In this review
Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
If you tend to keep a beady eye on costs, the V60 is worth your attention. Generally, like for like, it’s no pricier to buy in cash than its chief rivals from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, yet it comes stacked with standard equipment. If you prefer the finance route, the V60 is exceedingly competitive for both PCP and leasing.
The V60 is also predicted to hold onto a solid chunk of its value when it comes to reselling three years down the line. In fact, the car should keep its value about as well as an Audi A4 Avant or BMW 3 Series Touring.
The D3 variant’s CO2 emissions are no lower than the more powerful D4’s, making the latter a tempting choice for company car drivers. In our book, the D4’s extra oomph makes it the engine to choose for private buyers, too, and – on paper at least – it shouldn’t cost you much more in fuel. But whether it’s CO2 emissions or fuel economy you’re most concerned about, the D4 isn't as efficient as a BMW 320d Touring. If low CO2 emissions are everything to though, the T8’s sub-50g/km figure is sure to pique your interest.
Stick to entry-level Momentum Plus trim for the best value. This has more than enough gubbins to keep the gadget lovers entertained, as well as plenty of luxuries, such as the aforementioned 9.0in touchscreen with sat-nav and 10-speaker stereo alongside LED headlights, rear parking sensors, an electric tailgate and dual-zone climate control. It’s worth considering a few options, though, such as the Convenience Pack, smartphone mirroring, adaptive LED headlights and extra safety kit (see below). Metallic paint is almost always essential for the best resale values.
We can see the temptation of next-rung R-Design Plus though, it provides niceties such as a head-up display, a hands-free tailgate, keyless entry and adaptive headlights, plus sportier styling. Inscription errs more on the side of luxury and is well equipped, but gets somewhat pricey. R-Design Plus also offers the option of T8 plug-in hybrid power, opting for which also opens the door to the Polestar Engineered update. On top of the R-Design kit list, this adds 19in wheels, a heated steering wheel and a Harmon Kardon stereo. A big proportion of its higher price, though goes on the chassis upgrades that we described earlier.
The V60 gets an excellent five-star rating from Euro NCAP, with very good category scores throughout. And as standard it comes with automatic emergency braking (this will detect cars, pedestrians and large animals), traffic sign recognition, oncoming lane mitigation (to help avoid a head-on collision) and lane-keeping assistance.
The optional Intellisafe Pro pack includes blindspot warning and Pilot Assist (adaptive cruise control that also includes steering control) and is worth considering. It is rather pricey, though.
As a manufacturer, the brand managed 11th place out of 31 manufacturers in our 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey. For the record, that puts it ahead of BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Volvo provides a three-year, 60,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty and breakdown cover on every car it sells in the UK.
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