Review: 2010 Volvo XC60 Features, Listed Prices, Invoice

The all-new 2010 Volvo XC60 is a small luxury crossover SUV that's been a hit right out of the gate. It offers an appealing balance of style, safety, utility and performance. With its distinctive interior and exterior design, long standard feature list, spacious cabin and turbocharged engine option, the new XC60 has a lot going for it.

A growing trend in the small crossover SUV segment has been the increased demand for more luxurious features and surroundings in addition to the traditional SUV attributes of convenience and usefulness. And the XC60 certainly fits this bill, while borrowing its fairly robust power source from Volvo's newest S80 sedan and maintaining the brand's renowned safety-conscious priorities.

Trims, Standard Features And Options:

The 2010 Volvo XC60 is offered in a choice of two trims: 3.2 and T6.

Standard features on the XC60 3.2 include a power driver seat, driver memory settings, foglamps, 17 inch alloy wheels, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth, City Safety and an 8-speaker CD/MP3 sound system with HD and satellite radio and USB and auxiliary audio ports.

In addition to a turbocharged engine, the XC60 T6 comes standard with all-wheel drive, leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, 18 inch alloy wheels and privacy glass.

There's a number of available option packages. The Premium package for the 3.2 includes the T6's additional interior features. The Multimedia package, available for both models, adds navigation, a back-up camera and a 12-speaker Dynaudio surround-sound audio system.

Other packages offered on both models include the Climate package which features heated front and rear outboard seats (not available with the integrated booster-seat option), rain-sensing wipers, an interior air quality system, headlamp washers and heated washer nozzles. The Technology package adds a lane-departure warning system, adaptive cruise control and a driver attention alert system, while the Convenience package adds front and rear park assist and a power liftgate.

Also available are stand-alone options which include a panoramic sunroof, a dual-screen rear entertainment system, 18 inch alloy wheels for the 3.2, special exterior styling accents, adaptive xenon headlights, dual integrated rear booster seats, a real wood inlay for the center stack and keyless entry and ignition.

There's also a more sporty XC60 T6 R-Design model with firmer damping, a more reinforced chassis and improved steering. It also comes with a color-keyed lower body, "matte silk metal finish" grille, mirror caps and trim moldings, special 18 inch "Cratus" pattern alloy wheels (20 inch pieces are optional), plus skid plates and chromed exhaust outlets.

The interior of the R-Design comes with door moldings, aluminum steering wheel accents, pedals with aluminum surfaces and rubber inserts, R-Design badges and an enhanced floating center stack.

Engines, Powertrain And Gas Mileage:

Powering the XC60 3.2 is, not surprisingly, a 3.2 liter inline-6 engine that produces 235 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. All XC60s are equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control, while front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional. Under the hood of the all-wheel-drive T6 is a 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-6 good for 281 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. In performance testing, the XC60 T6 was timed from a standstill to 60 mph in just 7.1 seconds, one of the fastest times in the segment.

The EPA-estimated gas mileage for the 3.2 FWD is a solid 18 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway. Fuel economy for the T6 drops to 16 mpg city and 22 highway.

Safety:

The long list of standard safety features on all 2010 XC60 models includes antilock brakes (ABS) with brake assist, stability control with rollover sensing, City Safety (can avoid or reduce a low-speed frontal impact by independently applying the vehicle's brakes), Hill Descent Control on AWD versions, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and whiplash-reducing front seats. In addition, optional safety features include a collision warning/braking system, a heartbeat monitor that detects interior intruders, a driver alert system and a lane departure warning system.

Government crash testing had not yet been performed on the 2010 Volvo XC60 at the time of this writing.

Interior:

The XC60's cabin is a significant improvement in style and flair for Volvo. In fact, it's the best in the lineup. It's attractive, well-designed and solidly constructed with high quality materials. While there are still a few hard plastic trim pieces, the overall look and feel is decidedly upscale and appealing.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive, while the rear seat is especially spacious with above-average headroom and legroom for the segment. Both driver and passengers will likely be comfortable on long trips. And in terms of cargo space, the 40/20/40-split rear seat can be folded to provide up to 67 cubic feet of storage room, again above average for the small luxury crossover segment.

Drive:

Most consumers will be pleased with the 2010 XC60's nice balance of comfort and performance. The regular inline-6 really doesn't stand out, but gets the job done in a satisfactory manner, and with good fuel economy. The turbo model, while certainly not intended to perform like a sport sedan, packs a solid punch nonetheless while still remaining smooth and quiet on the highway. While the XC60's overall handling is capable, it's designed primarily to favor comfort over performance.

While The XC60 T6 R-Design has a stiffened-up chassis, more damping and tweaked steering ratios for a quicker response, the overall ride quality is the same as the T6.

Update: Weak Economy Leads To Lower XC60 Prices:

Volvo's sales have been on the weak side historically for close to the past two years now, right along with the other car brands and evidence of a continuing slow economy.

They've recently made some progress in offsetting at least some of the market weakness through strong incentives and easier-to-get discounts. The bottom line? The current combination of a soft market along with intense dealer competition has created the perfect opportunity for nailing down some great deals.

Car dealers will "wheel and deal" bigtime right now if you know how to push their buttons.

How To Buy A New XC60 At The Best Price: Before listing MSRP and invoice prices for the 2010 Volvo XC60, here's exactly how to buy one at the lowest price, especially given the current slow car market.

Prices:

2010 Volvo XC60:

3.2, FWD: list price: $32,395, invoice price: $30,451
T6, AWD: list price: $37,200, invoice price: $34,968
T6 R-Desgn, AWD: list price: $41,550, invoice price: $39,057

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