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26/05/2011
REVIEW By EWAN KENNEDY
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Volvo has long been famed for building sensible station wagons, with words like ‘square’, ‘boxy’ and ‘practical’ being found in just about every review written. Now the Swedish marque has branched off into another station wagon niche with the introduction of the all-new V60 wagon.
The Volvo V60 falls into the boutique wagon category, with lines that are closer to those of a coupe than a traditional old-style station wagon. Those who still need a full-on Volvo wagon, and Australian buyers have embraced these for decades, can also buy the Swedish company’s V50 and V70 models.
Volvo spotters will note that the use of an even model number rather than an odd one indicates that this vehicle is classed as being primarily carrier, not a load hauler. This is shown by it having good cabin space, with a plenty of rear headroom despite the coupe-like styling. Look carefully and you will see that clever design of the rear-side windows creates the illusion that the roof swoops down more than it really does.
Storage space in the rear is a modest reasonable 430 litres with the rear seats upright. This isn’t as large a volume as you find in many big family sedans, but see the aforementioned notes about boutique styling.
Cargo carrying space increases to 1241 litres with the rear seats folded flat. Note that to maximise luggage space there’s no spare wheel, instead the V60 has a puncture repair kit.
The Volvo T5 we tested had the sports R-Design features, with 18-inch alloy wheels and 15 mm lower ride height sports suspension, a different design of front apron, coloured-matched details and twin tailpipes.
Inside, we appreciated the extra support of the sports seats, leather-wrapped steering wheels and revised interior trim. Comfort is good and road handling is excellent with near neutral feel all the way to its high limits of adhesion.
This suspension means the car can be rather firm at times on rough roads and creates more tyre noise on coarse-chip surfaces. Try if for yourself in these conditions as part of your pre-purchase road test.
Volvo offers a four-cylinder petrol, five-cylinder diesel and six-cylinder petrol. All engines are turbocharged. The powerplant in the V60 T5 we have reviewed over the last week was the sporting 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit. It has maximum power of 177 kW at 5500 rpm and torque of 320 Nm all the way from 1800 to 5000 revs.
On the road this engine has plenty of pickup after tolerably low turbo lag. There’s a real sporting flavour once it is on song and all that torque means there’s an endless surge of energy. Unless they are really pushing the T5 turbo engine to the limit most drivers will find themselves using it in the 320 Newton metre torque band virtually all day every day.
This not only provides extra driving pleasure, but also keeps the engine in the most efficient state. Fuel consumption of about seven to nine litres per hundred kilometres on the open road and eight to eleven litres per hundred around town was the norm during our road testing. Which is pretty good for the performance it provides.
Interestingly, this Volvo T5 powerplant is a foretaste of the EcoBoost engine that will soon power Australian Ford Falcons.
We were generally impressed with the new Volvo Powershift dual-clutch automatic which shifted quickly and seamlessly. However, as is often the way in this type of economy automatic it could be hesitant at times when getting off the line in slow moving traffic.
All Volvo V60 models imported to Australia have the company’s City Safety system that prevents or reduces the chance of low-speed crashes by applying the brakes if it senses the car is closing too fast on a vehicle at speeds up to 30 km/h.
Optional safety features include Lane Departure Warning that detects the car moving out of a marked lane ($2075), Blind Spot Information System which warns of other vehicles approaching on either side of the car ($1275) and Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake.
Particularly interesting is the system called Queue Assist with Pedestrian Detection ($4175). This is a low-speed cruise control system that monitors the car’s speed in stop-start traffic. Pedestrian Detection combines the car’s cameras and radar to detect pedestrian movement and brake where necessary.
These three safety systems can be purchased together for $4990.
This Swedish estate wagon is another example of the change in direction the company has made in the last ten years. It’s stylish while remaining reasonably practical and makes a fine choice for someone who wants to get away from a market segment that tends to be dominated by German brands.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
V60 T5 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $54,950 (automatic)
V60 T5 R-Design 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $59,150 (automatic)
V60 D5 2.4-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $60,950 (automatic)
V60 T6 3.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $67,950 (automatic)
V60 T6 R-Design 3.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $72,150 (automatic)
(Prices do not include dealer or government charges. Contact your local Volvo dealer for driveaway prices).
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Electronic Stability Program: Standard in all models
Rear Parking Sensors: Standard in all models
Reversing Camera: Standard in T6 models, package option in T5 and D5
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: Standard in all models
Satellite Navigation: Standard in T6 models, $4175 option in T5 and D5
Bluetooth: Standard in all models
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Volvo V60 T5 2.0-litre five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.999 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, turbocharged petrol, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: NA
Bore/Stroke: 87.5 mm x 83.1 mm
Maximum Power: 177 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 1800-5000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4628 mm
Wheelbase: 2776 mm
Width: 1865 mm
Height: 1484 mm
Turning Circle: 11.9 metres
Kerb Mass: 1860 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 67 litres
Towing Ability: 1600 kg (with braked trailer)
Boot Capacity: 430 litres (1241 litres with rear seats folded)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Coil over struts, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Multi-link, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 7.7 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.7 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6/10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km |
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