The 2014 Volvo XC60 Has Arrived Here in Canadavia

by Ian Harwood on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013

Volvo has a history of having some of the safest automobiles out there but who knew they were this comfortable?

The 2014 Volvo XC60 (Photo: NetCarShow.com)

The new Volvo XC60 has a sleek profile with sweptback headlights and raised hood give the sport ute a smart look… and you don’t have to be Swedish to enjoy it.

You have to hand it to the Europeans for their incredible automotive designs and attention to detail. The wheels are a standard 19-inch with an option to go with 20s, which I prefer. They really fill the wheel wells in quite nicely.

Volvo has a history of having some of the safest automobiles out there but who knew they were this comfortable? My tester, XC60 T6 AWD Platinum, came equipped with fully adjustable heated leather bucket seats; leather clad three-spoke steering wheel, center armrest with cup holders, and a leather clad shifter knob. The back seats are 40/20/40 split folding.

I really like the use of aluminum for the inlays and the fabric that extends all the way up the B-pillars, nice touch. A high performance audio system by Volvo comes with aux and iPod jack, and is Bluetooth capable plus its Sirius XM ready. The touch screen allows you to browse the internet, stream your playlist and get travel directions.

The power under the hood is a 3.0 litre, inline six-cylinder with dual overhead cam, 24-valve, turbo charged and a six-speed, geartronic auto transmission. The T-6 model features paddle shifters. An impressive 325 horsepower with 354 pound feet of torque is squeezed out of this straight six. Traction control is standard on the 2014 model and the torque vectoring system helps reduce under steer by applying brakes to the inside wheels when accelerating out of a curve in the road.

Speaking of safety, the available technology package includes collision warning with full auto brake, cyclist detection, pedestrian detection, land departure warning, and distance alert. Pretty much anything dangerous gets in your way, this vehicle is going to tell you about it and react automatically. Standard safety equipment includes Whiplash protection seating system,

Tire pressure monitoring system, Side impact airbags, Driver and front passenger dual threshold airbags, Side impact protection and Inflatable side curtain air bag.

Driving around the city in the XC60 not only makes you feel safe and comfortable, but there is little to no road noise inside the cab. The engine is smooth and responsive. The door seals and heavy use of sound deadening material offered a stress free driving experience. That is until I hit Vancouver’s car-clogged Cambie Street.

Email: ian [dot] harwood [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca

Specs:

Standard 4-year 80,000 km warranty.

Fuel economy numbers are 11.5/7.5 L/100km (city/highway)

Price as tested $57,845