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Volvo XC60 with Polestar Parts

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Volvo XC60 Ocean Race Edition - interior

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Volvo Cars is celebrating the upcoming 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race by presenting another special edition of sailing-inspired cars. The fifth generation Volvo Ocean Race Edition, which includes the Volvo V40, V40 Cross Country, V60 and XC60, will be launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

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Volvo Cars is celebrating the upcoming 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race by presenting another special edition of sailing-inspired cars. The fifth generation Volvo Ocean Race Edition, which includes the Volvo V40, V40 Cross Country, V60 and XC60, will be launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

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This week we had the opportunity to experience one of the luxury Swedish car makers offerings that have continued to become more and more popular here in the U.S., originally because of their safety record and now more so, because they are a great alternative when lined up against other options in the luxury market.

This year’s version of the XC60 in the Inscription trim level was actually made in Ghent, Belgium, one of the first to hit U.S. shores since the Swedish company was sold to Geely Automotive back in 2010 from Ford motor company here in the U.S. They have also come up with a very ambitious plan to make cars right here in South Carolina where ground was broken in Berkeley County, and if all goes as planned by 2018 the company hopes to have sales over 100,000 units with most of them being manufactured in the South Carolina plant.

At a point when all of this takes place they will be entering a world that is currently dominated by the likes of Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen and Ford, at least on paper and by show of building a new facility in South Carolina, Volvo plans to become a contender in the auto world. This is fine by us, we still think they make the most comfortable seats in the business. So why not make a great vehicle to surround those seats?

It turns out the XC60 we had for a week is the longest wheel base of the XC60 line that is offered from Volvo. There are many ways to get an XC60 with different engines and other options that make it very versatile option when in the market for a crossover that will make mom, dad and all the kids happy.

The XC60 is still in its first generation since being introduced back in 2010, but Is scheduled to get a facelift with the 2018 model which will make it an even more confidant choice for a crossover. Even without many sheet metal changes over the years, the Volvo is still great looking and has lines that stand out in the crowd, especially the large rear tail lamps that start at the roofline and wrap themselves down the and around the side of the vehicle for a very energetic look.

On the design side Volvo has definitely been a leader and not a follower as they have always seemed to have their own unique design, thinking back they had a more boxy look to them than any of their peers, one look and you could tell it was a Volvo. Today that tradition has continued, although the designers have chosen to smooth out the hard lines in the body to give them a more sculpted look, not boxy… but different from all the other designs that are available. We really like the unique approach to design they have undertaken, and have found that most folks will either be quite taken with it or will be more enamored with the competition.

Speaking of competition the XC60 is not meant to compete with just anyone ,they are out to take on the big boys in the auto world competing with the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Mercedes GLK and of those the BMW is the bestselling now with the Volvo coming in a close second and rightly so, with its very unique design and ease of handling and its new very energetic power plant that comes with the Inscription.

The power behind this year’s XC60 seem small with just a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine, but not only has Volvo added a turbocharger but they have also gone on to supercharge the engine at this trim level, think Chryslers SRT division or perhaps the Nissan Nismo folks. Yes, this is a very powerful 4 cylinder, putting out a whopping 302 horsepower and over 295 pound feet of torque, making the XC60 even more fun to drive. This power of course comes with a small downside as we only managed 22.6 mpg for the week, without the enhanced engine the Volvo should get upwards of 26 combined mpg.

The list of vehicles that sport a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine and produce over 300 horses is very short, in fact, there are only 3 on the market today. The Volvo joins the likes of the Subaru WRX STi, and the Mercedes CLA45 AMG. Then there is the Ford Mustang with EcoBoost and Ford Focus RS with the same 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine that can get 350 horsepower. Still a very short and unique list to be part of!

As per usual when we are loaned a Volvo, the seats come in number one in our hearts, they are definitely the most comfortable on the market today, although Nissan with their new zero gravity NASA inspired seats are making some headway in the dethroning Volvo… the King of Seats!

Inside we really like the overall design of the XC60 that combines unique stitching throughout the cabin on the dash seats and doors along with great accent materials and soft touch points in all the right places. Our only complaint is that they have still not enhanced the technology interface of this particular model, yet as it still sports the old telephone like keypad and 4 large control knobs to make it work. It always takes some time to re- familiarize ourselves with it and we find it difficult to run, but the seat comfort always seems to make up for this small distraction.

On the safety side, the Volvo came equipped with everything we could think of, blind spot warning, rear cross path detection, city auto safety braking, collision warning with full auto braking, pedestrian warning with braking, and lane departure warning. Top all this with an energy absorbing front structure, and reinforced passenger compartment and side impact protection the new Volvo is still all about the safety of the driver and passengers.

Of course there were also all the creature comforts that we would have expected from a high end luxury crossover; like heated seats front and rear, a heated steering wheel, heated side mirrors and even a heated windshield that was very helpful the morning Craig found Jack Frost has made his rounds in early October.

The headlights also come with active bending technology as they try to see around corners along the road at night and they are also come with active high beam technology that will detect other cars and even pedestrians and dim the lights until they are past. Of course there was also adaptive cruise control that made handling traffic during rush hour a breeze.

It seems that Volvo is here in the United States to stay, with a huge investment in a new production facility and providing vehicles that are among the safest on the road and now even going so far as to make them extremely engaging and fun to drive. The new XC60 would be the perfect addition to anyone’s garage and is sure to keep mom and dad happy, and if you are past the kids living at home stage as we are, it made us just happy and eager to drive it each day. See them today at today at Ken Garff Volvo in Salt Lake City, 525 South State Street, (801) 257-3500.

Base Price: $46,350

Price as Driven: $53,555