Driven: Volvo V60 Cross Country D4 Review
After one week testing out Volvo’s V60 Cross Country D4 AWD car, here is what we think of the economical businessman-come-family car.
What is the Volvo V60 Cross Country D4 all About?
The model that we have on test is the V60 Cross Country D4 AWD in Lux Nav trim, which is a bit of a mouthful. To break it down, V60 is the car model, D4 is the engine type, AWD states that the car has all-wheel drive, Cross Country means it has been beefed up a bit to take on rough roads and Lux Nav is the trim level that the car has. Easy when you know.
The Volvo V60 in current iteration has a classic Volvo look but with some more modern curves and tweaks to the bodywork making it look more up-to-date. The V60 looks are very understated and probably not a car that will catch your eye. But looks aren’t everything after all.
The car has a 2.0 litre diesel engine. The diesel engine produces 190 bhp and 400 Nm of torque. The car uses an 8-speed automatic gearbox that will put the power down to all 4 wheels. This means the car will get the car from 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds and will do a top speed of 140 mph.
How Does it Drive?
The Volvo V60 is very comfortable and easy to drive, the car has luxuries such as keyless entry and start, meaning you can approach the car, unlock it, get in and go, all without touching the key, just as long as it is in your pocket. Simple things like this just make the car a lot easier to live with.
The D4 engine proves to be highly efficient, most of my testing was done either on the motorway or on extremely rural roads and my average for the week was over 50 mpg, which is great for the size and weight of the car. But don’t think because the car is so economically focused that it is slow. The engine still pulls extremely well, even with a full load in the car. The car I tested used an 8-speed automatic gearbox which was very friendly to use and the gear ratios used suited the engine very well, especially on the motorway.
Volvo has fitted the car with features that make daily journeys considerably easier. The adaptive cruise control system on the car works very well, it allows you to set a maximum speed that you would like to travel at and then if a car moves in front of you the Volvo will automatically slow itself down and keep pace with the car in front. This means as a driver you only have to focus on keeping the car in the correct lane, the car will deal with all the minor changes in speed along your journey. This may seem like a minor improvement to cruise control but it certainly takes away some of the pain of motorway driving, and is definitely safer too.
The ergonomics of the car are brilliant, the car is very usable and easy to spend a lot of time in. Just simple things like having the steering wheel and seats properly adjustable to get to the perfect seating position makes a great amount of difference, especially if you are doing a long journey. You feel well protected in the car and isolated from the outside environment, the suspension and tyres do a great job to comfort you from the bumpy roads.
Despite all the safety and eco talk, you are still able to have fun in the Volvo V60 D4. The car still has plenty of power and will get up to realistic speeds as quickly as you will need. For a long estate car the steering feels pretty good.
The economy performance on the car is where the V60 D4 really shines. I enabled instant mpg figures on the dashboard, watching it I was easily able to get the majority of my journey above 50 or 60 mpg, if not higher. As you would expect though, hitting traffic or travelling uphill will bring the average mpg down considerably. Overall I was very impressed, I was able to achieve well over 500 miles on a single tank and I’m sure you could get much more if you took the tank down to the limit.
There are a wealth of driving aids and safety features to enhance the driving experience of the V60; Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert, Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake, Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, Lane Keeping Aid, Driver Alert Control with Active High Beam and Blind Spot Information System, to name just a few. Each of these features gives an immense amount of value to the driver and makes the Volvo very advanced in comparison to other brands, just knowing these systems are enabled make you feel instantly safer in the car.
What is it Like Inside?
Inside, the V60 is a very nice place to be. In fact, as I have said before, Volvo make some of the most comfortable seats of any car manufacturer. Looking at the dashboard as a whole, you will notice there are lots of buttons, but the layout is actually really simple to use and a lot faster than joy stick operated systems.
The driver instruments are one of my favourite features of the interior. They are completely digital and you can swap between 3 modes; Elegance, Economy and Performance. When switching between modes it is not only the colours but also how the information is presented that changes, which gives the driver a bit of variety and assists with matching the display to however you are feeling.
The infotainment system is very well designed and comes with DAB digital radio, CD, DVD, MP3, Bluetooth, Sat Nav, and a wide array of information menus explaining how the systems on the car work and giving you the miles per gallon metrics.
The Experience
The Volvo V60 is an incredible car, the safety, technology and practicalities of the car are phenomenal. These features really give the V60 owner something else to be proud of. We have only tested the car for one week and even after spending most of my time in it, I still felt like I wanted to spend more time driving it. Can’t say that there are many cars – especially in 2.0 litre diesel formats – that made me want to get back in straight away.
Verdict
Somehow, it seems that Volvo have managed to squeeze in a taste of everything into the V60. It has high MPG figures, good performance, ok looks and industry-leading safety features. All of these rolled into one package creates an exceptional car that is both practical and fun to live with.
Video Highlights
Specification
Volvo V60 Cross Country D4
- Price: £44,400
- Engine: 2.0-Litre Diesel turbo charged
- Power: 190 bhp
- Torque: 400 Nm
- Transmission: 8 Speed Auto
- 0-62mph: 7.2 Seconds
- Top speed: 140 mph
- Weight: 1,744 kg
- Economy combined: 64 mpg
- CO2: 104 g/km
Author: Paul Hadley
