In 1990, Dudley Moore starred in Crazy People, a film that featured patients in a mental institution writing painfully honest advertising slogans such as, “Quaker Oats – how does it taste? Who knows, but the box is cute!” or for a “Visit New York City” campaign: “There were fewer murders last year.”
Perhaps the most famous, though was ” Volvo – they’re boxy, but good!”
Almost as a direct response, Volvo began designing vehicles that were good, but no longer boxy. Now, almost 20 years after that cinematic criticism, we get the 2010 Volvo XC60, one of the most handsome, distinctive sport-Utes yet.
It isn’t that much of a challenge to design a great-looking SUV, but it is hard to make it work properly inside. Boxes are, after all, startlingly efficient shapes for carrying things, and SUVs must carry people and cargo.
While the XC60’s swoop shape may limit its interior space, Volvo has done a commendable job of giving it a reasonably roomy rear seat, and about 31 cubic feet of cargo space behind those seats. No one will confuse it with a Chevrolet Suburban, but the Volvo will carry four adults – five in a pinch – and more than a weekend’s worth of luggage.
One thing that hasn’t changed about Volvo’s philosophy is a commitment to safety. You name it, the XC60 has it: all-wheel-drive, traction control, stability control, air bags aplenty, anti-lock brakes and roll stability control. On the test model, an optional Technology Package ($2,695) gets you adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, distance alert, and “collision warning with auto brake,” which senses an obstacle ahead and brakes, even if the driver doesn’t. And there’s “driver alert,” which “alerts the driver when his or her concentration level is affected,” as demonstrated by less than precise driving. You are warned by a picture of a steaming cup of coffee, suggesting it’s time for a break.
If all this sounds intrusive, it really isn’t. I’ll take all the safety I can get.
Especially when the vehicle is still fun to drive, and the XC60 is. With a 281-horsepower turbocharged six-cylinder engine, there’s pep, and handling is crisp if a little heavy. Mileage, though, is modest: An EPA-rated 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, premium gas preferred. The base XC60 has a 3.2-liter nonturbocharged engine, and starts at $32,995, while the tested T6 model starts at $37,200, and listed for $44,240.
Truly an international vehicle – Volvo is Swedish, but this XC60 was built in Belgium, with an engine from Great Britain and a six-speed automatic transmission from Japan – everything works in harmony. Boxy? Not at all, but still very good.
2010 Volvo XC60 T6
Base price: $37,200
Price as tested: $44,240
EPA rating: 16 miles per gallon city driving, 22 mpg highway.
Details: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive SUV with a 3.0-liter, 281-horsepower turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.
