The New Volvo XC60

The new Volvo XC60 is a car with a split personality - Down below, the unmistakable, capable XC muscles are pumped up, and creating a strong athletic body that is mated with high ground clearance and large wheels. Up above, the flowing lines create the sporty charisma of a coupe. Additionally by Volvo’s sensible standards, the XC60 is agile and fun to drive. And that’s the thing about Volvo’s XC60: it’s such an easy car to drive, and no doubt destined to be a painless car to own. The car’s cabin is light, airy and spacious, while the boot is wide, flat and accommodating. Both diesels achieve 199g/km CO2 rating with the standard manual gearbox, rising to 219g/km if you opt for an automatic. A front-wheel-drive-only 163bhp D5 will appear in 2009, promising low 170g/km CO2 emissions.

As you would expect from Volvo, the XC60 is cram-packed with safety features including a whiplash protection system, side impact protection system, roll stability control, dynamic stability and traction control, inflatable curtain, hill descent control, collision warning with brake support, active bi-xenon lights, and patented front, side, and rear structures.

With the new system joining Volvo's already massive arsenal of safety equipment the Swedish firm is calling the new XC60 the safest-ever car, (of course Volvos have always been great cars to have a crash in, if you must have a crash.) A variety of intelligent safety systems are another important part of the new Volvo XC60. The major news is City Safety. According to Volvo's statistics, 75% of collisions happen at speeds of 30kph (19mph) or less. City Safety is a unique system that can help the driver avoid or reduce the effects of the type of low-speed impacts that are common in city traffic and traffic tailbacks.

The XC60 will actually reduces the risk of accidents, If the driver isn't paying attention or if the vehicle in front stops suddenly and if City Safe determines an accident is about to happen, it will actually apply the brakes, slowing the car. Volvo says that if the difference between the vehicles is less than 9 mph, City Safe could help the driver avoid an accident altogether.

This is a rather nifty safety feature when you take into account that rear-end collisions make up 29 per cent of all reported car accidents. In more than half, the driver does not break at all. As a result of this feature, Volvo believes that the new XC60 is their safest car to date.

Volvo Cars is engaged in a dialogue with insurance companies in Europe, Canada and the United States about the possibility of offering lower premiums on cars fitted with City Safety. So a XC60 could be safer for your wallet also.

Three engines are available, a turbocharged 285hp T6 engine will be the performance choice followed by two 2.4L I5 diesels, one rated at 163hp and the other at 185hp. AWD (All Wheel Drive) is standard throughout the range but Volvo have committed to launching a front wheel drive diesel model capable of a 170g/km of CO2 by 2009.

Volvo is good at interiors and the XC60 is arguably the best yet. The characteristic slim centre stack in front of the gearlever is a fresh design, angled slightly towards the driver with a new integrated monitor screen layout. The XC60 is well priced, comfortable, neatly styled inside and out and comes with innovative safety equipment that makes it a very desirable family vehicle.

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