The 2010 Volvo XC60 is a small luxury crossover SUV that's been a hit right out of the gate. It offers an appealing balance of style, safety, utility and performance. With its distinctive interior and exterior design, long standard feature list, spacious cabin and turbocharged engine option, the new XC60 has a lot going for it.
A growing trend in the small crossover SUV segment has been the increased demand for more luxurious features and surroundings in addition to the traditional SUV attributes of convenience and usefulness. And the XC60 certainly fits this bill, while borrowing its fairly robust power source from Volvo's newest S80 sedan and maintaining the brand's renowned safety-conscious priorities.
Trims, Standard Features And Options:
The 2010 Volvo XC60 is offered in a choice of two trims: 3.2 and T6.
Standard features on the XC60 3.2 include a power driver seat, driver memory settings, foglamps, 17 inch alloy wheels, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth, City Safety and an 8-speaker CD/MP3 sound system with HD and satellite radio and USB and auxiliary audio ports.
In addition to a turbocharged engine, the XC60 T6 comes standard with all-wheel drive, leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, 18 inch alloy wheels and privacy glass.
There's a number of available option packages. The Premium package for the 3.2 includes the T6's additional interior features. The Multimedia package, available for both models, adds navigation, a back-up camera and a 12-speaker Dynaudio surround-sound audio system.
Other packages offered on both models include the Climate package which features heated front and rear outboard seats (not available with the integrated booster-seat option), rain-sensing wipers, an interior air quality system, headlamp washers and heated washer nozzles. The Technology package adds a lane-departure warning system, adaptive cruise control and a driver attention alert system, while the Convenience package adds front and rear park assist and a power liftgate.
Also available are stand-alone options which include a panoramic sunroof, a dual-screen rear entertainment system, 18 inch alloy wheels for the 3.2, special exterior styling accents, adaptive xenon headlights, dual integrated rear booster seats, a real wood inlay for the center stack and keyless entry and ignition.
There's also a more sporty XC60 T6 R-Design model with firmer damping, a more reinforced chassis and improved steering. It also comes with a color-keyed lower body, "matte silk metal finish" grille, mirror caps and trim moldings, special 18 inch "Cratus" pattern alloy wheels (20 inch pieces are optional), plus skid plates and chromed exhaust outlets.
The interior of the R-Design comes with door moldings, aluminum steering wheel accents, pedals with aluminum surfaces and rubber inserts, R-Design badges and an enhanced floating center stack.
Engines, Powertrain And Gas Mileage:
Powering the XC60 3.2 is, not surprisingly, a 3.2 liter inline-6 engine that produces 235 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. All XC60s are equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control, while front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional. Under the hood of the all-wheel-drive T6 is a 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-6 good for 281 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. In performance testing, the XC60 T6 was timed from a standstill to 60 mph in just 7.1 seconds, one of the fastest times in the segment.
The EPA-estimated gas mileage for the 3.2 FWD is a solid 18 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway. Fuel economy for the T6 drops to 16 mpg city and 22 highway.
Safety:
The long list of standard safety features on all 2010 XC60 models includes antilock brakes (ABS) with brake assist, stability control with rollover sensing, City Safety (can avoid or reduce a low-speed frontal impact by independently applying the vehicle's brakes), Hill Descent Control on AWD versions, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and whiplash-reducing front seats. In addition, optional safety features include a collision warning/braking system, a heartbeat monitor that detects interior intruders, a driver alert system and a lane departure warning system.
Government crash testing had not yet been performed on the 2010 Volvo XC60 at the time of this writing.
Interior:
The XC60's cabin is a significant improvement in style and flair for Volvo. In fact, it's the best in the lineup. It's attractive, well-designed and solidly constructed with high quality materials. While there are still a few hard plastic trim pieces, the overall look and feel is decidedly upscale and appealing.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive, while the rear seat is especially spacious with above-average headroom and legroom for the segment. Both driver and passengers will likely be comfortable on long trips. And in terms of cargo space, the 40/20/40-split rear seat can be folded to provide up to 67 cubic feet of storage room, again above average for the small luxury crossover segment.
Drive:
Most consumers will be pleased with the 2010 XC60's nice balance of comfort and performance. The regular inline-6 really doesn't stand out, but gets the job done in a satisfactory manner, and with good fuel economy. The turbo model, while certainly not intended to perform like a sport sedan, packs a solid punch nonetheless while still remaining smooth and quiet on the highway. While the XC60's overall handling is capable, it's designed primarily to favor comfort over performance.
While The XC60 T6 R-Design has a stiffened-up chassis, more damping and tweaked steering ratios for a quicker response, the overall ride quality is the same as the T6.
How To Get The Lowest Price:
Best Negotiating Tactic: Well, there's definitely a 'best way' when it comes to new car buying. If you want to get the best bottomline, out-the-door price you need to know exactly who to talk to at the dealership, how to make the contact and how to make this person eager to quickly drop prices as low as possible to get your sale.
Those of you in the market for a used car may want to check out this article about how to buy a used car at the lowest price. It details a super effective buying method, one that often beats down prices to wholesale levels.
And somewhat related to this, here's another excellent method that identifies Price-Distressed Cars Right On Dealer Lots. These are vehicles they are so desperate to unload they would welcome your wholesale offer.
In addition, you can also try Bank Repo Cars And Government Auto Auction Possibilities in your own geographic area. While there can be a lot of junk vehicles at these auctions, there are often absolute gems sprinkled in as well. This article reviews what to expect at open-to-the-public car auctions and how to locate them in your own area.
Prices:
2010 Volvo XC60:
3.2, FWD: list price: $32,395, invoice price: $30,451
T6, AWD: list price: $37,200, invoice price: $34,968
T6 R-Desgn, AWD: list price: $41,550, invoice price: $39,057
