Test drive Volvo XC60
In recent years, Volvo has been working on the Drive Me project - a car that will be able to move without a driver in the future. The production XC60 is capable of not only repeating this, but also protecting against oncoming collisions.
“This is a chance to feel the car better than ever,” a colleague showed miracles of endurance when discussing the prospect of driving barefoot. His shoes had just been stolen at the hotel.
I don't know about the legs, but you can experiment with the hands in the new Volvo XC60. Almost three years ago, we went to Gothenburg and watched Volvo work on the Drive Me project - cars that in the future will be able to move on their own, without the participation of a driver. One of the elements of the program was a trip with a Volvo driver, who on the highway released his hands from the steering wheel, and the car itself steered in bends, kept the lane and allowed cars to be reconstructed.
It's still a long way to a full-fledged autonomous car, legal aspects are still not settled, but the production XC60 can steer, keep the lane and so on. However, the Swedes treat the position of their hands on the steering wheel harshly in a Scandinavian way. Let go of him completely - a warning will appear that it is necessary to hold the steering wheel, if you do not listen, the system will shut down and the magic will disappear.
Where the new crossover is first is its ability to prevent an oncoming collision at speeds from 60 to 140 km / h, provided that the markings are visible. It works as follows: if the car moves into the adjacent lane, the computer detects the oncoming vehicle, and the driver does nothing to eliminate the danger, the system gives a sound signal of danger and starts steering itself. The XC60 is slowly returning to its lane.
But if you start to resist it, turn the steering wheel yourself, trying to stay in the oncoming traffic, the system interrupts steering. Another completely new system - off-road assist - functions in a similar way: the car starts to steer and brake automatically, keeping the car on the road.
Despite the fact that the XC60 is the first among Volvo in all this, Russian buyers will see new systems only on the XC90 in a year. "Sixty" will appear in Russia at the beginning of 2018 (yes, there are no prices yet), although representatives of the Russian office of the company promised to make every effort to make the car arrive as early as possible.
Now Volvo with the model range is doing well, but nine years ago, when the XC60 first appeared on the scene, things were a little different. The very modern-looking XC60 of the first generation eventually really shot: since the production of the model, about a million copies have already been produced (the previous generation will be removed from the assembly line in August), it has become the best-selling Volvo in the world, and in the last two years - the best-selling among all premium crossovers in Europe.
Therefore, it is obvious that the novelty for the company is exciting and important. It is also obvious that everyone will subconsciously compare it not with the previous generation, but with the new XC90, which has become an icon of the Scandinavian style. The fate of these models is generally intertwined much more closely than is usually the case with brothers within the same brand.
The XC60 is woven according to the same patterns: if earlier, in terms of design, there was a chasm between cars, and a compact crossover could be accurately identified in a stream along unusual body lines, now it is quite difficult to distinguish the younger model from the older one.
Both crossovers are built on the SPA platform (like the S90 sedan), a modular scalable architecture that was developed four years ago with an eye to integrating electrification technologies. All future Volvo models will be built on it.
If in the XC90 the company introduced a new level of comfort and control of the wheel, then in the XC60 - a more dynamic driving feeling, the Swedes admit. At the same time, Volvo felt that customers were tired of too rigid chassis settings and wanted comfort.
To ensure that the suspension meets these demands, but at the same time allows the car to actively maneuver rather than topple over to the side at every corner, Volvo tested hundreds of different options, from which the best were selected and sent to track tests.
The result is a really very comfortable car. Catalan roads may not be the worst in the world, but they also have bumps and potholes that the car does not notice. My colleague and I even turned off the route into a small olive grove, the road in which looked like a washboard. The suspension also survived this test easily, without causing any inconvenience. Even on this part of the way, no annoying extraneous sounds appeared in the cabin.
At the same time, one cannot blame the XC60 for its softness. Two versions of the XC60 were presented in Barcelona: the T6 with a 320-horsepower gasoline engine and the D5 with a 235-horsepower diesel engine. Both - on air suspension (this is an option, in stock - double wishbones in front and a beam with a transverse spring at the rear) with active shock absorbers.
Of course, more modifications will be offered, and all of them, except for the top-end (hybrid T8 with a capacity of 407 hp), will arrive in Russia. Volvo is staying true to the course it took in 2012 when the company announced it would focus on four-cylinder engines. All of them are installed transversely, and the power is transmitted to the rear wheels using a fifth-generation BorgWarner multi-plate clutch.
Both variants, which I was able to ride, despite the difference in power of almost 100 hp, are similar to each other. It is not for nothing that the Swedes paid attention to the fact that their motors of the Drive-E family are quite comparable with the "sixes" in terms of characteristics and thrust. Acceleration is confident, clear and even from the very bottom - there are enough “turbo fours” for all occasions.
In the diesel version, high efficiency was achieved using the PowerPulse function - by supplying air to the exhaust gas system before the turbocharger, and the turbocharging is activated from the moment the vehicle starts moving.
The crossover confidently drives in a straight line, holds the road well, controls predictably, does not sway during sharp maneuvers and turns, but at the same time, the difference between the driving modes (ECO, Comfort, Dynamic, Individual), in which the settings of the suspension, electric booster and power unit are changed, practically are not noticeable. The basic variant seems to be great for any type of riding.
Another reminder of the XC90 - the screen on the center panel is the most noticeable element of the light, neat and very cozy interior of the novelty. Its size is fully consistent with the positioning of the car: still large and beautiful, but smaller (nine inches) than on the older model. They are still brands, but there is a special cloth in the glove compartment with which you can wipe the display. By the way, if you hold down the key at the bottom of the screen for a few seconds, then a special service mode will turn on for these purposes.
The multimedia system includes all the functions that the XC90 has. For those who are familiar with an older SUV, the control algorithm for all applications will not be a problem either. The set here is standard for a premium car: navigation, the ability to integrate a smartphone, and so on. The Bower & Wilkins audio system deserves special praise. In addition, the system has the Connected Service Booking application, which will remind you of the upcoming maintenance and will itself offer a convenient time for making an appointment.
The new XC60 fully fits into the development vector of the Scandinavian company owned by the Chinese Geely, which finances all modern Volvo developments. Even compared to the current XC90, the novelty has taken a step forward towards its goal - by 2020, passengers in Volvo cars should not be killed or seriously injured.
It looks like the new crossover will be in high demand. Much, of course, will depend on whether or not a competitive price is added to the cozy salon, which sometimes one wants to sit barefoot, not forcibly, but at will. And the colleague's boots, by the way, were found. Having confused them with his own, one of the guests took them to his room.
| Body type | Crossover | Crossover |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4688/1902/1658 | 4688/1902/1658 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2865 | 2865 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1814-2115 | 1814-2115 |
| engine's type | Gasoline, turbocharged | Diesel, turbocharged |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1969 | 1969 |
| Max. power, l. with. | 320/5700 | 235/4000 |
| Max twist. moment, Nm | 400/2200-5400 | 480/1750-2250 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, 8-speed AKP | Full, 8-speed AKP |
| Max. speed km / h | 230 | 220 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 5,9 | 7,2 |
| Fuel consumption (mixed cycle), l / 100 km | 7,7 | 5,5 |
| Price from, USD | ND | ND |
