Volvo XC60 2019 Review Long-term Test #3

Taking a shiny new car out for a test drive at the dealership can feel like an out-of-skin experience for many, and often it is.

Without the rigours of keeping to a time, the concerns of traffic or whether the Pepper Pig toy actually made it out of the public toilet you’ve just stopped at, a new car can take on added zeal during a lap of block – especially with a convincing salesman riding shotgun.

Happily, our long-term Volvo XC60 has managed to maintain its lustre after several months in the carsales.com.au garage.

Volvo marketing speak occasionally cites the car-maker’s interiors as Swedish sanctuaries, and the XC60 definitely subscribes to the rhetoric. Our Volvo XC60 D5 R-Design reads like a well-written real estate advertisement: light-filled and airy, inspired by European design philosophies, modern appliances etc.

The test for the XC60 is how the pretty facade relates to the real world, and specifically, whether the XC60 is truly big enough for a young family.

The Volvo XC60 measures 4.68 metres long and 1.9 metres wide, with a wheelbase of 2.86 metres.

Why are we telling you this? Interior proportions. Within the confines of the mid-size SUV segment, the XC60 is never going to have the sprawling cabin space of vehicles the next segment up; the Volvo XC90, for instance.

So is it big enough as a kiddie hauler? The answer will change dependent on families, but in this case, it makes the cut.

Even after several months at the wheel, the headline feature here remains cabin design and presentation. First row or second row, the cabin materials are immaculate and the attention to detail is impressive: perforated leather seats with contrasted white stitching, nicely textured door and dashboard trims and metal highlights are scattered around the cabin in a way that is tastefully smart.

Equally, cabin ergonomics are spot-on; the driving position is amenable to long interstate journeys – within easy reach of the controls and excellent forward vision – while the centre touchscreen and digital instrument cluster are easy to navigate and minimise distraction.

On the driving position, a high-set transmission tunnel affords the impression that you are truly sitting inside the car and not on top of it, which helps cultivate a better feel at the wheel.

Elsewhere, spending an extended amount of time with a car, you begin to appreciate the small ‘1 per cent’ touches. In the XC60’s case, a driver’s side ticket holder, individual interior lights for the outward rear passenger seats, a keyless entry feature on all four doors (not just the front doors), and a handy 10-speaker stereo as standard, for instance.

The R-Design package lends the XC60 a slightly sportier vibe than other models, with a black headlining and ‘metal mesh’ inlays in the dashboard. The cabin sophistication is further punctuated by small Swedish flags dotted around the dashboard and seat trims. Very cool.

In storage terms, there are generous door pockets all round, a handily-sized centre console and a central open cubby area big enough for coffees and/or odds and ends, complete by a sliding lid to keep items out of sight when the vehicle is locked.

Jumping into the rear seat only extends the initial impression: there are no visible material shortcuts, and the outer pews are comfortable and amply bolstered like the chairs up front.

The Volvo XC60 wins major points for the installation of in-built booster seats in the outer pews. These effectively replace regular booster seats for children aged four and over (as a guide). The booster function has been an XC60 staple since its inception, and it works seamlessly, popping up and clicking into place the fold of a lever.

Elsewhere, the XC60 earns plaudits for rear air vents – both central and B-pillar mounted – a flipdown armrest with two cupholders and a storage compartment, and separate temperature settings.

Two outer ISOFIX points are easy to attach child seats to, mated with nicely seat anchorage points on the back of each seat, plus a further anchorage for the middle seat.

Downsides? An in-built sunshade as standard would be nice, as would rear-mounted USB points. Another consideration when carrying little ones is the XC60’s sizeable transmission tunnel.

Similarly, ferrying kids in and out of the cabin is made marginally more difficult by a relatively small rear door aperture. It’s no deal breaker, but it is noticeable.

The XC60’s upward beltline design has imposed some restriction too, namely the high-set rear windows which restrict outward vision for kiddies.

Rear shoulder room and head room is sufficient, even with our test car’s full-length glass sunroof scalping a few centimetres in headroom. Leg room is a pass, just; a forward-facing child seat is accommodated relatively easily, but a rear-facing unit will force the front passenger to move the seat forward considerably.

Anyone who’s vaguely versed on children would know they come with a lot of baggage. Physical baggage, of course.

Shoehorning the obligatory wealth of prams, car seats, sunshades – half the house! – into the rear of the XC60 reveals its one shining limitation: boot space.

The 510-litre boot is easily accessed and can be extended via 60:40 split-fold seats, however it feels a little short in length, struggling to fit a fold-up designer pram in length-wise. Ultimately, you can make it work with a bit of adult Tetris, however, it’s an area that the XC60 sadly falls short of its rivals.

This point is reinforced during our long-term loan when your correspondent is asked to drive the larger XC90 for a week (full review of that model in the link. Here, the boot is markedly longer and broader, and swallows a day trip’s worth of luggage more comfortably.

Despite that, the XC60 manages to get the job done, redeeming itself with a sunshade and an excellent powered-tailgate feature that shuts the tailgate and locks the entire vehicle in one touch. Just brilliant if you’ve got your hands full.

In our next Volvo XC60 long-term instalment, we cover the car’s infotainment, safety and technology repertoire.

How much does the 2019 Volvo XC60 D5 R-Design cost?
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 (2017)