Our second taste of the XC60 confirms this premium midsize SUV is a strong contender for honours at next years Top 12 Best Buys awards...
Price: R779 736
0-100 km/h: 8,37 sec
Power/Torque: 173 kW/480 N.m
Top speed: 220 km/h
CAR fuel index: 6,72 L/100 km
CO2: 147 g/km
AS winning streaks go, Volvo’s is an astonishing one. Following years spent languishing in the massive shadow of owners Ford, China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Ltd stepped in with a US$1,8 billion cheque, taking ownership of the Swedish brand and spending more money on developing new hardware. Today, the results are undeniably impressive; in 2017, Volvo sold a record 571 577 vehicles. One of the main contributors to that tally was this new XC60.
It’s little wonder this SUV has been attracting positive attention. In our August 2018 road test of the T6 R-Design, we awarded it an impressive 81 points out of a possible 100, recording its cruising abilities, superb packaging and competitive pricing as big pluses.
We did, however, have reservations about two aspects: whether the R-Design package is a touch too compromised at low speeds on its firmer damper settings (that T6’s ride was sporadically flummoxed by sharp intrusions sending a slight shudder through the structure straight into the otherwise hushed cabin); and if a diesel model wouldn’t suit something like the XC60’s lifestyle focus better than the powerful but anodyne T6’s 2,0-litre dualcharged petrol.
It was therefore a perfect coincidence Volvo had a D5 in flagship Inscription trim in its Cape Town press fleet. Coated in opinion-splitting Pine Grey Metallic (more pine than grey) and trimmed in “blonde” Nappa leather inside – which feels indulgently supple but soils easily – this D5 uses Volvo’s now-familiar Drive-E 2,0-litre turbodiesel in 173 kW/480 N.m specification, coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
This story is from the November 2018 edition of CAR.
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This story is from the November 2018 edition of CAR.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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