[trailblazin]

Disclaimer: I am not a writer and if I do bore you guys, kindly excuse me. Also, the views expressed here are my own personal views with limited technical knowledge.

I noticed that the current review of the XC60 in Team-BHP is quite dated and refers to an older model. So I thought this is the best opportunity to enlighten some prospective buyers as knowledge is useless if not shared.

I recently bought the 2014 XC60 D5 Summum AWD. Prior to buying this vehicle, I had done extensive research online, but I was surprised to see that very little was documented about this vehicle online in India. There was so much information about other vehicles in the similar segment such as the BMW X3, Audi Q5, etc. but nothing on this under-rated SUV.

My experience in the whole selection process:

The sales team at Volvo was really friendly and less pressurising. In fact, I was very pleased that they were not hard-selling like the guys at Audi Kochi and not asking ridiculous questions (like which cars I drove and if I would make our decision on the same day, as though I were buying some candy from a dollar store), which really put me off. They were also pushing some older manufacturing date vehicles and started giving their opinion on what they assumed was an ideal car for me. I found the sales guys at Volvo to be very humble and helpful when it came to the overall customer service experience. However, I felt the guys at the Coimbatore showroom were more knowledgeable regarding the car and its features.

We test drove the XC60 D5 and instantly fell in love with the initial pick-up that it had compared to the Q5 2L which was not that exceptional. Once we paid the advance for the vehicle, we had to wait for about 2 months to get it delivered as it was still on its way from Europe. The longest 2 months of my life!!! The showroom did offer us some discounts and free sun curtains (which I find to be very useful for the passengers at the back). What I felt a bit odd was that they never followed up with us once we test drove and left the showroom. It was us who decided to come back after a few weeks to come and book it. We greatly appreciated this space that they gave us.

First thing that struck us about the XC60 while booking was that the insurance premium was about half of that of competitors like Q5 and X3. As annual ownership costs and insurance costs was one of the factors influencing our purchase, this really impressed us.

I did not test drive the BMW X3, because I was not very impressed by the way it looked. Neither was I very happy about the looks of the Freelander 2 - I found it a bit dated. So I did not test drive either of these SUVs. I test drove the Audi Q5 2L and loved the vehicle, however I found it to lack initial pick up and some features such as reverse camera, etc. which were available on the XC60 D5 at the same price point. I would have loved to have gone for the 3L Q5 or the base model Q7, but the price of the 3L Q5 did not seem reasonable enough and they told us that apparently, the base model Q7 was not in production. :(

Day of delivery:

As the delivery date approached, my anticipation grew greater and greater, but, to my disappointment, the delivery was delayed by 2-3 days due to some clearance issues in the Chennai port, where the cars apparently get delivered. Finally, I got delivery of the 2014 XC60 D5 Rich Java (top end) on 18-July-2014 from the Kochi showroom along with half a tank of fuel, a bouquet of roses, a lovely cake and a bank balance lower by Rs. 56 Lakhs. Our sales executive was very helpful in giving us a detailed walk-through of all the features in the vehicle once again and showed us how they could be accessed. Honestly, I was really confused after all that information overload. After the initial photo session at the showroom I was on my way home!

Initial Impressions:

These are some of the initial impressions that I have about the car -

Likes:
- Great fit and finish of interiors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Initial pickup
- Uniqueness on the road
- Panaromic sunroof (not particularly useful but looks great!)
- Great auto climate control air conditioner - silent and cools very quickly
- Good ground clearance

Dislikes:
- Interior colour
- Badge value
- Lacks a full size spare tyre
- Lacks fog lamps
- Lacks touch screen display

Highlights and details:

Let's move on to the features of the vehicle. You can change the 'theme' of the vehicle - Dynamic, Elegance and ECO. Based on the theme chosen, the digital display speedometer shows different data, relevant to that theme. The sport mode with paddle shifts behind the steering is just sublime. You can feel a huge surge of power when you step on the gas. When not in sport mode, step on the gas and the engine takes a fraction of a second to react, but not noticeably long. I believe the turbo lag is hugely reduced because of its twin turbo engine (unqualified opinion).

In terms of fuel efficiency, I found the car to be quite brilliant. I get about 7-9 km/l in the city (in heavy bumper to bumper traffic) and get an average of 12.5 km/l on the highway (averaging 110 kmph). Cruising at 70-80 kmph has given me 18km/l and with a bit of discipline I am sure I can get more. Check out the images at the bottom to know better!

