When the Volvo XC60 first entered the premium compact CUV market, the world was still fully in the grip of a financial crisis, Twitter was relatively new, and America was transitioning from its 43rd to 44th president.
Despite enjoying remarkably stable sales from its solid entry in the wildly competitive segment, Volvo clearly felt it was time for a change. And what better strategy exists besides emulating the model’s critically acclaimed bigger brother, the XC90?
The answer: none. Fully made over, the second-generation 2018 Volvo XC60 revealed today at the Geneva Motor Show borrows some of the XC90’s best hardware and design cues, resulting in a strikingly handsome and grown-up crossover.
With utility vehicles sales on fire and the XC60 representing about 30 percent of Volvo’s worldwide volume, there’s no shortage of pressure to get this model right.
Gone is the sinking-by-the-bow, oversized-wagon appearance of its predecessor, replaced by a poised and upright structure that oozes reserved class. Thor’s Hammer headlights flank a corporate grille that eschews the XC90’s chrome-heavy look. Almost everything else, however, is ripped right out of the larger model’s playbook.
That’s not to say the XC60 doesn’t diverge in several ways. The hood features a more pronounced slope, and its upper flanks do not have the smooth, uninterrupted flow of the XC90. A pronounced crease over the rear fenders, coupled with a deep character line and a more steeply raked windshield, signals an athleticism that its stablemate prefers to keep hidden. Most importantly, the model isn’t likely be mistaken for anything other than a Volvo.
“We have a strong heritage in designing stylish and dynamic SUVs that offer the latest in technology. The new XC60 will be no exception,” said CEO Håkan Samuelsson in a statement. “It’s the perfect car for an active lifestyle, and it represents the next step in our transformation plan.”
Now underpinned by the company’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), the model adopts every tool in Volvo’s safety kit. Steer Assist is now on tap, which works with the vehicle’s Oncoming Lane Mitigation function to steer the XC60 out of the way of oncoming vehicles. The same feature also joins forces with Volvo’s blind spot monitors to keep a wide berth from careless lane changers.
Motivating the new XC60 are three powertrains, all mated to all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic. Volvo’s turbocharged T5 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 254 horsepower, while the T6 — which keeps the displacement and adds a supercharger — is good for 320 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Topping the XC60 range is the automaker’s T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, offering 407 combined horsepower and a 0-62 mile per hour sprint time of 5.3 seconds.
2018 Volvo XC60s should start rolling out of Sweden in mid-April.
[Images: Volvo Cars]
Know what? They really should wrap HVAC and radio knobs with skinny rubber grips like those wheels have!
That must make changing them much easier while protecting the rimz a little.
“a more steeply raked windshield”
Progress! I won’t buy any car whose windshield I can’t fog with my breath while belted in on a warm day.
That looks pretty nice. Is this competing against the Audi Q5, or Q7?
It’s roughly 185″ long, which is Q5 territory.
So, it looks like Geely’s letting Volvo be Volvo. I’ll be interested to see how the long term quality holds up.
I’m concerned about the short term quality. There have been lots of problems with the XC90.
Nice update, that is an attractive and distinctive design. There are very few crossovers I have any desire for whatsoever, but this would be one of them.
Rims and quad pipes are a bit much for this class, though, particularly when they lead from an engine hardly larger than the pipe openings themselves.
Honda Crv from the c pillar to the taillight design….
Very much… like someone copying another person’s speech impediment or nervous tic.
It growing on me! Wonder how much a T6 Inscription is in the new XC60 with all the options?
Probably close to $50,000.
Thanks! I like the price!
Nice looking SUV. Good job Volvo!
This has the coastal city market pegged dead to rights.
Within three months of their going on sale, there will be ten of them within a three-block radius of my house.
Volvo is just on fire right now.
I doubt that, I just don’t see that many Subaru and Prius owners making the switch to this. Don’t get me wrong I think it will be a hit for Volvo and will be popular, just not that popular.
I think dal lives in the Seattle area. This will be standard issue 16th birthday gift west of Bellevue.
While I don’t live in Seattle like Dal does I do work there, so I have a clue to what is on the streets of the area.
I can also tell you the parents willing to spend that kid of money will buy them what they want, and Volvo will be very very low on that list.
Looks good. Shame about the engine choices. Strip out all the nanny-tronics, rotate the engine 90 degrees and add a couple of cylinders and I’ll go for a test-drive.
Rotate the engine 90 degrees and you’d lose all the interior room. Priorities, in a segment like this!
I’d like those cylinders back, though. But the target market doesn’t notice.
Compare Q5 (longitudinal V6) sales to the previous gen XC60 sales and then tell me what the target market cares about. Dynamics count.
Compare the Q5 (which is predominantly 2.0T anyhow, isn’t it?) to the RX350 and tell me dynamics count.
Volvo swore off cylinder counts greater than 4 once Geely took over and they started redoing the lineup.
“It’s the perfect car for an active lifestyle”
What’s a good car if you live an inactive lifestyle?
i just ended a very bad relationship with a Volvo XC90 (prior generation). Nearly every component you can think of failed in that vehicle. My favorite problem was when it filled with water because of failed sunroof drains. I fixed that myself but while the interior of the car was in pieces drying out in my garage for a week I had time to contemplate the fact that Volvos are unmitigated garbage. I’m convinced they are deliberately designed to last (maybe) the length of a lease. If that’s their business plan, then good for them, but I personally find it offensive.
“My favorite problem was when it filled with water because of failed sunroof drains.”
