[deepak_bajaj]

Truly yourself along with my Volvo XC60 at Kanatal along with XUV300 of my BIL.

Finally on 23rd June 2022, in the late evening we bought home our first “true” luxury car Volvo XC60 B5 Inscription AWD, mild hybrid, in Crystal White Pearl shade. And on 24th June 2022, early morning, it was gone! . Read on to find out.

I decided to pen down this ownership review, a first for me, so that other prospective buyers and casual readers can get acquainted with the XC60. There are very few reviews and ownership threads on XC60 but perhaps none on the latest B5 mild hybrid. I do not possess technical knowledge unlike other fellow bhpians so my ownership review is simpler and more aimed to explain my experience to a common man rather than a techie. At the time of this writing, the car had done 2500 kms within 60 days (mystery explained below about how come 30 days between June to September).
Please excuse me for very few photos as I felt that general photos of the car are readily available and posting them again will not serve any purpose. I will try to add on photos later to this thread as I keep updating it with my experience.

Note to Team Bhp: There is no review of Volvo cars recently and for sure not on XC60 B5 AWD. If possible, please review the car and if required, I will be more than happy to lend mine for the review. Volvo as a brand is largely unknown in India and this forum is also read by casual car owners / lovers for accurate information. A detailed review might help them making an informed decision.

Quick Pros and Cons of XC60

Pros

• Brilliant overall product loaded with features missing in other makes at similar price point such as ventilated seats, massage options, four zone climate control AC, luxurious interiors draped in premium material. Good value for money in comparison to competition.
• 2.0L turbo petrol with mild hybrid tech is super smooth and silent. Single drive mode keeps the life simple and sorted. The car adjusts to driver's inputs without having to dive into drive modes. Easily tackles city stop and go traffic and highway runs with complete ease.
• Very comfortable front and rear seats with front seats adjustable in 16 ways. Best in class suited for those long road trips. Lumbar support is very effective.
• Bowers and Wilkins 1100W, 14 speaker sound system is best in class with no competition.
• Built like a tank with host of safety features, reminders and ADAS.
• Excellent customer support of Volvo India (based on my experience detailed below).

Cons

• Not a fun to drive car like X1 or X3.
• No diesel or higher powertrain available. Only one 2.0L turbo petrol mild hybrid option. Competition provides more options.
• Google Automotive, although a great initiative, is still infancy and needs lot of improvement. Losing GPS signal or Internet connection for maps is a frequent issue.
• Ride quality is somewhat bouncy or "springy" due to soft suspensions. It is not uncomfortable but not compliant either.
• No badge value like Germans.
• Very thin service network.

Selection Process

We (me & wife) were quite happy with our white X1 20d. It was about to turn 5 this year in August. However, the extended warranty would have expired in August and new warranty for the 5th year was quoted around 86k excluding GST and 2.7L for the sixth year. We were not in mood to spend that kind of money on extended warranty and being a diesel car, we were also apprehensive about its resale after 6 years given 10 years restriction in Delhi NCR. We were also not comfortable maintaining the car without warranty as three shockers had been replaced in warranty within 26k km and I can assure all that I’m not a rash driver hitting potholes. Few other minor repairs had also been carried out in warranty. So, we decided to move ahead with a new car.
This time we both were very adamant on buying an Indian car with following criteria:

• Safety
• Reliability including ASS
• Worry free. Can travel anywhere in India. (Had to be very careful with X1).

Tried both Tata and M&M but failed to materialize a purchase. The Tata’s ASS and horror stories of issues in new cars at delivery time, within months of delivery and horrible sales service kept me away from them (No offense to any of the owners. This is purely personal choice). Being in a manufacturing line with extensive customer servicer experience, wherever I feel that my business and satisfaction is not important to a company, I simply take my business somewhere else where I’m more important and I’m treated well. We were very much interested in Harrier but due to above issues, did not even go to check the car.

Next in line was XUV700. The moment we entered Prime Mahindra; we were told that it’s on waiting list of 18 months. The SA was remotely interested in showing the car forget any test drive. Anyways, we checked the car standing in the showroom and was pretty impressed with the interior quality. But waiting 18 months is not our cup of tea. No product can justify that long a wait. So, this was also deleted from the list.

There goes our resolve to by an Indian car and we were soon scouting for Europeans.

X3: Was not very inclined but anyways went for it to complete the process. The experience was lack luster. Deutsche Motoren, Mathura Road was not interested in X3. There was no car on display. The SA took us down in the basement where we were asked to look at the car. We, just for the sake of it and confirming our decision that X3 is not for us, checked out the car. The top end M sport variant was shown that still lacked most of the creature comforts at that price point. We did not find X3 to be suitable upgrade to X1. We were hardly gaining anything except the fat invoice. The showroom experience made our decision easy. Rejected.

LX300h: Was very enthusiastic about Lexus so booked the appointment at Lexus New Delhi. Very impressive showroom with lots of elements. But LX300h was nowhere to be seen. We reached little early at the showroom so we had to wait. We did not mind enjoying excellent coffee served with cookies. The car was outside and shown to us along with test drive. We were not very impressed especially wifey. The interiors looked luxurious with lot’s of leather and HUD was very crisp but that is all about it. The interiors somehow looked dated even though bathed in leather. I did not find the car enjoyable to drive due to CVT rubber band effect although it is much less than Honda City. The AC could not cool the cabin in approx. 20 minutes of test drive. The sound system was really hopeless (again no offense to owners. Personal opinion). The central console unit was tilted more towards driver than required. BMW has perfected this. It came with RFTs (strictly no-no for us) and no spare tyre (another no for us). The ride was harsh due to RFTs and stiff suspension. I soon lost interest and when told that it is on one year waiting, the decision was clear. Rejected.

