2018 Volvo V60 – price, specs and release date
Volvo's plush estate offers plug-in hybrid power and new safety technology – here's everything you need to know...
Price from: £31,810 On sale: September
Volvo knows how to make a great estate car. The company's history is littered with some of the most practical estates ever made, and its current V90 is among the most practical cars on the road – as well as one of the safest. The same, sadly, can't be said of the current V60, because when measured against rivals including the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 3 Series Touring, the Volvo falls down on interior space, drivability and heavy depreciation.
2018 Volvo V60 features
The new V60 is based on Volvo's SPA platform – meaning it shares its underpinnings with both the S90 and V90 and the XC60 SUV. Without giving away the car's interior dimensions, Volvo is promising 'new standards' of luxury, space, safety and connectivity.
The car is almost identical to the larger V90 in terms of design, with only minor alterations to its front and rear bumpers setting it apart from its more expensive sibling. This also means that Volvo's upcoming S60 saloon is likely to mirror the design of the S90 in a similar fashion.
2018 Volvo V60 interior
Inside, the V60 adopts the same look as the larger S90 and V90, by having a digital instrument cluster and Volvo's Sensus infotainment screen.
Standard safety features on the V60 include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, plus Volvo's Pilot Assist system, which allows the car to steer, accelerate and brake at speeds of up to 81mph.
Lane-keeping assistance and run-off-road (a system which detects when the car is about to leave the road and gently steers the car back) is also included. Optional assistance systems include cross traffic alert, which can detect obstacles when you're pulling out of a junction or parking space.
2018 Volvo V60 engines
Volvo has already said that, from 2019, it will only offer engines with some form of electrification. As such, V60 buyers can choose from two plug-in hybrid options to start off with, both of which combine a petrol engine with an electric motor. The T6 produces 335bhp while the T8 offers 385bhp. Both engines offer four-wheel drive as standard.
Conventional T5 and T6 petrols will also be offered, as with D3 and D4 diesel engines. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is expected to be standard across the range.
2018 Volvo V60 price
As well as selling the V60 through traditional dealerships and online, the car will become part of Volvo's 'Care by Volvo' scheme, where buyers can pay a monthly subscription fee and lease the car from Volvo for two years. Currently, the only other Volvo product on the scheme is the new XC40 – our Car of the Year for 2018. One of Care by Volvo's unique selling points is the ability to swap into another Volvo vehicle for up to 14 days per year.
If you do decide to buy a V60 outright, then prices start at £31,810 – a significant increase over the old car, and one which makes the V60 significantly more expensive than either its Audi or BMW rivals, though Volvo says it's offering more equipment as standard. That price is for a Momentum model, too, meaning that more luxurious Inscription or First Edition versions of the V60 will cost even more.
As ever though, the V60 will be more closely matched with its key rivals when it comes to PCP finance deals.
Can't stretch your budget to a new Volvo V60? Never fear, because we've gathered together the best used estate cars around right now – and all of them will cost you less than £2000.
Best used estates for less than £2000
10. Honda Accord Tourer
You might think the Honda Accord is old folks’ wheels, but it's actually a very good, well-rounded car. It's also the star of one of the greatest car ads ever made; just stick ‘Honda The Cog’ into YouTube to see what we mean. The Accord Tourer is a massive load-lugger with precision engineering behind it. Need an example? The rear seats not only fold flat, but can also be made to do so with the flick of just one lever. The tailgate can be opened by pressing a button on the key fob, saving you from having to get your hands dirty as you fumble for the external boot release. And if you bag an Executive model like the one we found, you’ll get leather seats, cruise control and sat-nav, too.
We found: 2004 Honda Accord Tourer 2.0i VTEC Executive, 149,000 miles, £1995
Once you’ve got past its repmobile image and seen its voluminous load area, you’ll understand just what great value the Vauxhall Vectra is. There are lots of engine choices to suit all driving requirements and budgets. SRi comes with plenty of kit and some smart alloy wheels that help to add some visual appeal to, what is, a box on wheels. But it is a box that can carry a lot of stuff, which is the whole point of an estate, really.
We found: 2008 Vauxhall Vectra Estate 1.9 CDTi SRi, 113,000 miles, £1995
Read the used Vauxhall Vectra Estate review
Find a used Vauxhall Vectra Estate in the What Car? Classifieds
8. Audi A4 Avant
If you need to transport a Harrods hamper in a premium vehicle, few estates are quite as suited to the job as the Audi A4 Avant. For a start, it isn’t called an estate. No, that’s far too common. It’s Avant thank you, and the carpet used in the boot is of a higher thread-count than the stuff used in most three-bed semi-detached houses. SE cars have just about enough kit, including climate control, front electric windows and a trip computer. And all models are furnished with a high-quality dashboard, which should still look as good as new when you clean it up.
We found: 2003 Audi A4 Avant 1.9 TDI SE, 118,000 miles, £1890
Read the used Audi A4 Avant review
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