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Volvo XC60 R-Design first look


After waving its R-Design wand over the XC60, the wagon gets a more aggressive look with matt silver exterior finis-hes, skid-plates, twin chrome exhausts and five-spoke 18-inch alloys.

Volvo Cars Australia spokesperson, Laurissa Mirabelli, says the hotter looking XC60 will be available later this year. "But we're still finalising local specifications and prices," she says.

Volvo is broadening is R-Design packages across most of its range. With the XC60 R-Design as well as the 2010 model year S80 R-Design, Volvo will have seven sports models available, from the C30 hatch up to the XC90.

Mirabelli says most of the R-design option packs available locally are purely cosmetic. "They are non-performance enhancements like spoilers and body kits," she says.

But the XC60 gets sharper steering and slightly firmer suspension. The V70 R-Design also benefits from a firmer chassis. Visually the lower section of the XC60 is colour matched to the rest of the car, instead of the matt-black lower panels of the standard off-roader. This creates an impression that the car sits closer to the ground, giving it a more dynamic look, even though ground clearance remains unchanged.

Inside the XC60 gets metal highlights with aluminium inserts in the sports steering wheel, doors and centre console. Brushed aluminium sports pedals have rubber inserts for grip.

Volvo buyers looking to boost engine performance can access the extensive Heico Sportiv performance catalogue available through their local dealers.

Heico can supply up to 350 different enhancements for Volvo cars, from pedal sets to engine-management systems. Enthusiasts can spend from as little as $500 for alloy pedals up to $6000 for the performance-rated tyres and alloys.

The XC60 has been a minor success story for the brand locally. Last month 175 were sold, putting it ahead of the Audi Q5 (149) and the BMW X3 (123).

From August an upgraded 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel XC60 arrives. Engine power grows 15kW to 151kW at 4000 revs and torque is up 20Nm to 420Nm from 1500 revs.