GLC: Wifey had soft corner for MB and somewhere I also agree to this. When we were kids, luxury car meant MB. So felt good that we are going to try the MB (second time. We tried while purchasing X1 also). GLC is much better than GLA in many aspects. We were treated promptly at the showroom and offered coffee. Although we had the appointment, the car was not immediately available which was ok with us. We enjoyed coffee with cookies here too. Had discussion about various loan facilities, maintenance packages and extended warranty. Good to know that MB offers 10 years maintenance package. Our car arrived and we commenced the test drive. There was no restriction on the test drive and we were told to drive as per our requirement. Nice. The car’s interiors really look ubercool and modern and not overdone (I still feel ambient lighting is over the top for me). Ride was very comfortable and most of the bad patches were quietly absorbed. However, I did not enjoy the driving. Even in sports mode, the throttle response was not accurate. Twice the engine roared too much without any increase in power. Never happened with my X1. Even in comfort mode, you floored the pedal and the beast will never disappoint you. Heck, it never happened in Eco mode too. The car, as a whole, offered little more than X1 like better interiors, massaging seats (it was good in my second test drive), central console, manual thigh support, ambient lighting, slightly better music system and very comfortable ride quality. However, I did not find it worthy of an upgrade. The car also comes with integrated running boards which I found fouling while stepping out and in. At least I did not find it useful in this size of car.
At this price point, I wanted more. I also had in mind that new version of GLC will be announced soon after C class. But wifey was almost sold on it.

XC60: It was never on mind but I had a soft spot for it somewhere back in the mind. So, this time, I asked my wife that we will try Volvo too. She was also surprised but was quickly ready for the same. So we paid visit to Scandia Volvo, Mathura Road, in mid afternoon after the test drive of GLC. The moment we enter the showroom, I saw Thunder Gray XC60 standing their in all royalty. I was smitten by its looks at the first glance itself. Upon entering the car, I was almost sold pending the driving experience. Wifey found it little big than GLC in looks but was equally impressed with the interiors and build quality. Volvo showrooms generally showcase contribution of Volvo in safety aspects. Wifey on reading those stories had also made up her mind as we both were looking for a safe car.
Within 15 minutes, test drive was arranged for us. That was quite impressive. We, all in all, took 4 TDs of the vehicle out of which one was more than an hour comprising of city traffic and Greater Noida Expressway run. We were very impressed with the features offered by XC60. It is still no equivalent to X1 in driving dynamics, but in no sense a slouch. It was way better than what we had already tested and a genuine upgrade from X1. It has no driving modes (yes you read it correctly). You simply drive and when you need that surge you put your foot (right one !!) down and the car does the rest. The features and creature comforts offered in this price band far exceeds the competitors. We finally zero down on this and decided to go ahead with XC60 mild hybrid.

Booking Experience

Booking experience was weird. The initial SA, who was attached to us from beginning and had been very professional and forthcoming while arranging test drives , a day after taking booking cheque from us from our home, called me to not to book it as car is having issues such as sudden stop, parking sensor to name a few. To cut the long story short and keep the negativity at bay, we feel that were played by him as he he resigned on the same day. And our booking was delayed. Finally, car was booked on 9th May, 2022. We were sold on Thunder Grey color but that had no availability for another four months. We did not want to wait so long as we had already sold our X1 and we were without car for our road trips. So white with amber interiors was booked. We were promised delivery by end of June.

First Delivery Experience

The car was delivered to us on June 23rd, 2022. An email invite was sent to me on the previous evening confirming delivery. We, very excitedly, reached the showroom around 17:30 hrs and they were ready with all the paper works. There was a small ceremony comprising of cake cutting, unveiling of the car followed by box of chocolates and flower pot. A proud moment and a very nice feeling. We both were elated and jumping with joy. The whole delivery process took about 40 minutes. Fast and efficient. The car was spotlessly clean including engine bay, all promised accessories (mud flap and mats) installed. All controls were functional. The car has done about 8 kms.

Took the car straight to mandir for pooja. It took us approximately 35 minutes to reach the mandir in the choco-block of evening traffic. During the drive, I felt that engine is making more noise than required and somehow car was not smooth to drive (first signal ignored by us). I checked with wifey whether the TD car was also making that much noise and she confirmed no. The TD was much smooth and silent. I thought may be the Google drivetrain logic issue and ignored it to enjoy the happy moments. But I made a point and informed my SA at Scandia who also told me not to worry and if it persists, I can bring the car for check-up later (because next day, we had planned a short trip to Rajasthan). Satisfied, I ignored it but at the back of my mind it was always there. Unfortunately, the pooja also could not be completed because of Thursday, mandir was overflowing with crowd and there was no parking nearby. We went home without pooja (second signal which was also ignored).

Next day morning, we left for our two days road trip to Rajasthan, ultra-excited but I had that annoying feeling at the back of my mind. Car was not smooth during this drive too. To cut the long story short, the car developed a snag (can’t revel that) and we had to abort the trip. The car was towed back to service station (the first in my life).
We were very very disappointed. During our selection process, I was very vocal with wife that do not want a car that can left us stranded or is unreliable. For me, peace of mind is most important. And here we are staring at the very same issue I did not want to happen to us. But the good part is Volvo India took care of us right from the beginning. Volvo RSA was constantly in touch with us and updating us the time frame when the cab will arrive. I was reluctant to leave the vehicle there but RSA assured me that it is now Volvo’s problem and not ours. We were impressed and relieved that at such moments at least somebody is on our side and taking care to resolve the issue. Scandia motors were also very helpful and understanding. They also had dispatched loaner car from their showroom and we were also offered to take it to our forward journey but I guess you will agree that this was not an option for us.
Together they proved that we are really part of Volvo family. They inspected the car next day and told us the fault and assured us that it will be fixed. However, we were not happy with the sequence and the snag in a new car. We asked Volvo India to replace our car with a new piece. I myself was not convinced as car was already registered (temporary) on my name and loan papers were through. However, Volvo replaced our car!! Hats off to them to stand with their customer and taking extra initiative to satisfy us. Volvo along with Scandia, took care of everything and our new car was approved and delivered within 30 days.

