Volvo invited journalists to the international launch of the new generation XC60 in sunny Barcelona, Spain, so reviews have started hitting the internet.
One of them sees CarWow’s Mat Watson drive both the D5 diesel and T6 gasoline versions of the premium compact SUV. He found it to be a practical vehicle, with lots of rear legroom and headroom, and a decent boot capacity, albeit smaller than the rivaling Audi Q5.
The ride is very comfortable, especially with the optional air suspension, and there is a lot of grip, but despite being able to tackle some steep slopes, don’t expect it to be as potent as a Land Rover Discovery once the asphalt ends. On the other hand, it will apparently be better around the city.
And with plenty of active and passive safety gizmos, including semi-autonomous driving, which requires keeping both hands on the steering wheel at all times, it will make you feel safe.
Inside, the new Volvo XC60 feels more stylish than its German rivals, but there is a flaw, and it revolves around its infotainment system, which is touch-operated only, and this makes it quite hard to use it without taking your eyes off the road.
If luxury is what interests you, then you should skip the lesser models, which start from around £37,000 ($48,200) in UK, and go straight for the Inscription trim, which costs at least £44,000 ($57,320).