Volvo XC60 Buyer's Guide Info, Galleries and Videos



It is just a Volvo kind of morning here in Chicago. Snow has been falling for two days, and the temps are extremely frigid.

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My Subaru had major struggles getting up and out of the steep driveway, thanks to my amazing decision not to shovel.

My poor Subaru Legacy GT. What a hard, battered life it leads.

Most of the damage sustained by the car has been off the pavement.

Something about huge, huge turbo power and AWD has led me — time and time again — to take the low-slung LGT off-roading.

Much as I love the Q-car appeal of my hot Subaru speedwagon, and am a huge fan of the upcoming V60 Sportwagon, I must caution wild folks like myself about the perils of low, car-like ride heights.

LGT off-road damage before and after

While these photos show the most dramatic-looking damage inflicted on the LGT, I am a slow learner, because kept trying to find “rally roads” for years.

Here is a spoiler alert: taking any track-biased automobile onto any gravel, dirt or rocky road ===> $2,000 in damage per 10-minutes of off-street driving.

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What is the point of all this? Much as I admire the low roof of the upcoming V60 R-Design and Polestar, I would seriously think twice before buying such a low-riding machine again.

Luckily, Volvo has the perfect answer already in its model lineup: the very fresh XC60 five-seat crossover.

Powered by a turbocharged inline-six in the top specifications, this slinky and sexy design really lights up my computer monitor.

Exterior Gallery – 2014 Volvo XC60 R-Design

Major tradeoffs versus a low wagon? Step-in height for dogs will be higher, body roll a bit more of an issue on fast sweepers, and a slight hit in fuel economy.

The upsides? Ground clearance!

And styling options that turn this from a school-run Volvo into an “I run this school! Volvo.”

The XC60 is a five-seater, but quite wide inside with a fantastic cabin layout.

Pricing is from $34,000 – with many generous offers like a free trip to Sweden for a factory delivery – and approaches $46,000 as the R-Design spec.

R-Design brings the Polestar chip upgrade as standard, offering 325 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque.

Through all four wheels, this unassuming crossover will hit 60-mph in 6.1 seconds.

Volvo’s all share the great BMW trait of feeling secure and untaxed at high, high crusing speeds. Where my Subaru would be spinning its 5-speed box at 4100 rpm at 100 mph, the silent XC is as relaxed as it is at 70 mph.

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This is a major asset for the company, thanks to Volvo’s close proximity to German autobahns.

You can be sure that if Ford or Chevy engineers could day-trip to 130-plus-mph highways, they would come back to HQ with a variety of fixes needed. Most American cars need huge, huge improvement in this regard, and Japanese cars will not even set the cruise control past 91 mph.

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The XC60 is a fantastic truck for all seasons, with the big-crossover room and style of the BMW X5, but pricing closer to the X3.

Enjoy these galleries, and cruise over to Volvocars.com to see all the details!

2014 Volvo XC60 – Interior Gallery

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Specifications and Pricing

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Coolest Options and Accessories

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2014 Volvo XC60 – Exterior Gallery 2

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