Review: Volvo XC60

Carrying a clean, uncluttered look with graceful curves that belie the brand’s prototypical boxy image, the new-for-2010 midsize Volvo XC60 is one of the rare crossover luxury SUVs that is both sporty and eminently family friendly.

It certainly looks the part of a contemporary upscale sporty crossover, with a big bold grille up front and a rear-end treatment that’s reminiscent of Volvo’s original P1800 from the 1960’s, albeit updated with LED taillamps. It’s far more attractive looking than the more wagon-like XC70 and the just plain bloated XC90. It fares well compared to the Infiniti EX and is less-garish looking than the Acura MDX.

The base model comes adequately powered by a peppy 235-horsepower 3.2-liter inline-six-cylinder engine, which should suffice for most buyers. We drove the costlier T6 version that includes a 281-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six; it accelerates strongly and smoothly, but never seems to overpower the vehicle. A standard six-gear automatic transmission operates flawlessly. We didn’t get a chance to test its mettle, but an “instant traction” all-wheel-drive system is optional on the base model and standard on the T6 for improved foul-weather performance.

The XC60’s interior is tastefully cast, with Volvo’s brand-minded sweeping dashboard shape and tall center stack of controls at the center. All instruments are reasonably legible and most controls are intuitive to operate. There’s sufficient seat travel up front for long-legged drivers to stretch out, with generous head and shoulder room front and rear. While we would have preferred a back seat that adjusts fore and aft to expand the XC60’s rear legroom a bit, cargo space is generous at 30.8 cu. ft. (it expands to 67.4 cu, ft. with the 40/20/20-split seat folded flat).

The Volvo XC60’s available navigation system features a truly intuitive interface and can be operated by either a small steering wheel-mounted joystick or a wireless remote control. The available panoramic sunroof covers most of the vehicle, though the inside cover is made of a mesh fabric that doesn’t do as good a job of keeping the heat out of the vehicle when parked as would a more-solid headliner cover.

Where the XC60 really shines is in its ride and handling characteristics, which we found to be well balanced; it takes the corners securely, gives the driver plenty of feedback and does an admirable job of soaking up pavement imperfections without losing its poise or shaking up its passengers unduly.

As befits the Volvo brand, standard and available safety features are plentiful and include the standard “City Safety” system that will automatically applies the brakes if necessary to avoid hitting a stopped vehicle at up to 19 mph. It works as advertised, but we’d rather have the optional blind spot warning system that helps prevent what would be more serious collisions at higher speeds.

Unfortunately, with a list price of $32,395 ($37,200 for the T6), the Volvo XC60 isn’t all that less costly than the automaker’s larger XC90, which offers a third-row seat for seven passenger use. Coming with metallic paint and the Multimedia and Climate Packages, ours stickered out at over $42,000 after delivery charge, which places it squarely in luxury territory, where brand loyalty and personal impressions tend to bank more than ultimate value. Those looking for the same sporty/practical combination in less costly venues can find it in more-pedestrian alternatives like the Nissan Rogue or Volkswagen Tiguan.

Talking and Texting Can Be Deadly

While states and municipalities are enacting laws that mandate hands-free cell phone operation under the guise that it’s inherently safer than talking while holding the unit to one’s ear, the results of a recent study prove this to be a false assumption.

According to the Itasca, Ill.-based National Safety Council, talking on the phone while driving is a dangerous distraction no matter how the calls are conducted. A study just published in the NSC’s Journal of Safety Research indicates that motorists using either hands-free or hand-held cell phones are equally likely to be involved in four times more crashes than non-conversant drivers.

Distracted drivers talking on their cell phones cause more than 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year in the U.S., says the NSC. A Nationwide Insurance public opinion poll found that a whopping 81 percent of the public admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving.

Currently no state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for all drivers.

Another potentially fatal behind-the-wheel behavior is text messaging. An 18-month study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that the risk of a driver getting into a collision is a staggering 23 times greater when he or she is texting. Researchers found that motorists generally spend close to five seconds looking at their phones (instead of the road) while entering text messages, which is enough time to inattentively cover a full 100 yards at highway speeds.

A full trillion text messages were sent by U.S. cell phone users last year, says the industry’s trade group CTIA, which is up exponentially from 14.4 million e-missives in 2000. Currently, 14 states prohibit texting while driving, with the U.S. Senate currently considering a bill to ban the behavior on a national level.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80 percent of automobile crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve driver distraction.