Diesels might be on the nose internationally, but the 2.0-litre four-cylinder in the D5 feels like a strong match for its two-tonne heft. Low-speed grumble and turbo lag aside, the D5 really finds its feet in the middling revs, particularly out of corners.

Highway cruising is another oiler forte, at which point it settles into a relaxed warble, pedalling along below 2000rpm courtesy of the quick-witted automatic.

The diesel ultimately lacks the refinement and zing of the equivalent T5 turbo-petrol, however the diesel is a true fuel miser, averaging in the low 7.0L/km during our opening weeks at the wheel.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we cover off: comprehensive drive review, infotainment and technology, interior and servicing experience.

If first impressions last, this could be a happy marriage indeed.

motoring.com.au aims to make your choice of vehicle easier. Our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews, as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend even longer with a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, the servicing, and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers a deeper insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nit-pick — just like real owners do.

2019 Volvo XC60 D5 R-Design pricing and specifications:
Price: $75,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 177kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 148g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP