2014 VOLVO CROSSOVER SERIES

490 litres, it will hold the family shopping and hold it well. The boot / trunk of the car is rather large. Legroom in the front and the back is comfortable but would say that those around 6 feet may start to see the uncomfortable side in the rear due to a reduced amount of headroom. You feel more like your sitting in a roomy hot hatch than an SUV. The XC60 is one of those cars that has plenty of space but does not feel like a big car. Leather wrapped and extremely supportive, the R-Design seats are adorned with the R-Design logo as well. Volvo makes some of the most comfortable seats on the market. Titanium coloured touches decorate the door cards and the dash, keeping some masculinity against the subtle smooth feminine lines of the dash and centre console in general. The trademark floating centre console still resides with pride in the brand and still has the modern edge. The quality of materials is on par with all the premium models, just set out that little bit differently. Volvo has spared no expense on the materials within. They draw style from across the Volvo range, add a little Gym time, give it a shower and hey presto you have this smooth, sleek collection of vehicles. I would actually say they are getting ahead of themselves.

2014 VOLVO CROSSOVER SERIES

If to think back to Volvo’s roots when 300 Series were polluting roads and raising the optician bills from cracking lenses caused by its ugly looks, Volvo have come leaps and bounds. The BMW has a harder, more robust look to it while the Mini Rangy is smooth and curvy. The body, I feel sits between BMW X3 and Range Rover Evoque. This car is Swedish and with most Scandinavian products they keep things smooth and minimalistic.

I take it into the mountains and push it through roads more suitable to an Italian with a herd of Cavalino’s under the bodywork. With this in mind I take this car for its own challenge, to test its eligibility amongst the SUV’s on the market. This R-Design guise XC60 is enthusiastically trying to take on the likes of BMW’s M department or Merc’s AMG and you can certainly see this. Volvo has made great changes in their brand in the last ten years, deleting the once frumpy, boxy image and putting the practicality and safety into modern sporty and appealing cars that more than challenge the competition, while at the same time also putting a smile on any mature grumpy types. The mature grumpy country types that like to sit in the overtaking lane and drive slowly at the weekend are taking a back seat. Ok stop there those already stereotyping the Volvo driver, especially you Westerners. It is in fact your favourite Swedish brand Volvo. Its Swedish, its quick and you’ll want to drive one.

2014 volvo crossover