I would like to highlight here that not even once, we had to raise our voice at any moment or write any harsh communication. Everyone involved were very polite, professional and understanding. Reading all the horror stories of other manufacturer’s, this was extraordinary for us and Volvo has won a customer for the lifetime.

[deepak_bajaj]

The Second Delivery Experience

The new car was delivered to us on 28th July, 2022. This time car was run for about 80kms. We denied any kind of ceremony as we were very skeptical with a fear at the back of our head. But Scandia did not let us go without the chocolate box and plant. A very sweet gesture from their end.

We drove the car and took it straight to mandir again. This time, the car was butter smooth and there was no noise from the engine bay. A day after, we took it on a short 500km drive to test the car and we were satisfied that that old problem was not present in the car. We were happy again.

Pooja completed at mandir

General

Keeping the negative aside, let’s talk about the car, the Volvo XC60. Volvo has stopped producing diesel engines and they are shifting to petrol with an aim to end ICE by 2030. The car looks royal, big yet not overly big like Fortuner or Endeavour. I love the car from all the angles especially when viewed from front. The car looks really long from the side profile. The car comes with AWD which is managed by the system. I have not got the chance or opportunity to test it.

The amber interiors look luxurious with perforated Nappa Leather on the seats and door. The fit, finish and quality of material used is excellent. They have used real crystal on the gear knob with a small LED light inside that produces faint glow in the night. The small Swedish flags on the seat look cute. The interiors feel very plush and distinctive from the three Germans.

The cabin is very silent and cuts you off from the outside completely but for the honking from trucks or nearby cars. You are into your own zone and you can peacefully have a conversation or listen to your premium sound system. The tyre noise and wind noise are very much in check and up to 120 kmph, the cabin remains silent. Very silent. Volvo has not provided under hood lining in the engine bay because of a petrol engine but I feel adding that noise absorbing lining can bring down the NVH to even lower degrees. There no vibrations or noises felt in the cabin. Very slight vibrations are felt sometimes on the pedals due to road undulaions.

The seats are very comfortable both at back and front. The front seats are 16 ways adjustable (driver as well as passenger) with five massage options and are both ventilated and heated. I have not checked heating but ventilation is a boon in summer. We took the test drives in mid-afternoon with temperature soaring above 45 degrees. Our back and bottom were in total comfort due to ventilated seats. During this 2,500km run, the ventilated seats have been blessing. Both front seats are offered with memory storage for up to two settings. The massage functions are not gimmick and are really useful during long drives especially lower back and wave. The lumbar support is excellent and has helped in reducing my leg pain during long drives. The extended thigh support also helps. The leather fees very soft to the skin and seats are soft and firm.

The four zone AC chills the car in no time and without having to increase fan speed above three. The rear has AC vents on the door pillar as well as on central console. Each passenger can adjust the temperature independently. The reclining angle of the rear seats along with broad armrest makes you comfortable in no time. There could be little more thigh support at back but it is not bad. You will not feel tired. During my last trip of approx. 300 km one way, my mother-in-law slept like a baby in the rear.

The Bowers and Wilkins sound system is mind boggling. The 1100w, 14 speaker system including sub-woofer can put any home theatre to shame. My wife, who is not a music buff to understand sound quality but within five seconds of playing music, she was sold. She herself told that it sounds better than our Bose system at home. And she was sitting at the rear and music was being played using Bluetooth (low quality). I have never heard such a system in any car and I love music. This has been a significant upgrade for both of us in terms of music quality. The music sound little better at front but the rear is equally impressive. With support for wired car play, the lossless music through Apple music sounds brilliant.

Driving Experience

The driving experience is a mixed bag in comparison to X1. The car has no drive modes and works best when pushed slowly in a liner manner. If you put your foot down, the car takes about a second to react and then sudden surge of power. The power is then delivered linearly. I never found overtaking an issue at highways or in city. You do not need to plan for overtakes. The best way I have found is to build up speed in linear fashion, with increasing accelerator input steadily. If you suddenly push it down, the power surge will be nonlinear and engine would be loud. The passengers would be jolted and pushed back to their seats.
The suspension is on softer side and unlike X1, the suspension remains busy on highways. There is small up-down movement even with slight undulations on the road. The X1 was compliant due to its stiffer chassis and suspension and there was no “springy” feeling. The ride is by no means uncomfortable or irritating but due to my X1 background, I feel it more. My wife is comfortable.
The side-ways movements are very controlled but you cannot attack corners like X1. The car is not meant for that purpose. I tried few times but then backed off when I did not get the response from the car. But it also does not mean that you need to slow it down like a body on frame SUV. The overall experience is satisfactory and ride quality is good not plush.
Unlike X1, small bumps and potholes are quietly absorbed and are not felt in the cabin. The car came fitted with Michelin Latitude Sport 3. The tyres are on softer side and absorb bumps and pot holes silently. These may also be the reason for soft comfortable ride, low noise but no corner handling and “springy” feeling.

[deepak_bajaj]

Below is summary of my observations during the 2500 km drive categorized into various sections. These are listed down to help understand the car in a short glance by existing new owners and upcoming owners.

