Volvo Cars has revealed its new XC60 “premium” SUV at the Geneva Motor Show. Something’s wrong when you have to put the word “premium” on an upscale crossover SUV that was developed with Chinese capital: People have to be told it’s premium because it doesn’t look like it until they see the window sticker? The SUV replaces Volvo’s successful original XC60, which in the nine years since launch became the bestselling “premium” mid-sized SUV in Europe, with nearly a million units sold globally. The XC60 today represents around 30%of Volvo’s total global sales.
“It’s the perfect car for an active lifestyle, and it represents the next step in our transformation plan,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive, Volvo Car Group. *
Safety Technology
The new XC60, is claimed by Volvo as one of the safest cars ever made with Steer Assist added to the to the so-called City Safety system. A new safety system called Oncoming Lane Mitigation uses steer assist to help mitigate head-on collisions, while Volvo’s Blind Spot Indication System (BLIS) now uses Steer Assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.
Pilot Assist, Volvo’s advanced semi-autonomous driver assistance system, which takes care of steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 130 km/h, is available in the new XC60 as an option.
Performance
The new XC60 offers Volvo’s T8 Twin Engine gasoline plug-in hybrid with peak output of 407 horsepower and acceleration from 0-100 Km in just 5.3 seconds as preliminary, non-independently tested numbers.
The new XC60 will launch with the diesel D4 engine at 190 horsepower and the D5 at 235 hp. We also have the petrol-powered T5 delivering 254horsepwoer and the T6, with both turbo and superchargers at delivers 320 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters of torque.
A new “CleanZone” four-zone climate system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver fresh air on the inside. Volvo Cars’ driver infotainment and connected services offer, Sensus, and the Volvo On Call App. Both receive a graphical update with improved usability. As in the 90 Series cars, smartphone integration with CarPlay and Android Auto is also available.
Styling Babble
“The XC60 is an SUV not designed to look down on others but to drive. The exterior has an athletic sculpture with a subtle, timeless quality. The interior is a masterful composition of well-resolved architecture, beautiful materials and the very latest technology – all perfectly blended together. The XC60 provides a true Scandinavian experience which will make our customers feel special,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President, Design at Volvo Car Group. Let’s look – it’s a crossover and they all look similar.
Volvo Cars’ new XC60 is set to go into production in mid-April at the Torslanda Plant in Sweden.
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*For the 2016 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 11,014 MSEK (6,620 MSEK in 2015). Revenue over the period amounted to 180,672 MSEK (164,043 MSEK). For the full year 2016, global sales reached a record 534,332 cars, an increase of 6.2% versus 2015.
