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The XC60 produces more power and torque than even the XC60
Performance – Propelling this luxury SUV is the same 1969cc, 4-cylinder, diesel engine which is tuned to produce 235 horses and a massive 480 Nm of twist which is 10 HP and 60 Nm more than the XC90!. Paired to an 8-speed gearbox, the engine is gets a bit vocal when you fire up the car but settles down nicely. At low RPMs, there’s hardly any engine noise inside the cabin but you can hear a thrum as the revs increase which isn’t very bothersome. While driving in the city, the XC60 feels very eager and responsive and the gearbox has a tendency to upshift quickly.
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The 2.0-litre engine offers linear performance
The The XC60 feels effortless to drive and doesn’t cause fatigue even after long drives
As you get going on the highways, the XC60 surprises you with its grunty performance. It never really feels short on power and torque and performance is very tractable.The low-end and mid-range have enough juice and the engine feels comfortable doing speeds well above the ton too. 100 km/hr comes up in 4th gear at 3500 RPM and if you’re cruising, you can do the same speed in 8th gear at 1500 RPM. 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 7.2 seconds while top speed is 220 km/hr.
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The transmission is a tad slow to respond to aggressive throttle inputs
The 8-speed gearbox works well when you’re driving sedately but if you stomp the throttle, it is hard to not notice the small delay it takes to downshift and gather pace. The gearbox misses put on a Sport mode though you do get a manual mode and also paddle-shifters. For driving modes, you get Eco, City and Dynamic which alter steering and suspension characteristics along with engine response. While we couldn’t really test the fuel efficiency, you can expect around 12 km/l in a mixed driving cycle.
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AWD is standard on the Volvo XC60 and it gets an off-road mode
Driving Dynamics – The Volvo XC60 feels very stable no matter what type of road you’re driving it on. It never feels out of composure and instils a lot of confidence in the driver. The steering is fairly light at low speeds and weighs up very well. The suspension is tuned to provide a comfortable ride to passengers and the large tyres also do a good job of absorbing bumps. The XC60 comes with specially-designed Michelin tyres and the compound of these tyres is made specially for Volvo and the sidewalls even have an exclusive engraving.
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The different driving modes drastically alter the ride quality
In Comfort mode, the XC60 feels very relaxed to drive with the steering not feeling very heavy and the suspension having a softer setup. Body roll is a bit noticeable in this mode. When you shift to Dynamic mode, the steering feels way more heavier, the suspension gets firmer and the car overall feels so much more agile and tighter with reduced body roll too. You also get an Off-Road mode which increases the ride height of the car by 1.5-inches allowing it to pass over off-road terrain without scraping the underbelly.
