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Volvo V60 DRIVe R-Design road test report

DRIVe R-Design

Volvo’s V60 sports wagon is a practical all-rounder. Offering a fantastic mix of slick styling, sensible interior proportions and the safety credentials, making it the ideal company vehicle or family load lugger. It is now lower emission and achieves better fuel economy thanks to the addition of the DRIVe variants-Volvo’s sub-brand for its greenest models.

Road Test Reports Says 4.5 star rating
A front-facing image of the Volvo V60 DRIVe R-Design

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ANDY HEYWOOD SAYS

Performance Performance - 4 stars

The new-for-2011 DRIVe version of the V60 means lower emissions and better fuel economy but does that mean a compromise on performance? Thankfully not, as the 1.6 litre diesel is easily as capable as a larger 2.0 litre engine. Despite being a small, this 1.6 engine performs strongly, providing 270 Nm of torque between 1750-2500 revs; enough for comfortable acceleration, achieving 62mph in 9.4 seconds. Most comfortable at cruising speed, the V60 is near silent when galloping up the motorway miles. Based on the S60, the V60 sports wagon car is designed to offer more space without compromising driving dynamic, here we think we can confidently say, Volvo delivers. Wearing a DRIVe badge, designed to denote the lowest emission variants in the car maker’s line-up, the V60 offers 62.8 mpg and 119g/km CO2 emissions-easily as strong as the greenest variants of its rivals such as the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant. If the green option isn’t for you, there are a total of seven horse power variants to choose from, including four petrol choices and three diesels. If you really want power, the range-topping T6 offers 304PS.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 4 stars

The car we drove came in the top spec R-Design trim with Ixion aluminium alloys. This trim has proven very popular with UK buyers in the past, thanks to its sporty adaptations, which have allowed it to take up to 60 per cent of sales on some model lines. Now available across the V60 range, this trim provides the model with an extra sporty drive and handling. Lowered by 15mm, the R-Design cars offer road-hugging handling and are complimented by firm suspension. This firmness is not spine-shattering however, thanks to Volvo’s considerate and cosseting seats. We also really appreciated the feel of the thick, chunky leather steering wheel between the fingers, which just somehow adds something to the whole driving experience. If you opt for another trim however, you’ll still find that the V60 is a confident around the corners, provide excellent steering feedback and will cope well enough with the bigger craters in the road.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 5 stars

The V60 is styled to prove just how elegant an estate car can be and it has to be an absolute master-class both inside and out. If you thought Volvo estates were boxy, then the V60 will absolutely trash that idea. Flowing exterior lines are complimented by an elegant smart and well-laid out interior. Quality, soft touch materials are used all round, and the dash offers a smart and clear layout-deliberately designed to be less confusing and more driver-focused than other premium estates. Volvo says V60 is designed to eliminate the need to study the owner’s manual to work out how everything works as it is just intuitive. That seems a fair assessment to us. Volvo also came a respectable 9th in the JD Power 2010 survey, joint with Audi, giving some indication of the brand’s reputation for reliability with owners.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

Where Volvo really excels. While much of the safety kit is as you would expect to find on a premium estate and matches much of what it rival’s offer, Volvo has one clever extra; Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, which designed to stop the car if a pedestrian steps out in front of the car. This is available as part of the Driver Support Pack, which provides Adaptive Cruise Control with Distance Alert, Queue Assist and Collision Warning, Lane Departure warning and Driver Alert Control and Blind Spot Information system and costs £1,485.00. Even if you choose the entry level ES trim, you’ll get City Safety system as standard, which is designed to avoid low speed accidents, plus DSTC (Dynamic Stability Traction Control), dual stage driver and passenger airbags, SIPs (Side Impact Protection Sytems) and curtain airbags. Of course, the V60 scored 5 stars from Euro NCAP. Deadlocks, immobiliser, remote control locking and alarm are also standard.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 5 stars

With the seats up the Volvo offers 339 litres of boot space, not quite as good as the Audi A4 Avant or BMW 3 Series Touring with 490 litres and 460 litres respectively, but still ample enough for most needs. As the estate version, the V60 offer 3mm more headroom than the S60 but is otherwise identical to its sister model in terms of leg and elbow room, which means plenty of room for even tall adults in both the front and rear seats.

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 4 stars

The vehicle we drove was the V60 DRIVe in the range-topping R-Design trim which retails for £27,275 OTR. The V60 range begins at £23,710 for the T3 petrol ES with vven this entry level model including start/stop technology, helping to boost the fuel economy to a respectable 42.8mpg. But if you’re looking at the most fuel efficient DRIVe models, then the D3 diesel engine is available for a starting price of £24,960, if you opt for the entry level ES trim. Thanks to its sub-120g/km CO2 emissions, there is no road tax to pay in the first year and only £30 a year to pay thereafter. For business users, there is more good news, with leasing rates starting at just £279 a month and just £58 a month to pay in Benefit-in-Kind tax for 20% rate payers. Residual values should be strong, thanks to Volvo’s reputation for quality and the model’s relatively fuel and tax efficient credentials, make it a solid proposition.

Submitted: 02/08/2011 08:56:48

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