2019 Volvo V60 Essentials: A Fine Crossover Alternative - Autoweek

Gallery: 2019 Volvo V60 First Drive

Open Gallery

What is it: Luxury or near-luxury wagons aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, so kudos to Volvo for sticking with them all these decades. The automaker introduced this latest V60 at last year’s New York auto show in four trim levels: Momentum, Cross Country, R-Design and Inscription. Prices start at $38,900. Our tester is the Inscription, starting at $49,400. Inscription extras include leather seats, four-zone climate control, a 600-watt Harman Kardon stereo and tons more goodies.

Key Competitors: Buick Regal TourX, Jaguar XF Sportbrake, Volvo V90

Base Price: $49,400 As-Tested Price: $61,490

Full review: 2018 Volvo V90 review

Highlights: After Volvo’s midsize S60 sedan sold well for a decade, the company decided a wagon was needed. It introduced the V60 globally in 2011, and we got ours here in the States in 2014. This is the second generation; it rides on Volvo’s new scalable product architecture, or SPA, along with the XC60 crossover and 90 Series cars. The platform is flexible to the point it can be adjusted in any direction except the distance between the front axle and dash crossbeam, crucial for crash protection.

Gallery: 2019 Volvo V60 interior

Open Gallery

Our Opinion: Volvo V60s come in front-drive T5 and all-wheel-drive T6 flavors. The T5 uses a 250-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four and an eight-speed automatic transmission. My test car, the T6, adds a supercharger to the same turbocharged engine, squeezing out 316 hp. Why both a supercharger and turbocharger? A supercharger adds power throughout the rev range, but it costs horsepower to run it. A turbocharger doesn’t sap horsepower but takes time to get spinning to add power. Volvo figures combining the two gives the benefits of both without penalties, and after driving the T6 car it's hard to argue.

The T6’s power is more than sufficient and lag is indeed minimal, making the car plenty quick off the line and in the middle revs. Volvo says 60 mph arrives in about six and a half seconds, and really, do you need your wagon any quicker? About my only beef with this powertrain is that it sounds somewhat drone-ish -- not great.

Tooling around town, the steering is light and communicative, the ride quiet and mostly smooth. If I push the car a bit, though, the ride gets a little choppy and the 18-inch alloy wheels (standard with the Inscription package) transmit rougher pavement to the cabin. It’s not too bad but is noticeable. (And to give Volvo the benefit of the doubt, I’m driving this at the height of Detroit’s nasty pothole season ...).

The front buckets are Volvo’s typical excellent seats, helping mitigate the choppy-ish ride. In fact, the V60’s cabin is a real strong point. It’s well built and sturdy, and the materials are as good as other like-priced cars I can think of. That praise comes with a caveat, however: Sensus, the iPad-style center screen, remains maddening to me, even now that I’ve had more experience with it, and even though Volvo claims the resolution is better and the processor 50 percent faster. While Sensus looks elegant and well integrated, it’s far too complicated. The simplest operation -- say, turning on a heated seat or switching the radio from AM to FM takes too much attention away from the road. And more than once the screen didn’t respond immediately to my inputs, requiring several stabs at whatever icon I wanted to function. Sadly, most of the car’s adjustments are accomplished through swiping your way around the screen. Even the owner’s manual is in there. Sensus remains a Volvo deal-breaker for me.

That’s my biggest beef. Otherwise, this is a nice-driving, high-quality, good-looking wagon. It’s not quite as refined as a similarly sized Benz or Audi, but the Volvo’s base price is a few grand less. There’s nothing wrong with the V60 that an easier-to-use center screen wouldn’t fix.

--Wes Raynal, editor

Related Story

• 2018 Volvo V90 T6 essentials: Rare air

Options: Inscription Package, including bright chrome bars in front grille with chrome window trim, dual integrated tailpipes with body colored lower insert, LED front fog lights with cornering, 18-inch wheels with all-season tires, leather upholstery, four-zone climate control, tailored dashboard, 10-way power front seats with four-way lumbar, power cushion extension, upholstery color matching key fob, interior high-level illumination, blind spot information with cross traffic alert and autobrake, keyless entry and hands-free tailgate, power retractable rearview mirrors, autodimming interior and exterior mirrors, HomeLink garage door opener, 12.3-inch digital driver display, navigation, premium audio ($6,000); premium audio ($3,200); Advance Package with headlight high-pressure cleaning, head-up display, Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree surround view camera, full LED headlights with active bending lights ($2,500); Luxury Seat Package with ventilated leather upholstery, backrest massage, power adjustable side support ($2,200); FOUR-C active chassis ($1,000); 19-inch wheels ($800); heated rear seats and heated steering wheel ($750); metallic paint ($645)

Vehicle Model Information

ON SALE: Now

BASE PRICE: $44,395

AS TESTED PRICE: $61,490

POWERTRAIN: 2.0-liter turbo and supercharged I4, 8-speed automatic, AWD

OUTPUT: 316 hp @ 5,700 rpm; 295 lb-ft @ 2,200 rpm

CURB WEIGHT: 4,202 lb

FUEL ECONOMY: 21/31/25 mpg

PROS: Looks great, drives nicely

CONS: The Sensus touch screen: Grrrrrrr (Ed. note: He's old)

Wes RaynalBorn and raised in Detroit, Wes Raynal has loved cars since he was a mere lad. He grew up running cars around his dad's dealership before embarking on a car-writing career after college. His personal dream garage houses an air-cooled Porsche 911, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon, a mid-'60s Corvette and a Chevrolet Suburban.