Volvo XC60 review

It’s certainly not a cheap car, the XC60 – a glance at the price list and you see that Volvo is serious about its premium pretensions. There are three trim levels available – Core, Plus and Ultimate. The entry level Core trim is only available with the B5 petrol and comes in at £47,465. 

Plus spec is available with both petrol and diesel options, as well as the T6 hybrid. It’s £52,690 for the petrol, another £190 for the diesel and a whopping £60,555 for the PHEV version. Go for the top spec Ultimate car and you can choose from petrol power or the more powerful T8 PHEV powertrain. It’s £61,470 for the petrol and a rather punchy £68,385 for the full fat hybrid model. 

The petrol and diesel cars get a 37 per cent BIK rate, while both PHEV models are on the eight per cent rate, which will make them attractive propositions for company car drivers. Private buyers are probably better going for the mid-range diesel car. 

What are the equipment levels like?

We take back what we said about the XC60 being too expensive, the entry Core spec is very generous indeed. The little 18-inch wheels look a bit sad compared with the larger options further up the range, but you get auto wipers and headlights as standard, dual-zone climate control, keyless go, cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors as standard. The car also gets the 9in touchscreen on all models, it’s not like some other cars that give away the size of your wallet in direct correlation to the miserly screen perched in the middle of the dashboard. 

Plus upgrades you to 19-inch alloys, handsfree tailgate opening, adaptive cruise control, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats in addition to the warmable front pews on the Core model, and a Harman Kardon sound system.

You also get four-zone climate control, a heated windscreen and a 360-degree parking camera set-up. Go for top spec Ultimate trim and you get snazzy 20-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, Bowers and Wilkins sound system and Nappa leather trim. All very civilised.  

What about leasing options?

Volvo does its own scheme called Care by Volvo, which is more of a luxurious rental arrangement than a typical car deal – it’s one monthly payment that includes servicing and maintenance, wear and tear costs (including new tyres), 24/7 roadside assistance and the option to have a rolling rather than fixed-term contract. For those with commitment issues. Mild hybrid XC60s start at £649 a month for the Core-spec car, or PHEVs at £929 for the Plus model.

Compare it with some standard third-party lease deals and Care by Volvo looks very good value, too – in fact cheaper than the respective £700 and £1,000 monthly starting points for the mild and plug-in hybrids on typical three-year contracts at the time of writing.