Since I am no expert on the gearbox, I won't be commenting on that. However, all I know is that it is a 6-speed gearbox and it seems to shift as soon as you use the paddles (there is no real delay in gear shift).

I have driven about 6,000 kms till date and taken the car for a few long trips with my family and friends (Bangalore, Munnar, Salem, Yercaud, Nandi Hills etc.). I typically use the car during the weekends and on long trips. The driving comfort is quite good (especially with the lumbar support for the driver's and front passenger's seat). The leg room at the rear is quite decent. Three average-sized adults can comfortably sit at the back and you can easily squeeze in a fourth one as well. When you buckle up in the back seat, there is this feeling of safety that no other vehicle gives you!

There is plenty of room in the back for storage, which is great if you are into camping and there is this lovely button that automatically closes the tailgate (similar seen on the Q7).

The 2.5L twin turbo engine pumps out 215 hp and 440 Nm of torque and is ideal for the highway. With polestar tuning (which is done by Volvo), it would make the engine spit out 230 hp and 470 Nm of torque. It does not feel or sound like a diesel engine at all and the cabin is extremely quiet and well insulated. The 235/60 R18 Pirelli tubeless tyres that come with it are rather soft and quite silent with minimum road noise. However, in the next change, we were advised by a reputed tyre shop to move to 255/55/R18 due to its increased comfort, availability and lower price (not sure if that is a right thing to do. I'm leaving it to the experts in the forum to help me out with that).

The xenon projector headlamps combined with the high beam quite literally act like floodlights in the night and tilt in the direction in which the steering is turned. The fantastic rain-sensing wipers are a joy to use (sensitivity can be adjusted) and so is the city auto laser assisted braking feature, which has already saved this beast a few times from collision when the vehicles in the front stopped suddenly.

Another fantastic feature is the reverse cam which is quite extraordinarily clear even in the dark. Its wide angle lens gives a great view of the vehicles passing by. It comes with the Hill decent/ascend feature which works while the car is in both D and R. I am yet to try it out though.

At high speeds on the highway, it remains planted on the road and there is a great feel of control and stability. In the city, the automatic transmission is very handy and relaxing especially in slow traffic.

The leather quality is probably the best in the segment and one can feel it. The fit and finish of the interiors is very good. I was given some complementary sun curtains for the back seats when I bought the car and I think this is a great add-on. We were forced to go for the beige interior (which no one in the family liked) as the guys at the showroom said that any other option would take about 7 months to be delivered from Europe. The interior for each body colour is slightly different ranging from the amount of wood used, the colour of the leather and the type of wood used. I preferred the Tuscano (orangish brown) colour for the leather but had to settle for the beige as I couldn't wait too long.

The overall appearance of the XC60 is quite elegant. It has full-time daytime running lights but they may not look as boastful as that of the Audi Q5. It is one of the widest vehicles in the segment with broad shoulder lines, which gives it quite a lot of road presence. Moreover, it has one of the highest ground clearance in the segment which makes a bit of off-roading quite stress free.

The cockpit is very classy and intuitive and there is no clutter of buttons. The interior is a combination of leather, wood and plastic (good plastic, not the tacky kind). The major highlight of the dashboard is that the centre console is slightly tilted towards the driver, which makes it lot easier and practical to use. I found this to be very clever. The vehicle comes with built in navigation hardware, which has to be activated using a serial key. On speaking with the guys at the Coimbatore showroom, I was told that the serial key would be provided to the owners soon. Also one of the guys at the Kochi service centre advised me that they would be providing the serial key once they got some training on it. Either way, I hope we don’t have to wait too long for it as I used a Garmin GPS and once ended up at a dead end in a slum while trying to find my way back to the highway (thanks to incorrect maps which were recently updated).

The side glass at the front has a special dirt and water-proof coating which is designed to prevent both water and dirt from sticking on it. I really wish they had the same coating on the windshield as well.

On my way back from a long trip, I ran over a pot hole (special thanks to Kerala Govt. and Kochi Metro) that caused a massive bump on the side of my right front tyre. After 4 days of poor support from Pirelli and my insurance provider (Reliance), we ended up buying a new tyre (Pirelli Scorpion) just after 3000 km. It cost me Rs.14,000, but I had to get it as the spare tyre is a space saver . However, the main point to note here is that I never felt or realised that I even ran over such a pot hole until I saw the bump on the tyre when I got back home. The guys at the service centre were very supportive, especially Mr Eldho. The guys at Volvo and Pirelli told me that it was caused because of a pothole. So it goes without saying that the vehicle’s suspension and comfort levels are ideal for Indian roads but the tyres, maybe not so much. Ever since this incident, I have been extra careful when it comes to potholes on the road. I was later advised that the tyre pressure recommended on the door panel is based on the European roads and that I should maintain 33 psi instead of the 38 psi printed on the side of the door.

