[V.Narayan]

3 years on

The Volvo XC60 has completed 3 boring, uneventful, trouble free, noise free, spare part free, problem free, irritation free years. Other than the routine service checks every 10,000 kms the car has needed nothing. The only thing I replaced were the 4 brake pads at 30,000 kms. They were good to go for another few thousand but I changed them nevertheless to save myself one more service centre trip. The car has done several inter-city trips, a couple of rough road trips, been driven many a times through Delhi's (easily) floodable roads and never said boo. Mileage thus far ~38,000 kms odd.

I continue to love its butch looks, throaty muted engine growl and solid torque. The Volvo service centre continues to be good and delivers on time. Not being overloaded could be a factor in their favour. The sales staff have half forgotten me. They are not the 'relationship manager' type like at Lexus so you kind of fall out of sight. But as I don't need anything from them I guess I will let it pass though to their credit they reply to emails still. The best the Chinese can do is to let the Swedes run and build Volvo - don't change what's working well. If Volvo go all electric, as they say they will do, then I look forward to the day a few years hence when I can replace the XC60 with an all electric e-XC60.

I would be pleased to answer questions BHPians may have. A more detailed update will follow with photos on completing the 40,000 kms service in a couple of months.

[sumukha]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

3 years on

The Volvo XC60 has completed 3 boring, uneventful, trouble free, noise free, spare part free, problem free, irritation free years. Other than the routine service checks every 10,000 kms the car has needed nothing. The only thing I replaced were the 4 brake pads at 30,000 kms. They were good to go for another few thousand but I changed them nevertheless to save myself one more service centre trip. The car has done several inter-city trips, a couple of rough road trips, been driven many a times through Delhi's (easily) floodable roads and never said boo. Mileage thus far ~38,000 kms odd.

I would be pleased to answer questions BHPians may have. A more detailed update will follow with photos on completing the 40,000 kms service in a couple of months.

Nice to read your thread again Narayan. I have 2014 XC 60 D5. It does not have Navigation though it has got the Button. When asked dealer service centre quotes 60 K . Any options ?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by sumukha

Nice to read your thread again Narayan. I have 2014 XC 60 D5. It does not have Navigation though it has got the Button. When asked dealer service centre quotes 60 K . Any options ?

Dear Sumukha, check if the navigation software the service centre is talking about is the new software fitted to the new XC90 or to the new XC60 or is it the old one fitted to 2015 model cars like mine. The old software is quite backward and will not be worth, in my opinion, the investment of Rs 60k. Hope this helps.

[V.Narayan]

Dear Readers, The Volvo XC60 goes for its 40,000 kms service, i.e. the 4th service, tomorrow. I will put out a post on the service and how the car is doing - rather how well the car is doing. If there are questions that you would like me to answer please feel free to post them. - Narayan

[V.Narayan]

Volvo XC60: 40,000 kms and 3 years

XC60 Upgraded with Polestar software for engine management

At the 40,000 kms service we upgraded the XC60 with Polestar software from Volvo that improves the smoothness and seamless gear change of the engine & transmission. More bluntly it enhances the oomph factor too. This is a purely software change. The programme under license is purchased from Volvo Sweden with a license number and loaded into the car’s computer by the authorized service centre.

While this does not include the hardware and more powerful engines that we associate the Polestar name with it does smoothen out the driving experience and the car in normal mode drives more like it is in sports mode. The software loaded is a modified version of the engine management software in the Polestar marquee. The upgrade:-

- Smoothens out the automatic gear change
- Reduces the turbo lag significantly
- Improves acceleration
- Improves the timing and swiftness of gear changes

Most of these improvements are most obviously felt in the mid-power band of the engine say in the ~1000 RPM to 3000 RPM range though it works in the lower power band too. There is a Polestar hardware package too including amongst others - tyres, wheel rims, exhaust, air intake, aerodynamic accessories and some modifications to the suspension. I have not gone in for the hardware side as racing is not on the agenda. But for enthusiasts for a chunk of change this is now likely to be an option in India soon.

Total cost of upgrade Rs 48,000 and change with tax. It got done within the 6-hour scheduled service time. You can obtain a certificate from Volvo Sweden to keep as proof and maybe enhance resale value one day. They affix a small blue badge that says ‘Polestar’ so you can show off to others. My wife commented that as I grow older I am trying to fulfill all the fantasies of my youth. In the interests of censorship I will refrain from sharing my reply.