General

• Apple car play is available with software version 2.2 and above using front USB port. Yes, it is wired.
• Apple car play does not work with steering controls for calls. Calls are not displayed on driver screen. You need to accept and disconnect using central touch screen.
• Very awkward door pockets at front as well as rear. The rear door pockets are of no use and you cannot store even a 500ml bottle. Best suited for 200ml bottles or cans,
• Dash cam is difficult to mount due to central ADAS camera console. I have mounted Viofo dashcam on the passenger side, next to the central ADAS console. The final view is little left shifted instead of centre but it works for me.
• There is no audio sound on lock & unlock. Only the light flashes to indicate that the command has been accepted. I personally do not like audio feedback.
• The engine bay has no sound damping sheet. But the engine is very silent and smooth. If you do not look at the instrument cluster, you will not know that car has started and is running. This is mild hybrid version that has an Integrated Starter Generator that makes it very smooth and vibration free.
• The car comes equipped with a heavy plastic engine protection plate. Good enough for most of the cases.
• The driver information screen has fixed layout and cannot be changed or customized. You can only enable or disable Google maps in the diver display. If you disable it, the screen remains blank between the speedometer and tachometer.
• The car provides indication in driver display for all doors, boot and engine bay.
• Seat belt reminder is available in front seats. The passenger seat is equipped with load sensor and if the passenger has not fastened the seat belt after 20kmph, the reminder starts to chime. For rear seats, there is no reminder if seat belts are not worn. However, if you fasten any rear seat belt once, the car will monitor and will remind you if the seat belt is unfastened. This also includes middle passenger seat belt.
• All rear seat belts are three point with middle seat belt also integrated into the seat unlike X1 which used to hang from the ceiling. Neat.
• Both front seat belts are adjustable for two positions.
• Front seat belts are equipped with Electronic Pretensioner. I have been able to test it once accidently. On the second day after delivery, me and wife went out till Rohtak to test the car as we were scared from our last incident. During that trip, since car was new and I was getting the hang of it, on a seemingly straight stretch, which was actually slight uphill and then sudden downhill, the car’s wheel left the ground for few seconds at the uphill and downhill intersection. The pretensioners were immediately active and tightened the belt so that we were firmly glued to the seat with zero slack. The tension was immediately released once the car found its ground. A good safety feature.
• All informative chimes in the car are very soothing and subtle. This adds to your luxury experience.
• Excellent ground clearance of 211 mm with driver seated inside. Worry free driving on Indian roads. As per manual, the car can wade water up to 400mm or 15.5 inches which gives it excellent ability to tackle difficult situations. X1 was less than 200mm. However, the manual also recommends that water wading should be avoided.
• The car come with its own car cover which is silver in color and of good quality. It is water proof and scratch resistant. Has elastic bands around corner for holding it. It also has a buckle strap to lock it across.
• A pair of Leather cleaning wipes and antiseptic tubes were also present in the car at the time of delivery.
• XC60 comes equipped with 235/55 R19 Michelin Latitude Sport 3. The wheels have safety plastic nuts that can be removed only with a special tool provided in the car. Without that cover removed, wheels cannot be removed. Another security feature!!
• Two tone diamond cut alloys look gorgeous.

Driving Experience

• Steering wheel is smaller than X1 but good to hold. It has thumb contours and matt leather covering providing good grip. The steering, by default is very lite in comparison to X1 and even when made firm using the central console, it weighs up only slightly. Although I prefer heavy firm steering like X1, but I never felt any discomfort or confidence shaking on highway drives. The car is always in control.
• Steering feels almost disconnected from actual road conditions and provides very little feedback.
• Missing driving modes. Yes, you read it correct. Volvo has redesigned this model for non-sports driving.
• When you release the break, the car starts to crawl at speed of 7kmph and it is so smooth that it feels like EV.
• The drive is very smooth. At the start, below 10 kmph, it sometimes feels like driving an EV. The engine start is very smooth with almost zero noise and zero vibrations.
• In D mode, the car generally remains in a gear lower than where it should actually be. Most of the times, I’m able to shift it manually in higher gear to bring down RPM. When you shift it to D again, the gear remains unchanged.
• Manual gear shifts are very awkward and appears that designers wanted to discourage it. The gears are changed by shifting the stick sideways instead of up and down. Also, unlike X1, which always used to acknowledge the input even if it was incorrect (trying to move to a gear unsuitable for the current speed), XC60 does not acknowledges. It simply discards the input as if nothing happened.
• The drive is not at all engaging and enthusiast should stay clear from it. My X1 was much more engaging and always brought big grin on the face when A pedal was pushed (irrespective of driving mode). Not so in Volvo. It builds up speed, it’s faster than X1 on paper but no, it does not bring even a smile leave aside grin. It might be faster than X1 on paper but surely me and wife never felt that. Although, never tried to time it up. However, I never felt the drive boring. It is a pleasant vehicle to cruise on highway and very easy to manoeuvre in city traffic. I’m enjoying it.
• The driver information screen is very soothing and I love it. I’m not a fan of too much information being projected while driving and current Volvo’s scheme fits into my style. There are only two dials in soothing dark blue shade with clear fonts to display current speed. RPM indicator is in opposite direction (anti-clockwise) but it does not bother me as I rarely use it for my driving style. In between the two lies the Google map projecting directions. Small icons for various assistance are displayed majorly on the top and few at the bottom. I have tried the screen in direct harsh sunlight and despite my non perfect eyesight, the information is always crisply visible.
  
  
  
  Driver Console with Google Maps
  
  
• When put in Parking mode, I felt there is a little play in axle. The car rolls very slightly which was absent in X1.
• City efficiency hardly crossed 10 km/l. Highway has reached even 17 km/l for a very short period. Average highway efficiency never crossed 14 km/l.
• Foot to metal takes approx. 2 seconds to respond.
• Gear position indicators are not on the stalk. You have to see it on the driver information console. This was little awkward for me but got used to it quickly.
• The LED headlamps in front are fantastic. The throw is excellent and so is the coverage angle. I feel coverage angle should be around 120 degrees. Three lanes are perfectly lit.
• XC60 comes equipped with Active Bending lights that bends the beam as per steering input. Found it very useful in hills and corners.
• Disk brakes are adequate with no complaints. Car remains in control at all times and I never felt them lacking in bite.
• Very supple ride comfort. Body roll is little more than X1 but manageable. On highway, it gives you bouncy springy feeling. X1 on the other hand was well planted due to stiff suspensions. However, the drive is not unpleasing or tiring at all. Most people might not notice unless driven Germans. However, due to its height, some may find the ride little unsettling. I personally find it acceptable but for some uneven road surfaces.
• The car is equipped with mandatory speed chime at 80 kmph and 120 kmph. The sound is very pleasant and non-disturbing at 80kmph. If music is being played, the speed chime is nearly inaudible and the music is not interrupted. The 80kmph chimes come up immediately when the car reaches 80kmph. This also lights up the speed limit sign in the driver information screen. It has a lower threshold of 5 kmph meaning that once you cross 80, then you can keep driving between 76 to 124 kmph and the beep will not sound again. The 80 kmph beep is reset when you drop to 75kmph. The chime is then repeated after a fixed interval which I could not calculate as I mentioned that the chime is non-disturbing. Apologies for my laziness that I did not make effort to find out the same. The 120kmph chime does not come up immediately but at 125 kmph. You can overtake comfortably and then come down below the limit. If you keep it over 125 kmph, then the chime starts to sound in loop and it is intrusive. However, your music still remains uninterrupted.
• Lane changing indicator blinks five times unlike three in X1. I personally feel that three is too less. Five is adequate.

