Volvo XC60 R-Design 2018 review: snapshot

The R-Design trim level is the highest grade in the XC60 line-up and it’s available over three engine variants. There’s the diesel D5 R-Design for $73,990, the petrol T6 for $76,990 and the petrol-electric T8 hybrid for $92,990.

Standard features across the R-Design grade include a 9.0-inch vertical touch screen and a 12.3-inch driver display, sat nav, 360 parking camera, auto parking system, head-up display, 10-speaker stereo system with digital radio, leather upholstery, power adjustable driver and passenger seat, R-Design steering wheel, proximity key, paddle shifters, roof rails, LED headlights and a power tailgate. 

But not all R-Design cars are created equal. The T8 comes standard with a panoramic sunroof, crystal gear shifting knob and ventilated sub-woofer, while the D5 and T6 don’t. But then the D5 and T6 get four-zone climate control and the T8 has dual-zone.

Safety is Volvo’s ‘thing’ and the five-star ANCAP score it was awarded this year just doesn’t reveal just how impressive the safety. This new generation XC60 fitted with AEB which can detect and stop for animals, humans and other cars.

Along with AEB there’s steering support, blind-spot warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

The D5 is powered by a 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel making 173kW and 480Nm, which according to Volvo is enough mumbo for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.2sec. If you do that all the time you’re unlikely to achieve the 5.6L/100km which Volvo says you should see after a combination of urban and open roads.

The T5 is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol variant which makes 187kW and 350Nm, and has a 0-100km/h time of 6.8sec. Volvo says that after open and urban road driving you should see a mileage of 7.8L/100km. 

The T6 is also a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol variant which makes 235kW and 400Nm, and has a 0-100km/h time of 5.9sec. Volvo says that after open and urban road driving you should see a mileage of 8.0L/100km. 

And finally the T8 – this is the big daddy and uses the same 235kW and 400Nm 2.0-litre twin turbo petrol that’s in the T6 in combination with a 65kW/240Nm electric motor. A claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.3sec is impressive and so is the 2.1L/100km mileage Volvos says you should achieve after urban and open road driving.