Item: Volvo XC60 2017-2024
Rating: 3.5

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In the dog-eat-dog mid-size SUV class, a distinctive exterior design is crucial to stand out from the crowd. Case in point: the second-generation Volvo XC60, which even at eight years old still looks fresh, enticing and just a little bit different.

The minimalist, Nordic-chic aesthetic gives the XC60 the distinct edge for kerb appeal next to the likes of the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 – and now that you can bag this upmarket, tech-rich SUV for as little as £12,000, it starts to look all the more attractive.

The show continues once the doors open too. The XC60’s airy cabin is modelled on the flagship XC90’s so it is among the slickest, most comfortable and most technologically advanced in its segment.

There are plush leathers, soft materials adorn all the key touchpoints and, while there is a big portrait-oriented touchscreen, it’s supplemented by a useful array of chunky switches and buttons to satisfy your analogue proclivities.

All trim levels are well equipped. You can spend around £2000-£3000 more on a range-topping Inscription model, which gets 20in wheels and massage seats, but you won’t feel short-changed by entry-level Momentum, with its all-important heated steering wheel and ‘Thor’s hammer’ LED headlights.

If you’re after a more sporting look, then R-Design is your best bet but just be aware of the slightly firmer front seats.

Rear accommodation is good, and although the second row doesn’t slide fore and aft, adults will have no trouble getting comfortable in the back. The boot is slightly short of class standards, at 505 litres, but it’s still big enough for several carry-on suitcases and has no lip so is easy to load.

Boot capacity drops to 468 litres if you opt for the 401bhp T8 Twin Engine petrol plug-in hybrid, but it compensates for its reduced cargo capacity with a 27-mile EV range and cheaper tax.

It’s no slouch, either: its turbocharged and supercharged (yes, we do mean ‘and’) engine, coupled with an electric motor, allows for a 5.3sec sprint to 60mph.

As for the other engines, there’s nothing bigger than 2.0 litres and no more than four cylinders. The 187bhp diesel D4 is smooth and will do around 45mpg day to day, but we would opt for the 232bhp D5, which is punchier and no less economical.

It’s better for towing duties too. There’s also the 251bhp T5 petrol, and while it’s quick, you’ll do well to get more than 30mpg.

In 2019, Volvo rolled out a range of hybridised engines. There’s the 247bhp B5P and the sprightly 298bhp B6P. The B5P is widely available and costs around £20,000 for a four-year-old example with about 50k-60k miles on the clock.

You’ll pay similar money for a younger 197bhp B4D or 232bhp B5D diesel: both are smooth, efficient and pleasant to drive. Volvo also added the T6 Recharge PHEV, which can do an impressive 48 miles on electric power – more than the equivalent X3.

A facelift in 2021 helped the XC60 keep pace with its German competitors, when it gained a new front end, upgraded 12.3in Android-based infotainment system and quieter, more comfortable cabin.

A tidy post-facelifted car with around 50,000 miles under its belt will set you back something like £25,000, about the same as an equivalent Audi Q5 – and, more importantly, half the price of a near-identical, showroom-fresh XC60.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Used Volvo XC60 2017-2024 review

Upmarket mid-size SUV classy and refined - but choose your engine and trim wisely

Good

Design appeal

Expensive-feeling cabin

Mechanical refinement

Bad

Ordinary performance level

Hesitant, elastic-feeling gearbox

Remote, limp handling

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Classy, smart and well-proportioned design

Lighter than its predecessor

Cons

Air suspension an optional extra

Volvo's impressive design form during the 2010s continued with the arrival of the XC60, which oozed class both inside and out.

Underpinned by Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), the XC60 showed fllashes of resemblance to its bigger XC90 sibling, such as the ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlights, but the XC60 managed to carve out enough of a difference to be distinguishable in its own right.

It was longer, wider and lower than the previous-generation model, too, but had a higher ground clearance and wasn't any heavier. It was also nicely proportioned to allow it an airy, spacious cabin while striking a sleek, understated, Nordic-chic exterior that wasn't particularly flashy, but neither was it emotionless and bland like many of the snoozefest SUVs in the class at the time.

As standard, the XC60 got all-wheel drive and a double-wishbone front suspension with a rear multilink arrangement. Like the XC90, it came fitted with a transverse composite leaf spring at the rear, allowing a light, compact design with, in theory, a smoother ride and less noise, vibration and harshness than you’d get with a regular coil spring set-up.

