Volvo has announced [via Autocar] UK pricing for their new XC60. The cute ute's expected to go on sale in October for £24,750 (base), or about £5k less than BMW's X3. If we take a look at similar Volvo model pricing in The Land of Hope and Glory, the XC60 slots-in at around the same price as the V70 or XC70 ($32,465 / $36,775 in the USA). True Brits will get the same gasoline/petrol engine as the Yanks: Volvo's smooth and torquey turbo inline six, good for 281hp. Sadly for New England's college professors, the 182hp D5 diesel is unlikely to make it across the pond. Billed as the "safest Volvo ever," the XC90s baby brother will arrive with more [electronic] nannies than Angelina Jolie. Whether it can rescue the brand's falling US SUV sales is a whole 'nother matter…
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Why would anyone want a jacked-up, offroad-incapable instead of a similarly-sized, similarly utilitarian, better-handling, more comfortable wagon from the same manufacturer?
When SUV’s were fashionable, I could perhaps understand the motivation of trend-following sheeple to get a CUV. But now that the big tub of lard is no longer a fashion statement, it seems like the small tub of lard also becomes pointless.
Why would anyone want a jacked-up, offroad-incapable instead of a similarly-sized, similarly utilitarian, better-handling, more comfortable wagon from the same manufacturer?
Because some people just hate wagons that much.
Remember that the XC60 shares componentry with the baby Land Rover, so don’t expect it to be too weak off road. It won’t be a Jeep, but then nobody expects it to be anyway.
Thinx:
When SUV’s were fashionable, I could perhaps understand the motivation of trend-following sheeple to get a CUV. But now that the big tub of lard is no longer a fashion statement, it seems like the small tub of lard also becomes pointless.
I could care less about fashion. I need my car to fit my family of 3/4, get good gas mileage be reasonable good on the asphalt and get me to my fishing grounds in the weekends, mostly on country, un-maintained roads that get potholes the size of basketballs after a rain. Call it CUV or small SUV or whatever, that is a good car for that kind of situation. A wagon does not have enough ground clearance. A jeep wrangler (or any serious off-roader) is overkill. Quit seeing the CUVs as a fashion statement. Most of them are just very good utilitarian vehicles without the gas penalty of a full size SUV.