Volvo XC60 2019 Review Long-term Test #4

Volvo and safety. In motoring terms, perhaps only Tesla’s reliance on electricity is more embedded.

Safety has been an integral factor in the Swedish car-maker’s direction for decades, so it makes sense our long-term Volvo XC60 is loaded to the hilt with the latest safety aids and acronyms.

To-date in our long-term series, we’ve covered pricing and spec, a road trip and driving impressions and the intricacies of the interior. Here, we put the XC60’s safety, technology and infotainment under the microscope.

In safety terms, the Volvo XC60 is one of the more comprehensive cars on Aussie 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.

Those features are on top of frontal, side and driver knee airbags, inflatable curtains and whiplash injury protection systems, plus well-honed stability control and ABS functions.

Furthermore, the Volvo XC60 is complete with a safety warning triangle, a 360-degree camera with front and rear parking sensors, Intelligent Driver Information System, and system that flashes the brake lights during heavy braking.

The XC60 was awarded the full complement of five stars when the current model was tested in October, 2017. It scored 37.25 out of a possible 38 for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 95 per cent for safety assist and 76 per cent for pedestrian protection – at the time, considered benchmark scores across the industry.

In practice, the Volvo lives up to the hype. Along with surefooted dynamics and an effective all-wheel drive system, the different electronic aids are well-metered with their inputs, chiming in effectively yet benignly.

A case in the point is the car’s active cruise control function, which uses small steering inputs to maintain lane positioning while keeping a safe distance from the car in front.

We’ve tested the system on numerous occasions, running at 100km/h into a long line of banked traffic. In every instance, it has applied the brakes gradually, slowing down to the speed of the traffic in front, and even speeding up where safe to do to.

It’s a similar story with the autonomous emergency braking function, which has intervened in a couple of instances over six months’ worth of driving, but is yet to react to false alarm. In the company of countless rivalling systems that are prone to mistake, the Volvo XC60’s systems are truly first class.

We’ve already covered cabin size, comfort and ergonomics in an earlier interior review, but here we come to grips with the Volvo XC60’s tech-centric infotainment suite.

In short, it works really well. In fact, complaints of the minimalist switchgear layout (read: there are about half a dozen physical button in the centre fascia) have only diluted with more time at the wheel.

The portrait-orientated Windows CE-powered touchscreen bristles proudly from the dashboard centre fascia, housing everything from radio and climate control temperature settings to the car’s active safety system settings.

The entire suite, dubbed Sensus, often requires a couple of steps to adjusting simple functions like air-conditioning fan speed, but on the move there is minimal fuss in navigating an additional screen.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are inclusive, complementing the car’s already-strong infotainment system.

Like a smart phone, there’s a hard-wired home button at the bottom of the portrait screen to return to the car’s main menu, which can be swiped left or right to navigate sub-menus. Naturally, the navigation system allows you to pinch and zoom like a smartphone too.

One potential gripe for the tech-conscious might be the XC60’s lack of USB points; there are only two spread across the five-seat cabin.

A 12.3-inch digital display in the driver’s instrument cluster only reinforces the XC60’s tech repertoire, conveying key numbers cleanly and concisely. The digital readouts are easy to navigate, immersive and offer up all manner of relevant information, working in concert with the head-up display to minimise distraction.

All in all, the Volvo XC60’s tech and safety suite is one of its major highlights, and all truly reflective of the car’s $75k price tag.

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)