Exterior

• Doors are very heavy and solid. They close with good and reassuring thud.
• All doors are wrap around which means that door itself extends to cover the floor. This presents very clean look and ensures not a speck of dirt inside the cabin.
• The rear doors of XC60 are part of rear fender which provides it a very clean look but with a very serious flaw. The fender lining is not wide enough to protect the sides of the rear door from mud, dust and stone chipping. Luckily, I could spot it early and fixed it by installing an accessory called “Rear Fender Guard”, cost around 3k from the service center. This helps in protecting the sides of the rear door to a large extent but still dust will find its way on the door side.
• Similarly, the lower edges of the door also get dirty more than the non-wrap around doors. The only solution is to clean it regularly. I’m planning to install protective tape available on amazon for some protection.
• Side mirrors can be closed by pressing both L&R buttons simultaneously. Same procedure for opening them. The side mirrors do not open automatically after certain speed unlike X1 which used to open it after 40kmph.
• XC60 comes equipped with latest wiper blades with integrated nozzles. This results in very less water / fluid usage and liquid is dispensed very accurately. In normal cleaning, water marks are left at the driver side and passenger side. Not with these. The windscreen is absolutely clean.
• The wipers themselves are very neatly tucked in and are not easily visible. Provides a very clean look.
• Although a very healthy ground clearance, the front bumper hangs little low which I feel can be an issue while driving downhill on a rough surface with small rocks or protruding stones. The bumper might get hit although not tried.
• Both external mirrors along with IRVM are auto dimmable.
• The boot can be opened via “leg swing” action. It works precisely when swing is made just under the “V” letter of Volvo badging.
• The boot door is motorized with both boot close and car lock buttons present. I did not try if the opening height of the door can be adjusted.
• The boot is equipped with 12V socket and light.
• Boot space is adequate and can easily accommodate 4 cabin size suitcases and other smaller bags.
• Hooks and net are provided in the boot.

