Volvo Reviews

Volvo's on a roll in the Australian new car market (appropriate given Volvo means 'I roll' in Latin) and the compact XC40 SUV is a key part of that success. How does the sub-$50K, entry-level Momentum fare in the urban jungle?

If you’ve got three to five children, chances are you’ll be looking at seven seat SUVs to fit the whole family comfortably. And while you might be tempted to head straight for a Land Rover, Mercedes or an Audi, may we suggest another brand to put on your list? The Swedish-made Volvo XC90 is the company’s seven-seat offering and brings good value to the luxury large SUV segment. The one I test drove was the T6 R Design which is second from the top of the range and sells for $104,990 before on road costs and extras and really holds its own in the category. Here’s how it did over seven days of test driving for this week’s family review.

To quote Ben Stiller in Zoolander, this car is really, really good looking.This is the first Volvo I’ve test driven and I was pleasantly surprised by all it had to offer. I was in the Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar which is at the top of the range with a hybrid engine, so it immediately feels modern and ahead of the competition which doesn't offer electric/hybrid models. It costs $99,990 before extras and on road costs and competes with cars like the Audi SQ5 and BMW X3. Here’s how it did with my family for this week’s family review. 

Volvo's lasting love affair with wagons continues in the shape of the V90 Cross Country, a premium all-wheel drive five-seater that may get you thinking about an SUV alternative.

There are effectively two range-topping models in the Volvo V60 2020 wagon range - and they both have the R-Design treatment.There’s the T5 R-Design, with a list price of $66,990 plus on-road costs, and the more expensive T8 plug-in hybrid, which lists at $87,990 plus on-roads.The T5 has a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine with 192kW of power (at 5700rpm) and 400Nm of torque (1800-4800rpm) - that’s 5kW/50Nm more than the other T5 models. It uses an eight-speed auto, and has permanent AWD. Its 0-100km/h time is claimed at 6.3 seconds. Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.3L/100km.The T8 is a more tech-heavy powertrain. It also uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine (with 246kW of power and 430Nm of torque) that is paired it to an electric motor producing 65kW/240Nm. Combined outputs equate to 311kW and 680Nm, and the 0-100km/h time is claimed at just 4.5sec! And because it has electric power that can run the car for 50 kilometres, fuel consumption is claimed at just 2.0L/100km.As for equipment, the T5 and T8 R-Design models are almost identical - though the T5 version gets Volvo’s Four-C adaptive chassis setup, which isn’t available on the T8.Otherwise, R-Design variants have ‘Polestar optimisation’ (a bespoke suspension tune from Volvo’s performance division), 19-inch alloys with a unique look, a sporty exterior and interior design pack with R-Design sports leather seats, paddle-shifters on the steering wheel, and mesh metal interior finishes.That’s on top of standard LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry, auto dimming rear vision mirror, auto dimming and auto folding wing-mirrors, dual-zone climate control and leather trim on the seats and steering wheel.Safety gear is extensive, too, with auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear AEB, lane keeping assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors. The R-Design also has a head-up display, a 360-degree parking camera and auto-parking assist.

The Volvo V60 is perhaps the best representation of how far Volvo has come in recent years.

The Volvo V60 2020 model range is opened by the Momentum variant, which is priced at $56,990 plus on-road costs, undercutting rival luxury models by thousands of dollars. The V60 wagon - range-wide - represents a $2000 increase over the S60 sedan variants. The V60 Momentum has 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry, auto dimming rear vision mirror, auto dimming and auto folding wing-mirrors, dual-zone climate control and real leather trim on the seats and steering wheel.Safety equipment for all V60 models includes standard auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear AEB, lane keeping assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors. The V60 Momentum is powered by the T5 engine and transmission setup - a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an eight-speed automatic with permanent all-wheel drive (AWD). The T5 arrangement produces 187kW of power (at 5500pm) and 350Nm of torque (1800-4800rpm), and offers a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.5 seconds. Fuel use is claimed at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

The most luxury-focused model in the Volvo V60 2020 wagon line-up is the Inscription variant, which has a list price of $62,990 plus on-road costs.It builds upon the extensive equipment offered in the Momentum grade with 19-inch alloy wheels, directional LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, four-zone climate control, wood interior highlights, ambient lighting, heated front seats with cushion extensions, and a 230-volt power outlet in the rear console.Further standard gear includes LED tail-lights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry, auto dimming rear vision mirror, auto dimming and auto folding wing-mirrors, dual-zone climate control and leather trim on the seats and steering wheel.Safety gear includes auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear AEB, lane keeping assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors. The Inscription also has a head-up display, a 360-degree parking camera and auto-parking assist.The Inscription comes only with the T5 powertrain - a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an eight-speed automatic with permanent all-wheel drive (AWD). The engine produces 187kW of power (at 5500pm) and 350Nm of torque (1800-4800rpm), and offers a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.5 seconds. Fuel use is claimed at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

The all-new Volvo S60 is a gorgeous sedan - but there's more to it than just good looks. This new mid-size model follows a successful path from the Swedish brand in recent years, and as a result, it could well have Audi, BMW and Mercedes covered in this part of the market.

There are effectively two range-topping models in the Volvo S60 2020 range - and they both wear the R-Design badge.The more affordable is the T5 R-Design, which has a list price of $64,990 plus on-road costs. The more expensive (for a reason) is the T8 plug-in hybrid, which lists at $85,990 plus on-roads.The T5 represents a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine with 192kW of power (at 5700rpm) and 400Nm of torque (1800-4800rpm) - that’s 5kW/50Nm more than the other T5 models. It uses an eight-speed auto, and has permanent AWD. Its 0-100km/h time is claimed at 6.3 seconds. Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.3L/100km.The T8 is a more tech-heavy powertrain. It also uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine (with 246kW of power and 430Nm of torque) that is paired it to an electric motor producing 65kW/240Nm. The combined outputs for this hybrid drivetrain equate to a phenomenal 311kW and 680Nm. The 0-100km/h time for this version of S60 R-Design is just 4.3sec! And because it has electric power that can run the car for 50 kilometres, fuel consumption is claimed at just 2.0L/100km.As for equipment, the T5 and T8 R-Design models are almost identical - though the T5 version gets Volvo’s Four-C adaptive chassis setup, which isn’t available on the T8.Otherwise, R-Design variants have ‘Polestar optimisation’ (a bespoke suspension tune from Volvo’s performance division), 19-inch alloys with a unique look, a sporty exterior and interior design pack with R-Design sports leather seats, paddle-shifters on the steering wheel, and mesh metal interior finishes.That’s on top of standard LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry, auto dimming rear vision mirror, auto dimming and auto folding wing-mirrors, dual-zone climate control and leather trim on the seats and steering wheel.Safety gear is extensive, too, with auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear AEB, lane keeping assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors. The R-Design also has a head-up display, a 360-degree parking camera and auto-parking assist.