It used to be that Volvo had only one thing going for it, even though this brand has made some of the most admired cars and SUV ever built, safety was the name of the game at Volvo. This was most the case because a Volvo model meant you chose a car that had no style or elegance to it. Some of the wagons and sedans from Volvo have been heavy hulking tanks of vehicles that felt safe, but weren’t a joy to drive or look at. All that has changed and we have a new era of Volvo.
The 2017 XC60 is a great way to look at what Volvo has done to improve its image and be able to compete with the other luxury brands that offer much more than just safety. The XC60 shows itself with smooth lines from an attractive interior along with a great build and fantastic interior. Even the engines used are technological marvels and are more capable than anything offered on this vehicle previously. For 2017 the XC60 shows up with only four variations of the vehicle which makes your choices much easier than they were before.
The choices you have start with the two engines that are offered. The T5 models use a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that makes 240 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine, and the larger one, uses an eight-speed automatic transmission for the shifting to give you a powertrain that brings you 23 city/30 hwy mpg in FWD and 20 city/29 hwy mpg in AWD. This powertrain is also capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds.
Moving up to the second engine found in the T6 and R-Design models you see the same 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine under the hood, but this version uses both turbocharging and supercharging to give you every bit of power available. This means you have a full 302 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque from under the hood. T6 and R-Design models are only set up with AWD and give you a powertrain that returns 20 city/27 hwy mpg of fuel mileage. This model increases the towing capacity to 4,400 pounds to allow you to bring even more gear where you need to.
Looking to the features of this SUV you see the lineup start at the T5 Dynamic and Inscription which are the base models. This gives you leather upholstery, a panoramic moonroof, power adjustable front seats, a 40/20/40 folding rear seat, an award winning infotainment system, a navigation system, HD Radio, a CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alert, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, the City Safety System with low speed collision avoidance.
Moving up the chart to the T6 model you see the AWD as a standard item along with larger wheels and a power tailgate. All three of these items are options on the T5 models. Other items that you can choose on the T6 versions include the sport tuned suspension, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, xenon headlights, a Harman/Kardon audio system, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, an integrated rear booster seat, a rear seat DVD entertainment system with two screens, power folding rear headrests and power retractable side mirrors. Most of these optional features are added to the R-Design model as standard offerings to give you a fully packed luxury SUV to drive.
With all this equipment you need to know what it’s going to cost you. At the base, T5 Dynamic or Inscription level you will start at a price just under $42,000 which is a great price for a luxury SUV. Moving up to the T6 models you’ll see a starting figure of a little more than $47,000 and at the R-Design level you will begin shopping around $52,000. Of course option package can increase these prices even more.
The 2017 Volvo XC60 is a fantastic small SUV for you to drive when you want the luxury you deserve and the drive that will keep your family safe. Volvo is no longer just about safety, their lineup offers you exceptional advances in technology and engine use to give you an XC60 that’s powerful and efficient while being full of great features for you to enjoy.
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