The suspension isn't very stiff and I found it to be more comfortable than a Q5 on bumpy roads. The steering is not as sporty or zippy as its German Rivals, but it is accurate and makes you feel like you are driving a car. There is an option to change the stiffness of the steering, which I found to be quite an interesting feature. The brakes are very efficient and you will not feel a lack of stopping power even while braking from high speeds. Going through curves at high speeds does give you a controlled body roll, but the feeling of loss of control is never felt. This is probably because of the Roll Stability Control (RSC) that the vehicle has. Rollover Protection System is designed to help minimize the risk of a rollover in emergency maneuvers or should a skid occur. It uses a gyroscopic sensor that records the change in the angle at which the vehicle is leaning. Using this information the RSC calculates the likelihood of a rollover. If there is an imminent risk of a rollover, the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control system (DSTC) is activated, power to the engine is cut and the brakes are applied to one or more of the wheels until the vehicle regains stability (source: Owners manual).

Areas for improvement

I felt that Volvo could do with placing a few more areas of storage in the front apart from the cup holders and the secret cubby holder behind the centre console. Also, they should standardize the materials used in the interiors and ensure that the interiors of all the cars are exactly the same (except for the colour).

It could do with some fog lamps - these were present on the previous version of the XC60. They should also provide a choice of interior colour options ready for delivery rather than having only one option per body colour and expect people to wait for 7 months for a 'customised' version.

Volvo should provide a lot more support to the dealerships and expand its network with promotions like Audi and BMW does. I believe this car absolutely outclasses its competition in terms of features, performance and price, but no one knows about this sleeping Swedish giant!

Oh, by the way, for those of you who are wondering, Yes!, Volvo now provides extended warranty for the XC60 at Rs 85,000 approx. Apparently, It is subject to renewal by the end of this year as it is only an introductory offer (source: service center).

They should also provide a feature to increase the seat height of the driver and also a seat extender (seen on many premium vehicles) to provide added support behind the knees. It lacks the 3 chassis system that was present on the earlier models. The guys at Volvo claim that now the whole thing is automatic and the car senses the terrain (too early to confirm if it really works).

My verdict

So, if you are looking for a feature-rich SUV that is powerful, elegant, reasonable to maintain in the long run and gives you excellent value for your money, then the XC60 D5 is the right choice for you. If you have not considered this vehicle as one of the potential options while looking out for an SUV in this segment, then you have really missed out on a gem!

However, if you are looking for something with some more badge value and German engineering, then the BMW X3 or Audi Q5 is the vehicle for you.

The car is covered in mud and dust in the pics that I have uploaded. These were taken on one of my road trips.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[mahesh_sn]

Congratulations on owning the beast, trailblazin!!!
Volvos (cars i mean) are so rare on Indian roads that you will certainly enjoy exclusivity factor.

First thing that struck us about the XC60 while booking was that the insurance premium was about half of that of competitors like Q5 and X3.

That's interesting to know. It may be because the Volvo cars are percieved to be the safest ones or, should I say, more reliable ones among the lot. So, insurane companies might be happier underwriting the insurance for Volvos.

However, in the next change, we were advised by a reputed tyre shop to move to 255/55/R18 due to its increased comfort, availability and lower price (not sure if that is a right thing to do. Leave it to the experts in the forum to help me out with that).

My limited knowledge tells me that lowering the tyre profile makes the ride harsher. And, by the way, SUVs look good with higher profile tyres. So, I suggest you to stick to same stock profile.Tyre experts can throw more light on this.

Happy mile crunching!!!

[trek]

That's a lovely review Trailblazin.

The Volvo is such an understated yet elegant piece of machinery. I am glad folks are looking beyond the Germans and opting for beautiful cars like this one.

Please do put up more pictures of the exteriors and interiors of the car.

Wish you a wonderful ownership experience.

[TorqMaster]

Lovely Car .. one of my favourites, and a wonderful review too. Pics 1, 2 and 3 are wallpaper material .

Was actually waiting for this since the time I read that it was in AL.