The 4th service itself

Total cost Rs 36,000 odd with tax.

This included the usual filter changes – oil, air and air conditioning; wheel rotation & balancing; change of fluids and a few odds and ends of parts that were getting tired. I decided to change the V-belt one service early – cost Rs 4000 with tax. As the car does some inter-city runs with my wife the last thing I want is a car stranded on a state highway.

Cost of all maintenance thus far in 3 years is Rs 136,000 over 40,000 kms. That is Rs 3.40 per kms on maintenance. Here I am not counting the make-up and lipstick paid for at 3M. For a Rs 56 lakh car the maintenance has been well below than 1% per year of base cost over the first three years.

The Owner Ship Experience

The ownership experience is calm and comforting. The driving experience is that of riding a bull with a muted growl and a lot of torque. The financial experience on after sales service is best described as no surprises. The experience on maintenance is pleasant and hassle free.

The Volvo sales department at Swede Auto is a flop at keeping in touch with old customers even when they know that the old customer can be a repeat one. The garage on the other hand has a competent manager and has been a pleasure to deal with – so far. In comparison Lexus (my other car) showers its customers with so much attention it can go to your head. Nevertheless the quality of the Volvo XC60 and its trouble free tenure over the first three years encourages me to look at Volvo’s all-electrics when they come to India in 2020/2022 or thereabouts.

This car reminds me of the old Hero Honda tag line ‘fill it shut it forget it’.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

At the 40,000 kms service we upgraded the XC60 with Polestar software from Volvo that improves the smoothness and seamless gear change of the engine & transmission.

How is the Polestar software upgrade working

Over the past 4 days and about 185 kms of driving (all self driven) the polestar upgrade in my view has been worth the Rs 48,000 odd invested on it. Acceleration is more spirited and the automatic gear change is much smoother. All in all a great car has become more fun to drive. In fact the last 4 days like a 8-year old boy with a new bicycle I have kept the XC60 to myself and banished the drivers to lesser machines :-). If you are planning on a Volvo purchase it is worth your while to investigate this option.

[veedub89]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

How is the Polestar software upgrade working

Over the past 4 days and about 185 kms of driving (all self driven) the polestar upgrade in my view has been worth the Rs 48,000 odd invested on it. Acceleration is more spirited and the automatic gear change is much smoother. All in all a great car has become more fun to drive. In fact the last 4 days like a 8-year old boy with a new bicycle I have kept the XC60 to myself and banished the drivers to lesser machines :-). If you are planning on a Volvo purchase it is worth your while to investigate this option.

Thanks for keeping your thread alive by posting regular updates.

I have been pondering over the Polestar upgrade on my one year old S60 D4 ever since I bought it! But my dealer here in Chandigarh had quoted about 90k for the upgrade. That is almost double of what you have paid!

Did you get any discounts on the upgrade package? Should I be prepared to bargain really really hard for upgrading my car with Polestar too?

Thanks!

[V.Narayan]

I don't think the price is negotiable but you should give it a try. The software for each car varies by year of make and model. The software upgrades go upto Rs 1.3 lakhs for some. I did not negotiate at all but that is just my lazy nature. That is why my wife never trusts me to buy veggies and fruits.

Originally Posted by veedub89

Thanks for keeping your thread alive by posting regular updates.

I have been pondering over the Polestar upgrade on my one year old S60 D4 ever since I bought it! But my dealer here in Chandigarh had quoted about 90k for the upgrade. That is almost double of what you have paid!

Did you get any discounts on the upgrade package? Should I be prepared to bargain really really hard for upgrading my car with Polestar too?

Thanks!

[A M]

Cost of all maintenance thus far in 3 years is Rs 136,000 over 40,000 kms. That is Rs 3.40 per kms on maintenance. Here I am not counting the make-up and lipstick paid for at 3M. For a Rs 56 lakh car the maintenance has been well below than 1% per year of base cost over the first three years.

This, I think, can be counted as very low cost of maintenance considering this is a luxury brand. Even a 6 lakh rupee car costs anywhere between 3-4% of their base cost in the first three years of ownership.

Can someone throw some light on how it compares with the German trio?

Originally Posted by veedub89

But my dealer here in Chandigarh had quoted about 90k for the upgrade. That is almost double of what you have paid!

