Volvo can't sell safety anymore.
Well, it can't just sell safety — because everyone else sells safety, too.
Volvo is still a leader as far as designing cars to avoid crashes — and protecting passengers from impact forces if a crash is unavoidable — but the gap between Volvos and others is nothing like it once was.
So Volvo's got to sell you on something else.
How about a turbocharger and a supercharger?
And that's not the only thing it's selling.
What It Is
The XC60 is Volvo's medium-small crossover SUV — similar in size and general layout to others in the same class, such as the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
What makes it unusual, though, isn't its shape or size but the range of engine options it offers.
These range from predictable to radical:
—Turbo four-cylinder.
—Turbo-supercharged four-cylinder.
—Turbo-hybrid four-cylinder.
Also unusual is that these three engine configurations are available in any of the XC60's three available trims. You don't have to buy a higher trim to get the drivetrain you want, and conversely, you're not forced to buy a drivetrain you don't want to get the trim and other features you do want.
Prices start at $39,200 for the base T5 Momentum trim, which comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and front-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive is optional.
From there you can select the R-Design and Inscription trims, spec'd out with either the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine or a turbo- and supercharged version of the 2.0-liter engine.
There's also a T8 plug-in hybrid Momentum with the 2.0-liter turbo engine paired with an electric motor and battery pack. It lists for $52,900 to start.
What's New
Major updates for 2019 include standard heated seats and windshield wipers in AWD-equipped models. R-Design and Inscription trims (T5 or T6) now come standard with a premium 600 watt 14-speaker stereo system, park assist and power-folding rear headrests.
What's Good
There are so many choices — with few limitations.
It's more size-efficient than some smaller — and some larger — rivals.
Features like massaging seats are unusual for the class (and price range).
What's Not So Good
Standard 18-inch wheels and short-sidewall "sport" tires have a firmer and noisier ride than 17-inch wheels with less aggressive tires.
The hybrid's main draw isn't really economy — which isn't actually a bad thing.
It has a bit of turbo lag if you don't buy the supercharger.
Under the Hood
Standard equipment is a 250 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which can be paired with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard either way.
Next up is a turbo-supercharged version of the 2.0-liter engine, which has 316 horsepower and comes standard with AWD. This engine delivers almost the same gas mileage as the standard 2.0-liter engine — 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway versus 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway — but gets you from zero to 60 mph in just over six seconds. The XC60 with the standard 2.0 turbo-only engine gets there in about seven seconds.
Then there's the turbo-hybrid XC60. A 46 horsepower electric motor and 10.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack boosts the total output of this combo to a triple-espresso 400 horsepower and 472 foot-pounds of torque. So equipped, this XC60 gets to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
On the Road
Volvo's solution to the problem of turbo lag is to add a supercharger to the equation. Being engine-driven (rather than exhaust-driven), the supercharger delivers immediate boost, so there's no initial hesitation before acceleration.
But it's a small supercharger to limit the drag on the engine, which would cost mpgs.
Once you're accelerating, the turbo takes over.
The hybrid can operate as a part-time electric car that transforms into a supercar whenever you need it to. The fact that it's a Volvo supercar (dressed in family-crossover SUV duds) only makes it more fun!
At the Curb
The XC60 has some Volvo-specific styling touches, such as the centered-slit LED headlights and the Volvo tall-stacked rear brake/taillights, which curve backward as they rise toward the roofline.
But it's size — versus space — that makes the XC meaningfully different.
It has class-best back-seat legroom (38 inches) and 63.3 cubic feet of total cargo capacity — which is more than rivals like the Audi Q5 (60.4 cubic feet) and the BMW X3 (62.7 cubic feet).
The optional 12.3-inch LCD touch screen is another point of departure. It is both elegant and functionally superb, in part because of its larger-than-most size — which makes it easier to accurately tap/swipe/pinch through the various menus while the XC60 is moving.
The Rest
Even if you don't buy the optional massaging seats, Volvo's seats are exceptionally comfortable.
Few — if any — cars have more comfortable seats. You may not believe it at first, but after six hours in one, you will.
The Bottom Line
The lights almost went out at Volvo — because it was still trying to sell what everyone else was selling. Now Volvo's got something else to sell — and it's selling!
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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