Interiors

• Open the heavy doors by simply touching the inside of the handle with key in your pocket. You simply need to pull the door handle naturally and the car is unlocked. This capacitive keyless entry is available on all four doors.
• To lock the car, simply slide your finger on the outside capacitive touch point. The car locks with a visual indication and side mirrors close up.
• Ventilated seats are 16 way adjustable including under thigh support and side bolstering. Heating option is also available on front seats but I have not used it so far.
• Both front seats have two memory storages for seat and side mirror settings.
• Side bolstering are very effective on hills. Keeps you in place on twisty rolls to contain body roll. I find it very helpful.
• The front seats are equipped with five types of massage programs with three intensity levels and three speeds. You are spoilt for choices. I’m yet to explore all massage types.
• The electronically adjustable lumbar support is very effective and has a healthy reach. This has helped me a lot in reducing my leg pain over long trips.
• The seats, both front and rear are luxuriously draped in soft Nappa Leather and are ultra-comfortable. No competition in its class and below.
• With Nappa Leather all around including door arm rests, the interiors are really plush and luxurious. The leather is very soft and supple. Will require extra care and maintenance.
• The dashboard is not covered in leather but comes with soft touch material and contrast stitching at the border. It is good that dashboard is not equipped with leather. The Indian heat may have played havoc with it.
• Real wood accents are used inside the cabin.
• The front armrest is not leather but of soft touch material. A bummer for me. This should have been provided with leather since it is most frequently used.
• The gear knob is carved out of real crystal and has a small white LED light that lights up in the night. Beautiful.
• Very unique Start/Stop button that is present on the central tunnel at driver side. One needs to turn it clock wise to start or stop the car.
• The driver side has dedicated “Rear Seat Child Lock” button to engage electronic child lock. Electronic child lock prevents rear window operations from the rear seat. Its confirmation is displayed on the driver screen. Manual child lock is also present but I have not checked it.
• All knobs and buttons are of excellent quality and finish. They provide good tactile feedback and central media control knob is knurled.
• Mind blowing Bowers and Wilkins sound system. With wired Apple Car Play I’m able to play “Lossless” CD quality music via Apple Music. Listening over Bluetooth all the time, I had forgotten how beautiful CD music sounds. This has been a game changer for us.
• The interiors remain very quiet once doors are shut. NVH levels are excellent and you are in your own cocoon. You are almost cut out from the road except for honking.
• The car has very less storage space for knick-knacks. X1 used to have small storage under the driver seat as well as side of the steering wheel. Both are missing. Used to store cleaning cloth and wallet respectively. The central console tunnel has space for only two cup holders and small space of wireless charging pad.
• Amp-wires below driver seat are somewhat exposed. These could have been better managed and can be more concealed.
• The rear area has dearth of storage space. The door bins are of no practical use as they can’t even hold a 500 ml bottle. There is no space in the rear central tunnel. There is some gap between the seat the floor which the manual refers as storage space but practically you can either store a small office file or a cleaning cloth. Don’t think about putting a bottle or phobe there. The rear side of front seats provide net area that is all the storage you have.
• There is no parcel tray in XC60 or should I say in this segment of cars. It was missing in GLC as well as X3 also. There is a flexible cover provided to cover the boot area from outside view. That is not sturdy to hold items. Still, I have been able to place a small bag containing packed food items at the corners / ends and it was able to hold.
• There is no ambient lighting in the car as we are used to see or expect in other cars. However, the interiors are not dark. The door bins, cup holders, footwell (both front and rear) as well as light switches are all well lit with white light. All switches are well lit. Only that there is no lighting strip running on doors, under dashboard and central tunnel. I kinda like this subtle feel.
• Wireless charging can be turned On and Off from central screen. It remains off in my case. I find it totally useless as it simply makes my phone boiling hot with hardly any charging. I’m anyways not a fan of wireless charging. So the space is put to use by placing one of the phone there while driving.
• Total 4 USB ports are present in the car. All are type C ports. 2 in front and 2 at rear. There is a 12V socket in the front to which I have attached my dashcam.
• Front armrest has a deep storage space for storing small things. I would have preferred less deep but more in width. You do not stack things inside while driving.
• There is separate defogger button for the front windshield. As per manual, “For cars with heated windscreen, the first press of the button activates the heating, and the next press activates max defroster. A third press deactivates both.”. When I press the button, an indicator light is turned on. As per dealer the India spec does not get heated windshield. Also, the windshield does not appear hot to touch when this button was engaged. However, practically it works and solves one of the issues. While using AC, especially during rains or rainy weather, I have noticed that two big spots are formed at the bottom of the windshield (near the dashboard) towards the center. One spot is left to the center and the second just right to the center. When I use this button, after few minutes, these spots go off. But this is different from Max Defrost option available in central console. That Max Defroster option from central console simply blows cold air at maximum fan speed directed towards windshield. This does not happen when physical button is pressed.
• XC60 is equipped with 4 zone climate control. Rear AC vents are present on the rear door pillar as well as on the central rear console. The AC is very effective and brings the temperature down in no time.
• The AC can be controlled only through central console. It has auto mode or you can manually direct the air flow through touch screen. These controls are not at all intuitive and I find then dangerous to use while driving as it requires you to take off eyes and look downwards from the road. I generally avoid using this while driving or wife operates it.
• The Auto mode of XC60 is less intuitive than X1. X1 auto control used to direct air both at feet as well as front. In the four years of ownership experience, only once the windshield was fogged during heavy rains. The Volvo’s auto mode does not direct air to feet as I can feel the difference when set manually to direct it at feet as well as front. Also, the windshield spots explained above are more frequent.
• The central media console is slow to boot.
• Google Automotive is infancy days as of now and needs a lot of maturity. The only advantage is having Google maps (when they are working) on the big screen as well as on driver console without draining your phone battery. It lags, fonts are not crisp, GPS signal lost is a very common and frequent issue, maps unable to connect to Internet is also frequent. Combination of all these generally renders Google maps unusable. I need to use them via car play. In that case, the maps from the driver console are turned off.
• Google assistant is almost useless to me. I could hardly make any calls with it while SIRI always works for the same contacts. The only function I’m able to use is setting AC temperature. Fan control is also erratic via voice control.
• You can connect two phones over Bluetooth one as phone and second as media.
• The sunroof lining is charcoal grey which insulates the cabin from direct sunlight from the roof. Very comfortable
• The sunroof itself is tinted and provides some degree of protection from direct sunlight. The glass area is bigger than X1 but that could be due to increase in overall length of the car.
• Sunroof controls are touch based. You simply slide your finger in the requisite direction to open or close it. Very easy to use.
• Interior lights are also touch based and can be turned on or off by touching them. Their intensity can be controlled by sliding finger across it.
• On the central front ADAS camera console, there are two buttons for Volvo on Call & SoS. Did not use them and pray I don’t have to use them.
• Glove box is not cooled.
• There are no sports pedal provided. I understand that it is does not advertise sports but those pedals enhance the look and feel more premium and durable. I’m unable to locate one so far. Any help on this will be appreciated.
• I have received frequent error messages especially during rains “PA reduced functionality”. It goes away automatically after sometime.

Driver Assistance Systems

• Car is equipped with Dynamic Cruise Control which means it can stop and start on its own base on vehicle in front of you. Practically, it is useful in low traffic drives with clear markings. It works beautifully by keeping you in lane and maintaining the distance. However, you have to be very alert because it easily misjudges the crisscross traffic, pedestrians and stary animals. I’m still not able to figure out how it works but for sure it does not take into account vehicles outside the lane or just on its edge. Overall, useful on some stretches of highway drives and keeping speed in check in Delhi. I’m able to use it.
• 360 degree camera is very accurate. Took some time to understand it. The distance accuracy of the camera is easily in the range of 20-40mm. The camera image displays actual car and actual width (with mirrors open) in two different shades. The outer width acts as the protective cover for calculating distances. The parking sensors work in harmony. They produce sound from the speaker based on the location.
• At speeds below 30 kmph, the 360 degree camera becomes active automatically, if the car is less than 1 feet in proximity to any object, to guide you through tight spots.
• Automatic braking while reversing is active. The car breaks automatically if it detects collision condition. So while reversing at our market parking like CP, with the parking attendant helping you, the car always breaks and jolts you !!
• The TPMS does not slow real values. Alarm will be generated if the value goes below threshold which I do not know as of now.
• Blind spot monitor is almost always lit to the point that you start to ignore it. In my opinion, it should function for the area not visible in the side view mirrors. Since it is almost always lit in normal traffic conditions, there is a high chance of missing real blind spot vehicle.
• Auto high beam assist works alright although it is always busy irrespective of highway or city driving. It is good that high beam is turned On, but very frequently I felt that the beam was dipped unnecessarily. It sometimes creates “contrast issue” sudden dark spot from fully lighted one. I’m still getting used to it.
• Rain sensing wipers are present with sensitivity control but I’m yet to get the hang of it. Sometimes I feel that the wipers should work to clean the screen but they don’t. Must be some sensitivity setting.
• Auto hold feature is present and can be enabled by pressing the button the central tunnel. With this active, the car automatically applies breaks when you have come to stand still. However, I find this intrusive while maneuvering the car slowly which requires complete stop in between. I then disable it. The auto hold feature of GLC was very practical. To engage auto hold, simply press the break pedal little more when the car is completely stand still.
• The car is also equipped with Driver Alert Control System which monitors the driving pattern when driven with marked lanes. If one sweeps in and out of lane or does not drives consistently in the lane then the system alerts the driver to "take a break". This forces one to always use lane indicators to change the lanes. I find this very helpful in improving the driving style.

