Volvo's compact V60 wagon takes Volvo's reputation for safety and adds their newfound style to the exterior and interior. It's everything that is elegant, cleanly designed, and safe about the S60, but with more cargo space, and continues the Volvo wagon history.
The V60 is a solid cruiser, but it's not a corner carver. The biggest competition is from inside the brand. The V60 is a smaller car, with a sloping roofline that make it more of a long hatch than a true wagon. That means that people looking for cargo room may be better served by the larger V90. Otherwise, the Audi A4 Allroad Quattro is the only other compact luxury wagon around. That model is lifted up and ruggedized, putting it more in line with Volvo's V60 Cross Country.
Inside the V60 there are clean backlit gauges, excellent use of colours and design, with well thought out materials and textures. Once place the sedan does show
some age is here, where the displays are small and the buttons crowded.
For 2017, the only change is that the number of engine choices have been cut down. Where there were previously nine models and three engines, there is now just one engine and two drive choices. The engine is a 2.0L four-cylinder. The base T5 gets a turbocharged version that produces 250 hp and 258 lb-ft. The T6 adds a supercharger, so the engine has both a turbo and a supercharger and makes 302 hp and 295 lb-ft. Finally, the high-performance Polestar version boosts that to 367 hp and 347 lb-ft. The base T5 has front-wheel drive, the rest have all-wheel drive. All use an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The base T5 Drive-E FWD has power and heated front seats, 17-inch alloys, power windows, automatic wipers, T-Tec cloth seats, and LED daytime running lights. It includes Volvo City Safety which detects pedestrians or cyclists. It will automatically brake to avoid them, and will also brake if it thinks you are about to turn into another car. Xenon headlights are available, there is also a climate package that comes with a heated steering wheel, windshield and rear seats, and Volvo's interior air quality system that monitors the incoming air and will close the exterior vents if it detects too much carbon monoxide, ozone, and other gasses.
A blind spot information system (BLIS) package adds Volvo's blind spot alerts along with parking sensors. Park assist pilot can be added to this and will park the car for you.
T5 Premier adds leather seating. It makes has the climate and BLIS packages available, but also adds a convenience package option which includes power folding mirrors, accent lighting, rear-view camera, and homelink door opener. Premier also has a technology package option that gives radar cruise control with distance alert and stop-and-go traffic capability. A T5 Special Edition adds all-wheel drive along with all of the available option packages.
T6 Drive-E is all-wheel drive only and adds 18-inch wheels to go along with the more powerful engine. It has leather seating, a power glass sunroof, sports seats, and more chrome. The convenience, technology, climate, and BLIS packages are all available options, as is a Harman Kardon premium audio system. T6 R-Design is the sportier T6 model. It adds sportier springs and damping along with a unique front spoiler. There are special seats, instrument cluster design, and black and aluminum trim. The technology, climate, and BLIS systems are all optional.
The Polestar is Volvo's fire breathing wagon. To get the extra 65 hp, the engine has a new turbo, new camshafts, and a bigger fuel pump. It also gets modifications to the all-wheel drive system and eight-speed transmission to improve performance. It has bigger brakes and Ohlins dampers behind 20-inch alloys to help it turn and stop as well as it goes. Inside there are fake suede seats with big bolsters and carbon trim.
The V60 T5 is rated to get 9.6 L/100 km city, 7.0 highway. T6 models are rated for 10.9/7.7, and the Polestar is rated at 11.8/8.5.
