Volvo XC60 review

Not all that long ago, Volvo was viewed very much as an affordable estate-focused alternative to the premium German triumvirate of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Well, these days, Volvo isn't simply knocking on the door of that exclusive club – it's partying hard inside.

Of course, when your price tag starts to reflect your premium ambitions, your product needs to match up, too, and that's the challenge faced by the Volvo XC60.

Based on the same underpinnings as Volvo’s flagship XC90 luxury SUV, the XC60 has five seats instead of seven, and is shorter and several thousand pounds cheaper. It’s still aiming to be a premium product, though, and is priced as such, taking on rivals as upmarket as the  Audi Q5, Land Rover Discovery Sport and BMW X3. 

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Those rivals are ideal for families, and have the qualities that the XC60 will need to emulate: namely space, a plush, well-built interior and strong engine choices. 

Is the XC60 up to the challenge? What are its strengths and weaknesses? And which engines and trims make the most sense? Read on over the next few pages for all the answers.

And if you decide the XC60 is for you, don't forget to check out our New Car Buying pages, where you could save a small fortune without any awkward haggling.