XC60

On the exterior, Volvo's best-selling model, the XC60, gets a more urban twist for 2015. The redesigned front features a new hood shape that emphasizes its wide, confident stance. The sporty feel is complimented by new, comfortable sport seats and the new Sensus Connected Touch system offers unique on-line possibilities. The Volvo XC60 is the safest and most stylish Volvo yet. It fuses SUV-like toughness and practicality with coupe-like style and driving dynamics, and heralds a new design direction for Volvo. 

Design

All black trim has been taken away and the car now comes with a fully color coordinated body. The new headlamps look very focused and determined, and the horizontal lines on the grille with its chrome bars emphasize the car's width. The chrome frame around the grille has been removed and the new, bigger ironmark badge enhances the XC60's self-confident look. The previous camera-based BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) has been replaced by a radar-based system, which also cleans up the appearance by removing the "bubble" on the underside of the rear-view mirrors. Another example is the integrated tailpipes, which can be specified with some engine variants. Besides being a beautiful design, the engineers had to develop a way to keep them perfectly aligned despite the fact that at operating temperature, the tailpipes can expand in length by more than an inch.

Driving Dynamics "The XC60 is designed for people who enjoy driving,"  says XC60 project director Lars Blenwall. "It's deliberately set up to be sporty to drive yet also offers excellent levels of comfort. It's designed for the motorway, the winding road and the rough country lane."  Volvo's optional Four-C active suspension further boosts handling and comfort. The high ground clearance and large 17, 18, and 19-inch wheels also ensure it can tackle terrain unsuitable for a conventional car. "Its certainly not a conventional SUV," says Blenwall. "It is a far more road-oriented vehicle. It is not only unique within Volvo, its also unique in the crossover market - a true mix between sporting coupe and functional all-roader."

Innovative Technology Volvo Sensus - An Infotainment System With Direct Access The XC60 features Volvo Sensus, where information from the audio unit, navigation system, mobile phone, and other functions is presented on a high resolution 7-inch color screen in the upper part of the center console. All the functions can be controlled from the steering wheel via a thumb wheel, or through traditional controls directly below the color display. Focus was on the development of an HMI (Human-Machine Interface) solution that is easy to handle and that does not distract the driver from the main task of driving. Volvo is one of the few manufacturers to give the driver access to all infotainment functions via controls in the steering wheel. Optionally, Sensus Connected Touch can extend this technology to enable further connectivity and add an infrared beam-scanned touch screen that can be used even when wearing gloves.

Renowned Safety and Support

The Volvo XC60 has earned recognition from several North American and International safety organizations, including an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating and a 5 star rating from the National Institute for Highway Safety. In 2011, the XC60 took top prize in the Premium SUV/Crossover category of the NWMPA New England Winter Vehicles Award.

Safety features, that are available at various trim levels include City Safety, which, for 2014 is active at speeds up to 31 mph. The car automatically brakes if the driver fails to react in time - when the vehicle in front slows dramatically or stops - or if the car is approaching a stationary vehicle too fast.

The new Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection Technology, extends Volvo's present detection and auto brake technology to cover certain cyclist situations as well. Half of all pedestrian accidents occur at speeds below 16 mph. Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds up to 22 mph if the driver does not react in time. At higher speeds, the focus is on reducing the car's speed as much as possible prior to the impact.

Other upgrades for 2015 include an Enhanced Blind Spot Information System, which is radar based. The technology can now also monitor and alert the driver to rapidly approaching vehicles. Of course, it still informs the driver about vehicles in the blind spots on both sides. 

Cross Traffic Alert (available in the BLIS package), uses radar sensors at the back of the car to alert drivers to crossing traffic from the sides when reversing out of a parking space. This is especially helpful in tight and crowded areas where the side view might be limited due to infrastructure, vegetation or other parked cars.