Could you please provide more pics of the seats, boot gate, floor, under chassis, wheel well etc if possible and also the night view of cockpit.

Its all available in the Official review but would like to see the latest avatar of it.

Thank you very much Sir!

Regards
Torqmaster

[jkdas]

Good write up. Think you covered almost all the stuff too.

Volvo is something I too would suggest people to buy especially in Kerala coz of their a.s.s. My friend who owns two Volvos only had good things to tell about their a.s.s. ( He also owns Merc).

And the photos are stunning!

[American_muscle]

Congrats for an amazing car!!!

You are right about the 'under-rated' part, I have driven one in US though it was the pertrol version but the confort level was amazing!!!

Enjoy

[Octane_Power]

Congratulations on buying the 'safest badge' in the automobile world And good to see someone going off the beaten path and buying such a car which we don't get to see much on our roads.

Atleast for me, I'd love looking at the Volvo more cuz of its rarity rather than the X3 or the Q5. They are excellent machines, no doubt about that, but they lack the special feel of the XC60.

-Bhargav

[trailblazin]

Originally Posted by trek

That's a lovely review Trailblazin.

The Volvo is such an understated yet elegant piece of machinery. I am glad folks are looking beyond the Germans and opting for beautiful cars like this one.

Please do put up more pictures of the exteriors and interiors of the car.

Wish you a wonderful ownership experience.

Originally Posted by TorqMaster

Lovely Car .. one of my favourites, and a wonderful review too. Pics 1, 2 and 3 are wallpaper material .

Was actually waiting for this since the time I read that it was in AL.

Could you please provide more pics of the seats, boot gate, floor, under chassis, wheel well etc if possible and also the night view of cockpit.

Its all available in the Official review but would like to see the latest avatar of it.

Thank you very much Sir!

Regards
Torqmaster

Thanks Trek and Torqmaster! I will be uploading some more pics as requested shortly. However, I am not too sure how well my camera will fare in the dark while attempting to take a night view of the cockpit.

Originally Posted by mahesh_sn

Congratulations on owning the beast, trailblazin!!!
Volvos (cars i mean) are so rare on Indian roads that you will certainly enjoy exclusivity factor.

That's interesting to know. It may be because the Volvo cars are percieved to be the safest ones or, should I say, more reliable ones among the lot. So, insurane companies might be happier underwriting the insurance for Volvos.


My limited knowledge tells me that lowering the tyre profile makes the ride harsher. And, by the way, SUVs look good with higher profile tyres. So, I suggest you to stick to same stock profile.Tyre experts can throw more light on this.

Happy mile crunching!!!

Thanks for your valuable input mahesh_sn. Interesting perspective. I would be doing some bit of research before I jump in and get my next set of tyres in the future.

[amansanc]

Congrats for the new car trailblazin!! Amazing vehicle and a very good write up. This would be my choice too had i been in your place.
Keep updating the thread time to time. After all this is the only ownership review of the XC60

Pass through the Volvo showroom daily. Drool over the three TD vehicle's standing there. V40, S60 and XC60. The perfect three car garage

[Shanksta]

Brilliant choice trailblazin!!! Congratulations and wish you loads of (s)miles!!
IMHO I always wonder why people buy Mercs,Beemers and Audi and then have to go through the the pain of owning an unreliable(not to hurt any owners) car, when instead they can buy a Volvo a mix of proper reliability and luxury. I have always unconditionally loved S60 especially after seeing a newer facelifted one in deep blue with gun-metal alloys!! Absolute " drool maal ". Well I'm rambling now, once again, have a great time with your Swedish beauty! Please keep updating this thread regurarly since I guess this is the only owner review(?) of a Volvo product.

[Dieselritzer]

What a rare beauty. For some of your pics with greenery behind, Volvo should pay you for the pics and use it on their website. Wonderful clicks. Now as i mentioned, its a rare beauty and hence i will nag you for more pics, interiors, exteriors, driving experience, perhaps a video ??

[trailblazin]

Thanks guys! Hopefully, I will be putting up some more pics of the vehicle this weekend.
I too hope to keep this thread active by updating it from time to time so that every prospect buyer gets to know more about the XC60.

[brraj]

Is there any 5 years maintenance packages for volvo as in BSI for BMW.

[trailblazin]

Originally Posted by brraj

Is there any 5 years maintenance packages for volvo as in BSI for BMW.

I believe the guys at Volvo did mention something about that while purchasing the vehicle. However, I would have to confirm with them to be sure.