Height-adjustable air suspension (which allowed an additional 60mm of travel) was available as an option.

All SPA Volvos benefitted from the lightweight and strong qualities of the modular platform and got the same electromechanical rack and pinion steering system, which could be adjusted through the different drive modes available – Eco, Comfort, Dynamic, Off-Road, Individual. These modes also impacted the brake pedal feel, throttle response, damper settings and, if fitted, air suspension ride height.

Every model in the range had an eight-speed automatic gearbox and the engine line-up consisted of three 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines – diesel D4 and D5 units along with a 251bhp turbo T5 petrol. The T8 petrol-electric plug-in hybrid joined the line-up in late 2017.

INTERIOR

Pros

Excellent fit and finish with premium materials used throughout

Spacious cabin with comfortable, adult-friendly second-row

Digital screen are graphically strong

Cons

Smaller boot compared to German rivals

Lack of physical buttons for secondary controls

Volvo had given every reason for potential XC90 buyers to talk themselves into its more affordable relation because much of the larger car’s aesthetic appeal, usability and material quality had been ushered into the XC60.

The pair were closely related enough that even seasoned reviewers were forced to find the differences in side-by-side comparison. The differences, then, were subtle: vents had been remodelled and switchgear swapped out, but essentially all the important fixtures were transferred, including the portrait-orientated infotainment screen that dominated the dashboard.

Comfy seats were a long-standing Volvo selling point, but the XC60 R-Design’s sporty ones felt thin and gave me an ache in my upper back. Good under thigh support, though
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

This was to the smaller car’s benefit. We lauded the XC90’s take on an SUV cabin two years ago, and its downsizing had done nothing to dilute the impression of sitting in a well-thought-out space.

The larger XC90’s cabin ambience, which managed to seem vaguely Scandinavian without lapsing into the appearance of an Ikea kitchen, was well translated, as was the high-quality fit and finish of predominantly premium materials.

The R-Design model we tested came fitted with a 8.0in digital instrument cluster that, when combined with the 9.0in touchscreen, evoked the sort of technologically advanced ambience that Audi was currently thriving on.

You sat obligingly high in the car on leather-upholstered seats that offered a decent enough compromise between comfort and support and you were left in no doubt that the surrounding space was capacious.

The seats in the rear quarters followed suit. It was usefully more roomy in the back of this car than the model being replaced. Although it was nothing exceptionally spacious for the class, adults of all sizes would still find themselves being made to feel comfortable in the rear.

The focus on passenger contentment had penalised boot space a wee bit, though. The XC60’s 505-litre capacity was respectable but not quite on a par with the room offered by most of its big-name rivals.

That was a mild deficiency each buyer would have to rate for themselves. Our view was that the impressively square and flat load space seemed ready for most big-family tasks.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Strong mechanical refinement and cabin isolation

Easy to make brisk, relaxed progress

Cons

Acceleration and responsiveness not as good as rivals like Audi Q5

Gearbox can be hesitant

The XC60’s diesel engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox allowed it to hit an acceptable standard on acceleration and responsiveness, but it was impressive in neither respect.

We saw that represented in our recorded acceleration figures: a like for-like Audi Q5 was more than 0.5sec quicker from rest to 60mph and almost 0.5sec quicker from 30mph to 70mph through the gears. You could also appreciate it from the driver’s seat.

The gearbox felt slightly hesitant both away from standing and when swapping ratios under load, and the engine was less free-revving than some comparable diesels.

Where the engine and gearbox hit back was under lighter throttle applications and in a more laid-back mode of usage, where the XC60 surprised more than one tester with its mechanical refinement in particular. There was an elastic feel to the way the transmission slipped before fully engaging as you applied middling amounts of power.

It could be bothersome when you were in a hurry or looking for any meaningful driver engagement in manual mode, but somehow it seemed to make more of the engine’s torque when you were just punting around in ‘D’.

There was plenty of low and mid-range torque to go on, of course, so fairly brisk but relaxed progress was easily made, and the XC60 motivated its mass without making hard work of it until faster overtaking was required.

Volvo matched the good mechanical refinement with equally good cabin isolation, keeping the interior laudably muted on the motorway and preventing wind noise from becoming intrusive.