Things I Miss in XC60

• Knobs for AC control. Touch controls are not intuitive and are dangerous to use as they force you to take eyes from the road. Thankfully, this aspect is manageable via voice control but still knobs should have been present.
• Proper TMPS that displays the pressure rather than just indicating failure or low pressure. With current TPMS, I cannot plan air filling. When the alarm has sounded, then only I can take action. No chance of preventive action. This is not comfortable to me. I have not been able to use this feature till now. Keeping fingers crossed.
• XC60 provides leather only on armrests. At this price point, just like sedans, I would like to have leather on complete upper portion of the door where we touch or rest our elbow and on the front armrest Could have been easily provided.
• Thigh support at rear seats. The seats are just short of proper thigh support. An inch or two would have put them into another league.
• A little more ambient lighting (not like MB) especially a small strip on all the doors as well as under the dashboard. Provides a premium look.
• The suspensions are tad too absorbent for my taste. A little stiff would have suited this car better and would have resulted in more compliant highway rides.
• Auto Park Assist feature at this price point is expected.
• Rear seats should also be provided with ventilation. If it is too much to ask for massage, it can be kept for higher models. But ventilation should be present.
• Rear doors should have proper space to put in 1L water bottle.

Conclusion

The car feels royal especially from back and front. It is a true luxury car with all the creature comforts you would expect at this price point and which are largely ignored by the German trio. We are loving it and started to enjoy it. It sure turns less heads but that works for me. Less attention. The car is very comfortable, smooth and pampering. To top it all, Volvo India customer support and support from Scandia Motors have been excellent. I cannot ask for more. Both are very professional, humble, and courteous. My wife had gone to the Scandia workshop for installing the dash cam. They had sent the driver without any fuss. Their customer relationship manager Ms. Purnima not only offered tea coffee but lunch and that too multiple times. Not only her, the whole team extended the hospitality that is unheard and experienced before by us. All these gestures instill confidence in the brand and reaffirms your purchase decision. We highly recommend this car to those who can look beyond “Pure Driving Pleasure!”.

It has its own shortcomings (Google is hopeless as of now but manageable) but as the saying goes, no car is perfect. This car is like your elder sister who pampers you a lot and keeps you comfortable and in check. She is the intelligent, sophisticated and well-mannered lady who everyone praises. While X1 was like your naughty younger sister who is always ready with a mischief and brings a smile on your face due to her actions. She is not subtle and full of energy and can land you in trouble if not handled properly.

You need to decide which one you prefer. I have moved on to elder sister.

PS: Or maybe not…

Trivia

On the evening of the delivery day, we went to CP to enjoy the car. During parking time, I found a space between two cars which was sufficient but you know the new car safety and pampering bug, I felt that space is not adequate and the side cars, while opening their doors might hit my new car. One of car was Kia Carnival while the other one I don’t remember. So I was discussing with the parking assistant if I can be provided another spot with more space. This was going on for 2-3 minutes at around 23:20 hours. The parking guy gave up and told my wife (who had got down to scout for some other spot), “madam aapse zyada mhengi gadi (Kia Carnival) khadi hai. Use aapse zyada chinta hogi gadi ki” (Madam, the car besides you, Kia Carnival is more expensive than yours and its owner will be more mindful of his car than your). I could not stop laughing while my wife was about to jump on him for how dare he said Kia is more expensive than Volvo. I somehow persuaded her to let it go and parked my car in the very same spot.
Two things I learned from it:

1. Volvo has very low brand value and only selective few know about it. And those who own, they swear by it.
2. The importance of keeping one’s car safe and scratch free is directly proportional to the value of one’s car. If your car is less expensive than the next one, then you cannot demand to be more careful than the expensive car. Pity!

Thank you all for being patient to read this review and I sincerely hope that this might come handy fellow bhpians.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[V.Narayan]

Hearty congratulations on a wonderful value for money buy. You won't regret it says my experience of almost 8 years. It has reliability written all over it. In almost 8 years and 88,000 kms my XC60 has given me only one non-scheduled maintenance event and even then we could drive it to the authorized service centre right then and resolve it in 2 hours and be back home. On that occasion the Manager of the A.S.C. listened to the engine sound over my drivers cellphone and correctly diagnosed what was the problem and gave the correct instructions on what precaution to take as it is was driven to the service station!* This is service the Germans don't care for.

That pearl white colour you've selected is beautiful with its shimmering effect. And the interiors are a generation ahead of my older model.

That auto brake is really useful in hamari Dilli's traffic where two wheeler riders cut suddenly in an attempt to commit suicide.

Many happy and safe miles to you. Welcome to the Volvo fan club.

V.Narayan

PS: We need more photographs. :-) including of the interiors.

* post number 325 at https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5408037

[dkaile]

Many Congratulations.

However, to have a brand new luxury car break down and then to be replaced!! I am really not really sure if that speaks positively or negatively about the company. I for one would never be able to trust even the replaced car blindly and would always have that in the back of my mind.

Cheers...

