Volvo XC60 D5 review

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Volvo XC60 2.4 D5 SE Lux 4WD Road Test

Test date 26 November 2008 Price as tested £29,050

For Comfortable ride, spacious cabin, fine ergonomics, perceived quality

Against Handling could be sharper, disappointing economy, noisy diesel engine

For well over a decade Volvo has been trying extremely hard to bury its reputation as a maker of boxy, conservative and dull saloons and estates. That all started in the late 1990s with former Volvo design boss Peter Horbury’s sleek C70 coupé, but it has reached its peak (and the beginnings of an entirely new design direction) with the XC60.

If the striking details and flowing curves of the XC60 are about as far from the traditional three-box Volvo saloon as it is possible to be, the concept behind the XC60 is even further removed.

For although the XC60 is a compact SUV, Volvo wants you to see it more as a cross between coupé, 4x4 and estate that majors on Scandinavian style and good taste rather than conservative solidity.

The XC60 also places Volvo right into the heart of the extremely competitive small premium SUV market segment. It faces tough competition from the likes of the Land Rover Freelander, BMW X3 and forthcoming Audi Q5.

The question is whether the XC60’s unarguably different approach is enough to make it stand out from a very able crowd.