Did you get any discounts on the upgrade package? Should I be prepared to bargain really really hard for upgrading my car with Polestar too?

Thanks!

Or maybe you can just drive down to Delhi and get the update done.

[veedub89]

Originally Posted by A M

Or maybe you can just drive down to Delhi and get the update done.

Fair enough.

Just that if (when?) something goes wrong, the local dealer will wash his hands off it and use it as an opportunity to make some money.
Then i will be stuck with using the Delhi dealer again. If not for regular service then for all Polestar related issues at least.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by veedub89

Just that if (when?) something goes wrong, the local dealer will wash his hands off it and use it as an opportunity to make some money.
Then i will be stuck with using the Delhi dealer again. If not for regular service then for all Polestar related issues at least.

It is a reasonable concern given how things tend to go in our country. The software is purchased on line from Volvo Sweden with a license number and then dropped into the car's computer directly through the on-line connection. The dealer is virtually doing little other than press 'OK' when it says download complete. Best of luck with your efforts. I hope things work out. Volvo are not quite like VW Group in this respect at least that is my experience so far.

[psispace]

Congrats on touching 40k ! And especially on the Polestar upgrade.

I too postponed the upgrade for a few years as I was skeptical of the advantages. However, it was only after the ECU was upgraded did I realize how transformative it was. Due to this, I missed a few years of driving pleasure in this format. However an advantage to the delay was, being an older model, I could get a good discount.

I recommend that you have a go at it with gearbox in 'S' mode on an open road at least once. It is in this mode that there is a 'day and night' difference in the performance. But be careful, it can get addictive.

Wish you many more happy miles in your steed !

[V.Narayan]

I rarely, if ever, measure fuel efficiency. I'm just too lazy. But for interest a few months ago I decided to record fuel intake and mileage on the Volvo XC60 and to fill up a full tank each time. Using the full tank to full tank method over a little over 2500 kms the fuel consumption is 12 kms/litre of diesel mainly in city traffic driving in Delhi-NCR. The actual measurement came to 12.31 but I've rounded it down 12.

Another interesting statistics is the down time for maintenance. This figure is 39 hours including travel time to the service centre and back. That's 39 hours over 40 months and 40k+ kms.

Happy to be driving the WCOTY 2018 albeit a slightly older model. All is well with the car but off late Volvo have caught Mercedes' virus of not replying back to letters from customers - existing and prospective. This is rather disappointing and in my view a sign of a lax management. I can understand [but not agree with] a company not replying back on a service issue but sales? - maybe Volvo is selling too many units these days. I was writing on behalf of a fellow BHP member who was facing difficulties with a dealer when he (the member) wanted to buy a Volvo car. I am sure Volvo understand that goodwill is fragile.

[V.Narayan]

The Volvo XC60 had an unfortunate scrape a few days ago thanks to cramped and haphazard parking at an office building in Gurgaon. Here the only exit route was blocked by cars even on the turns making it impossible for any car bigger than a Maruti Alto from being able to get through. This left me with no choice but to very gently nudge the car around a corner with the left fender scraping the boundary wall. Did it as slowly as possible after aligning the car’s angle of turn. The PPC from 3M Gurgaon has helped protect most of the paintwork from peeling though some big scratches are evident. I plan to get this portion replaced by 3M in the coming week. Post-surgery photos will be posted.

The Volvo Xc60 has been maintained in top trim with nary a scratch and now I have three years worth of scratches in one go.

Recently the dashboard gave a signal saying the key needs replacement. This was unusual. I can understand the battery needing a change but the whole key was a surprise. Spoke to Volvo's service centre manager. And here is the difference between Volvo and some other luxury brands. He said just send the key to me if possible let me check it first. All that was needed was to clean some deposit on the insides of the key and all is well. Thus far Volvo have demonstrated a practice of repairing rather than replacing, of examining rather than ordering the entire sub-system to be changed. I hope they keep up the habit.

I am waiting for Volvo to bring a small Plug-In Hybrid or an all electric to India.

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Here the only exit route was blocked by cars even on the turns making it impossible for any car bigger than a Maruti Alto from being able to get through. This left me with no choice but to very gently nudge the car around a corner with the left fender scraping the boundary wall.

Yikes. That is bad. Metal is definitely dented. Couldn't you have just left the car there and gone, and collected it back later at night?