Volvo is on a roll, with every quarter showing another rise in sales here in the UK. This relentless march for dominance of the British premium car market isn’t surprising because Volvo builds some outstanding cars.
They are good-looking ones, too. The Volvo V60 isn’t just the most beautiful estate car you can buy today; I think it’s one of the most beautiful cars full-stop. Whether it’s the chiselled and muscular front, the sculpted, lithe flanks, or the shapely rear end, the V60 doesn’t have a single bad angle. And that matters because there’s no greater compliment than looking back at your car as you walk away – and I did that a lot during my week with the vehicle.
The interior is equally attractive, simple, elegant and utterly clutter-free. And while this look inevitably meant a few compromises in some of the vehicle/driver interfaces (not least with the infuriating touchscreen infotainment system, which isn’t logical or easy to master), the result is pleasing to the eye – and I’m sure familiarity would help iron out some of the frustrations I felt when trying to change some of the settings.
As is usually the case with modern cars, the V60 drives best in the most sporting and dynamic setting. The trouble is — and it is not alone in this regard — it automatically defaults to the standard, stodgy Comfort setting when you turn the engine off. This is very annoying.
As is the torque steer. The T5 I drove had 250bhp at its disposal and 350Nm of torque. As a result, the front wheels sometimes darted and snatched in as vivid a display of torque steer as I’ve encountered since the mid-nineties. Volvo quotes a time of 6.4 seconds to reach 60mph from a standstill — and a top speed of 145mph — but full-bore standing starts aren’t really its thing.
It’s much better to feather the throttle and subdue the inner hooligan; driven in this way — and that doesn’t necessarily mean driving it sedately — the V60 is a very satisfying car, even if it is better suited to playing a soothing, rather than stimulating, role in your life. The Audi A5 I drove a few weeks before — never mind the Jaguar XE I drove afterwards – was much more exciting when I wanted to play and just as soothing when I didn’t.
This ever-so-slightly dull side to its nature also makes its presence known in other areas. Driving along a road I know well, the automatic seatbelt pre-tensioning system kicked in as it clearly thought I was going to crash. I wasn’t. I’d crested the brow of a hill, and that momentary lightness triggered a slightly hysterical response.
But, and this is going to sound like I’m being slightly snide if you aren’t that keen on driving, then the Volvo V60 is a fabulous car. It’s soothing and spacious, decently economical, quiet and utterly gorgeous to look at.
My Volvo V60 T5 Momentum Pro costs £42,895
, fitted with a little over £5,000 worth of optional extras. These included a retractable towbar, a premium Harman Kardon sound system, front parking assist and rear parking cameras, a spare wheel, a 12V power socket in the boot, and metallic paint.
It was also fitted with Volvo’s Intellisafe Pro Pack. This costs £1,625 and adds Pilot Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control; this is a beneficial and effective system that maintains a pre-determined speed and steers the car within its lane at speeds of up to 80mph. It only works on motorways and dual-carriageways, but reducing driver stress is a significant boon to safety.
The same pack also adds Blind Spot Information System, Cross Traffic Alert, and Rear Collision Mitigation. I’m sure there must be a way to turn the latter off temporarily, but I couldn’t find it and couldn’t reverse out of a parking spot into the road because traffic was coming the other way. The car kept jamming on the brakes despite being safe to manoeuvre, forcing me to wait until nothing was coming even though the road was wide, and I wasn’t even close to getting in anyone’s way.
The V60 is also available as a Cross Country version. This has a 60mm higher ride height, some charcoal wheel arch extensions, and, crucially, all-wheel-drive. Thus equipped, the V60 would put its power down more effectively, and the off-road accessories make it look — if such a thing is even possible — even better. Throw in a winter pack (£1,275 for heated seats, headlight washers, a heated front windscreen, and heated wiper blades), and you’d have a very fine, all-weather, multi-role car to explore the world in.
- Winter Reading: Books for the Wilderness - 25 January 2023
- Kit Review: Mountain Hardwear Super/DS Stretchdown Hooded Down Jacket - 6 January 2020
- Tested: Outwell Dreamboat Mattress - 29 October 2019