That seems to happen a lot with European cars, especially BMWs and Audis.
Failed drains or plugged drains? Big difference, plugged drains can happen to any vehicle depending on when and where it is used and parked. I clean them about every year or so in my vehicles with sunroofs to prevent a problem.
To be fair, I could not actually prove the water was from the sunroof drains. It was a mystery. However, failed sunroof drains are a known design issue on these cars. The terminal ends reduce the water path from a free-flowing open hose to a truncated piece of rubber that collects dirt and debris, eventually blocking up and draining into the vehicle. It’s a shockingly stupid design flaw. I never did figure out the source, but regardless, a vehicle should not fill up with water. It’s the most basic of basic design. Kinda like the wire that broke from opening and closing the door. Mind-blowingly incompetent.
Typically when the drain is plugged the water will overflow into the opening. Now hoses that aren’t clamped or that fit loosely into a pass through plug that is another story.
Which engine did yours have? Mine was a 2007 with 3.2, Got rid of it two years ago, problems were endless. Oil consumption, Power door locks, Turn signals working intermittently, Creaky rattly interior, Engine knocked when cold, Transmission sometimes didn’t know what gear to be in, Bulbs burnt out frequently, A/C compressor failed, Climate control panel failing (sometimes fan speed knob didn’t work, Heated seat lights didn’t work so there was no way of knowing whether they were on or not unless the seat was hot) Blower motor got weak (high speed felt like medium speed). Mine had a leaking windshield at the top, thought it was the sunroof at first. Oh, and the belt tensioner failed. I will say one nice thing though, it had more headroom than my Lexus.
Same as yours: 3.2 AWD. The engine was a dog but actually relatively trouble-free. It was everything attached to it that broke – stuff that I feel was either out of utter incompetence or deliberately designed-in. I had all the problems you mentioned as well as: coolant reservoir broke where the top return hose attaches to it. This is a non-moving, non-vibrating part…and yet it still cracked and broke off. Ridiculous. Following that, the thermostat broke. This is a $130 part that requires removal of the intake manifold. It was not that difficult, but when I finally got to it, I found that just a tiny little piece of plastic broke off inside it, ruining it. That little piece of plastic thus caused me to lose heat and had it been summer, would’ve surely caused the engine to boil.
I actually just remembered the best one: the switches from the driver’s side door (turn signal, mirrors, folding mechanism, all windows, all locks) began to fail intermittently. I found the culprit to be a broken negative lead coming from the door loom. The cause of this break in the wire? The act of opening and closing the door. Apparently Volvo only expected the opening and closing of the door to the vehicle to occur so many times before the act was rendered obsolete.
I own a 2007 XC90 for years now and aside a couple issues (nothing more or less than a typical car) everything is fine with it. Even brakes and tires hold up pretty good unlike what you read online. It’s not fast, but what SUV in this size is expected to be? However, there will not be any other Volvo coming after this only and only because of the crap service. I do not take this old one to the dealer anymore, but a new one may push me there and I’m not going to do that.
Family members of mine have the current gen xc60 (one of the last with the 6cyl turbo). They have put 40K trouble free miles on it. I think the current gen looks pretty decent.
This new gen looks great. Volvo is about to make a lot of money, I can hear the stampede of Scottsdale soccer moms inbound
Always felt the XC60 was the nicest looking CUV of that size, besting the X3 and Q5 for sure. In saying that, the interiors were looking very dated even a few years ago and i still cannot fathom Volvo pricing.
As a Saab owner and someone looking for something nice but not too ostentatious, I should be all over Volvo but damn, soooooooo expensive.
I have a 2010 XC60 that’s getting close to 100k now, and it’s a really good car. The turbo I-6 is a solid motor, and the only problems I’ve had are due to poor workmanship on replacement windows. (windshield was replaced just prior to my purchase and leaked, back window and driver’s door window replaced following a break-in) It’s a great highway car, does well in the snow and crummy weather, has a great stereo, and those wonderful seats. I drove the Q5 and X3, but the Volvo was just a nicer place to spend time.
The new one is a solid contender for a replacement. I considered the new XC90, but it’s too big. But this in T6 trim with some more substantial rubber would be great.
I like it, and will be in the market to replace our XC60 in about 1.5 years.
Glad Volvo didn’t mess this up.
I’ll take one in blue with a black interior.
Volvo is really on a roll lately (fitting, since Volvo literally translates to “I roll” from Latin). I’m impressed. This could end up in my garage at some point.
Audi better listen up.
Well played, sir.
35-Series tires on a Volvo crossover? I think you’re getting a little carried away with wheel diameters, Volvo. Not only do active lifestyle vehicles need to endure the occasional soft road, they have to navigate our pocked paved roads on a daily basis. I get that styling has become a priority for you, but let’s not completely disregard practicality in the interest of good looks.
ugh. like the F-Pace, another over-wheeled thing which looks like the Micro Machines version of itself.
That’s it! Micro Machines. Didn’t exist when I was a kid and I never had kids around the house so the genus eluded me every time I saw one of these modern clown-wheeled cars.
lol rollin on dubs in midsize suvs
“Gone is the sinking-by-the-bow, oversized-wagon appearance of its predecessor”
Rubbish. Gen 1 was/is an attractive CUV, I’d argue the best look on the market. This new one looks even better.
“2018 Volvo XC60s should start rolling out of Sweden in mid-April.”
Does anyone know when it will be in the showrooms? Some say Spring; other say Fall?
We’ll just make umpteen models, no worries about overlap or mission. Everything is awesome!