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Under chief designer Thomas Ingenlath, the brand has since unleashed a series of beautiful, powerfully styled concept cars and then followed them up with recognisably related production models
Volvo V60 review and price
Volvo V60 review and price
Under chief designer Thomas Ingenlath, the brand has since unleashed a series of beautiful, powerfully styled concept cars and then followed them up with recognisably related production models
Volvo’s
signature ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlights grab your attention straight away. Could
this be one of the best-looking estates on sale? We certainly think so.
Its
engineers have developed an economically viable, effective powertrain strategy
whereby four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines are adapted to a broad range of
mission briefs with the use of supercharging, turbocharging and, increasingly,
plug-in hybrid technology.
There are
48V mild hybrids to come in 2019 as Europe adapts to a post-Dieselgate market
and plans are currently being put in place to meet ambitious expectations for
demand in autonomous technologies and the purchasing of cars through a
subscription service.
Now, under
the auspices of Chinese multinational Geely, Volvo is a savvy organisation
earning record profits and routinely challenging for best in class. It’s a
different world from the one in which the marque was quietly admired by those
of a certain persuasion for the manner in which a dog-eared 240 GL would
dispatch a quarter of a million miles without histrionics.
So where
does the V60, introduced as an uncharacteristically svelte Volvo estate in 2010
and now in its second generation, fit in?
You might be
surprised to learn that profit is not necessarily its primary objective. The
market for premium estate cars is, after all, a shrinking one (we’ll let you
guess where those in need of family transport are now choosing to put their
money), but as a premium brand looking to cement its new-found aspirational
charm, it’s one in which it is imperative for Volvo to be regarded among the
best.
That means
matching, and perhaps exceeding, the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz
C-Class and Audi A4 in terms of practicality, desirability and performance.
While that’s no mean feat, we suspect many of those lining up the purchase of a
mid-sized premium estate would welcome an excuse to go somewhere other than
those German marques.
Price:
£32,810
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