Volvo XC60 review

You won’t have issues fitting in the front of such a big car, even if you’re very tall. The front seats slide back a long way to accommodate those especially long in the leg and there’s loads of head room, too.

Admittedly, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is bigger still, but Volvo’s penchant for light-coloured interiors gives the impression of more space than there actually is.

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As for stowage, there’s a deep bin beneath the centre armrest and a cubby by the gearlever with a sliding cover to keep valuables out of sight. The door pockets are easily big enough for a one-litre bottle of drink, too.  It’s worth noting, though, that T8 models have shallower storage areas in the centre console and under the front armrest. This is due to the battery being housed in the middle of the car.

It's pretty roomy in the back, too. While a Discovery Sport may offer an extra centimetre of space here and there, very tall folk will still appreciate how much knee space the Volvo offers, which is more than the Q5. Head room remains impressive, too, even if you add the optional panoramic glass roof. That's not always the case: the DS 7 Crossback feels very cramped with a sunroof added.

The XC60 is also broader inside than many of its key rivals;  shoulder room for three adults sitting side by side is surprisingly good. However, whoever gets the middle seat will find it rather narrower than the outer two and will have to straddle a raised tunnel that runs along the floor from front to back.

All versions have five seats. If you want seven seats, you’ll need to upgrade to the XC60s larger sibling, the XC90 or go for the the Discovery Sport.

The XC60 has 60/40 split-folding rear seats as standard and, if you fork out for the optional Convenience Pack, they can be dropped at the touch of a button, much like those in the Mercedes GLC. This saves you the job of pulling manual levers.

You get a ski hatch for sliding in long items between two rear passengers, but it’s a shame that the seatbacks aren’t split in a 40/20/40 layout, as you can have them in a Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Discovery Sport. It’s also a pity that you can’t have sliding and reclining rear seats, though; again, this handy feature is standard on the Discovery Sport and optional on the Q5. You can specify a pair of optional fold-out booster seats, which are built in to the outer rear seats and suitable for smaller kids. 

This is another area in which the XC60 can’t quite match the class best, but is by no means bad. Officially, there’s 505 litres of space to play with, which is about 10% less than you get in the Q5 or BMW X3, and the boot is quite shallow. Capacity is reduced further in the T8, because most of its electrical gubbins sit under the boot floor, raising it by a few centimetres compared with the non-hybrid XC60.

It’ll still be big enough for most families’ needs and can easily swallow eight (seven in the case of the T8) carry-on suitcases, which is one more than a DS 7 Crossback can manage. There’s no lip to negotiate at the boot's entrance, either, and folding down the rear seatbacks leaves a completely flat extended load bay.