So drivers who would rarely use more than a not-so-arbitrarily selected 60% of the car’s performance – who would activate Volvo’s Pilot Assist auto-steering radar cruise control at every motorway opportunity, for example – would consider their car the match of any rival.

Volvo’s preference for slightly overassisted, isolated-feeling controls made for a light and slightly spongy-feeling brake pedal, which, combined with the iffy body control of our air sprung test car made hard stops less precise and smooth than they could have been.

That was part of the bargain struck in order to make the more gentle stops less physically demanding, of course. It was a set-up that we’d imagine many Volvo drivers would value.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Secure and dynamically competent

Predictable and reassuring as an SUV is likely to be

Cons

Excitable ride over sharper-edged bumps

Remote, mushy steering

As we had written many times before road testing the XC60, what made a great-handling mid-sized SUV was an evasive and complicated thing to define.

In outright terms, the answer may simply have been ‘a Porsche Macan’ – but for those who wanted the comfort, isolation, versatility, space and convenience that most cars of this type afforded (and that, in many cases, the Porsche did not), that answer was as good as useless.

However you prefered to define that idea, few would have expected the XC60 to set the class standard on handling dynamism – so perhaps few would care that it didn't. But we couldn't overlook the shortcomings of the car’s suspension and steering on that basis.

In air-suspended form and on the R-Design trim’s 19in alloy wheels, the XC60 was a car that fell between two stools, providing a driving experience particularly worthy of commendation for neither its ride nor its handling.

It was a dynamically competent car and felt as secure as anyone could want a Volvo to be. But the ride was excitable and hollow over poorer surfaces and sharper-edged bumps, the steering was overly light and remote and the handling was slightly mushy, unresponsive and lacking in balance and bite, even by SUV benchmarks.

In some of those ways, we imagined the car was precisely as Volvo wanted it to be and as many owners would prefer it, but not in all of them. The XC60’s occasionally clunky ride was perhaps its most disappointing dynamic blight and the one you may be least forgiving of in both an SUV and a Volvo.

The air suspension did a reasonable job of suppressing surface roar, but presented with an averagely testing ridge or edge to deal with, it thumed and sometimes almost crashed. It was a criticism we made of all air-sprung Volvos sharing this platform, but it was more notable here than anywhere.

After that, we bemoaned the fact that the XC60’s Dynamic driving mode didn't do a better job of producing much of a sporting driving experience (body control ranged from decent downwards), admitting the same caveat with which this section started: that, in all likelihood, an owner wouldn't care. We simply couldn't pretend that we didn’t.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Of the three trims levels – Momentum, R-Design and Inscription – entry-level Momentum had enough kit to satisfy most buyers.

You still got cruise control, keyless start, automatic lights and wipers, 18in alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, a gorgeous leather interior with heated front seats and a 9.0in portrait-style Sensus infotainment system with DAB radio and sat-nav.

Of course, this was a Volvo, so you got a host of safety features, too. There was an advanced form of autonomous emergency braking that recognised cars, cyclists and animals and could even help you safely swerve out of the way of oncoming traffic and back onto the correct side of the road – and the semi-self-driving Pilot Assist was an option.

Its engines weren't any more fuel efficient than those fitted to rivals. Our test car averaged 39.6mpg overall.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Used Volvo XC60 2017-2024 review

Upmarket mid-size SUV classy and refined - but choose your engine and trim wisely

Good

Design appeal

Expensive-feeling cabin

Mechanical refinement

Bad

Ordinary performance level

Hesitant, elastic-feeling gearbox

Remote, limp handling

The second-generation XC60 ought to have been as close to a home run as Volvo had enjoyed under Geely’s ownership – and in several important respects, it payed out on the initial promise.

Much like the XC90 and the model it replaced, it slotted very neatly into buyers’ idea of what a modern, premium-badged 4x4 should look, sound and feel like.

But, in R-Design trim at least, Volvo had not successfully nailed the way such a machine ought to drive – and on optional air suspension, the deficiency compared with its rivals was too noticeable to make any recommendation of the XC60’s strengths particularly emphatic.

That was unfortunate and was reflected in its modest star total – a result that a differently equipped version of the car might have exceeded. However, superior comfort and an accommodating turn of speed were woven so intrinsically into the notion of a premium SUV that the measure of their shortfall was far-reaching.

This XC60 was close enough to genuinely good as to end up being likeable, but assuredly no nearer to being compelling.

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

Matt Saunders

Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.