[reihem]

As someone who is an absolutely brand new to the xc60 club, I am truly delighted to read this in-depth review. Thank you very much for this effort; you’ve left no stone unturned ! I spent 5 years with a V40 cross country before taking the decision to upgrade to the XC60 last month. My experience with Volvo was basically perfect. Apart from regular service, I’ve only sent it in once to fix rat damage to parking sensor wiring.

[vjbox]

Congratulations and welcome to the Club. You will enjoy your Volvo and it would be very hard to look at other cars once you are used to its safety aids and creature comforts. Now enjoy your road trips and wish you many happy miles!

[100Kmphormore]

Many congratulations on the new car! the new 2L turbo petrol feels good to drive and the acceleration is brisk. what was the nature of damage on the first car? was it the engine/turbo issue?

[ike]

Originally Posted by dkaile

However, to have a brand new luxury car break down and then to be replaced!! I am really not really sure if that speaks positively or negatively about the company. I for one would never be able to trust even the replaced car blindly and would always have that in the back of my mind.

Isn't replacing the car the most acceptable solution under the circumstances? Just curious, what would you expect if this were to happen to someone that would satisfy you 100%?

I also wonder why the details of the issue have not been revealed. A non disclosure agreement perhaps?

[pms]

Congratulations on the new car, one of the few luxury SUVs where I find the white shade to be smashing! Would be great if you can share some pics on the interiors of the car.

[NFS_WAYNE]

Since its a mild hybrid I guess there would be a marginal increase in the fuel efficiency.
I would like to know it's Fuel economy in the City and the Highway.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ike

Isn't replacing the car the most acceptable solution under the circumstances? Just curious, what would you expect if this were to happen to someone that would satisfy you 100%?

You are not getting the point. Why is it 'acceptable' to any consumer to invest 50~60 lacs of his hard earned money and to find a dud product eventually to get a replacement. Whatever happens next is secondary. Have you heard, for example, a main stream manufacturer, like say Suzuki, selling a dud in recent times and then replacing it, even if it's only a 5-6 lacs product. If they can maintain their quality control on mass produced cars why do you find it 'acceptable' that a premium car manufacturer cannot replicate the same? That is my point.

Cheers...

[ike]

Originally Posted by dkaile

You are not getting the point. If they can maintain their quality control on mass produced cars why do you find it 'acceptable' that a premium car manufacturer cannot replicate the same? That is my point.
Cheers...

That is a larger issue that the OEM should (and hopefully will) address and you or I have absolutely no role in that. Given the circumstances I believe Volvo has handled it very well and at least in my book their stock went up a few points. All manufacturers have QC procedures and if other OEMs are superior, no cars should fail. But unfortunately they have and we have quite a few threads on the forum which will help understand how reluctant OEMs & dealerships are to even take accountability, let alone replace the car.

I'm not associated with Volvo but find their cars aspirational but might never be able to afford one.

[deepak_bajaj]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Hearty congratulations on a wonderful value for money buy. You won't regret it says my experience of almost 8 years.

Thanks for your warm wishes. Your thread has been a great inspiration for us to place our trust in Volvo. Your 8 year experience solidified our belief that this car can be easily maintained for 10+ years. I would also like to thank you for making a call to the dealer to find out the cost of engine protection plate. That was so nice of you.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

That pearl white colour you've selected is beautiful with its shimmering effect.

Very true. This white is very sparkling and very different from normal whites. I was initially not convinced but saw one on the road that changed my decision and I do not regret it.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

PS: We need more photographs. :-) including of the interiors.

Sure. I will take some time but I will definitely post here. I will share another option with you shortly.

Originally Posted by dkaile

Many Congratulations.

Thanks for your wishes.

Originally Posted by dkaile

However, to have a brand new luxury car break down and then to be replaced!!

True but point here is how they resolved it. More details below.

Originally Posted by reihem

As someone who is an absolutely brand new to the xc60 club, I am truly delighted to read this in-depth review.

Thanks for your wishes and heartiest congratulations for your new booking. What color have you selected?
I tried penning down my observations so that it can come handy to potential buyers. Good to know you liked it. Thanks.

Originally Posted by vjbox

Congratulations and welcome to the Club. You will enjoy your Volvo and it would be very hard to look at other cars once you are used to its safety aids and creature comforts. Now enjoy your road trips and wish you many happy miles!

Thanks for the wishes and very true it would be difficult to look at other cars once you get used to Volvo.

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

Many congratulations on the new car! the new 2L turbo petrol feels good to drive and the acceleration is brisk. what was the nature of damage on the first car? was it the engine/turbo issue?

Thanks for your wishes. The car feels good to drive. No where it feels slouched. On paper, 0-100 is faster than X1. Practically, overtaking was never an issue. The car picks up speed reasonably well. All in all I'm enjoying it.

Originally Posted by ike

Isn't replacing the car the most acceptable solution under the circumstances?

Very true. I want to highlight the service provided by Volvo. The issue is no more important which I will explain shortly.

Originally Posted by pms

Congratulations on the new car, one of the few luxury SUVs where I find the white shade to be smashing! Would be great if you can share some pics on the interiors of the car.

Thanks for your wishes and I truly agree with you about white color.

Originally Posted by NFS_WAYNE

Since its a mild hybrid I guess there would be a marginal increase in the fuel efficiency.
I would like to know it's Fuel economy in the City and the Highway.

City economy never crossed 10 while on highway, I have managed to achieve around 13.2. These figures are as indicated by system and I did not measure it manually using tank to tank filling.

Originally Posted by dkaile

You are not getting the point. Why is it 'acceptable' to any consumer to invest 50~60 lacs of his hard earned money and to find a dud product

True but no product or manufacturer is 100% perfect. The important thing for me is how the situation was handled. The forum is full of incidences where OEM or dealers don't even listen.

Originally Posted by ike

I'm not associated with Volvo but find their cars aspirational but might never be able to afford one.

I'm 100% with you on this.