LIKES
- Excellent interior
- Three solid powertrains
- Standard advanced safety features
- Near-perfect crash-test scores
- Great warranty
DISLIKES
- Infotainment takes a step back
- Gets pricey quickly
- Limited plug-in hybrid range
- Premium fuel only
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Volvo XC60 exudes elegance and charm, without the usual luxury-car attitude.
What kind of car is the 2022 Volvo XC60? What does it compare to?
The XC60 crossover seats five people and surrounds them with available all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid technology, placid light-toned interiors, and a touchscreen infotainment system that’s not as useful as prior versions. Competitors include the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC-Class, and BMW X3.
Is the 2022 Volvo XC60 a good SUV?
It’s wonderfully soothing to sit in and to drive. We give it a TCC Rating of 7.5 out of 10.
What’s new for the 2022 Volvo XC60?
Oh, lots. For 2022, Volvo has switched over the XC60’s infotainment system to a new Android-based operating system, added two USB-C ports, upgraded the hands-free tailgate and driver-assistance features, and swapped the XC60’s leather for cloth upholstery. HD Radio and the former wi-fi hotspot have been dropped, and the drive-mode selector has been moved into the touchscreen environment. All XC60s now have mild-hybrid hardware to improve fuel economy.
That’s a lot of change, but it hasn’t ruffled the XC60’s placidly cool shape or its phenomenally calming interior. No Xanax here: the XC60 simply wears the confidence of understated but spot-on styling, particularly inside where it’s dressed in cool grays and warm beige.
Volvo puts a turbo-4 in every XC60. Base B5 versions get a 260-hp version with front- or all-wheel drive; the B6 adds a supercharger for 295 hp. At its slowest, the XC60 still stings, with 0-60 mph times of 6.6 seconds. With a plug-in hybrid pack, the 400-hp Recharge and 415-hp Polestar Engineered editions can sing their way to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. That’s quick, but the better angels of the XC60 are in its ride quality: with air suspension or not, it’s poised yet still alert, even on the Polestar’s massive optional 22-inch wheels.
With thronelike front seats that snug around drivers in cloth or nappa leather, the XC60’s a true-five seater—and it has up to 50 cubic feet of cargo space when there are only two on board.
Crash-test scores have been uniformly excellent, and Volvo fits each crossover with blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking, with options for a surround-view camera system and driver-assist features. Other luxury features abound, but we’re mixed on Volvo’s new infotainment interface, which has delayed some connectivity—like Apple CarPlay—for the near future, as it’s being implemented across the lineup.
How much does the 2022 Volvo XC60 cost?
It’s $43,745 for a B5 in Momentum trim, with front-wheel drive, cloth upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and 18-inch wheels. Our pick, the $51,245 Inscription, has silvery wood trim, nappa leather upholstery, and heated and cooled front seats. A loaded Polestar Engineered XC60 goes for $70,595.
Where is the 2022 Volvo XC60 made?
In Sweden.
Styling
The XC60’s core element is good taste.
Is the Volvo XC60 a good-looking car?
It’s subtle with its charms, but they’re pervasive. It looks very good from the outside; it’s captivating inside, with the lighter woods and leathers Volvo sells. We give it an 8 here.
The XC60 has a tasteful shape, with a classic upright stance and pleasantly rounded corners. It steers away from drama everywhere, from the balanced grille and headlights to the safety-first vertical taillights that brand it as Volvo without the use of a badge.
Performance
From plug-ins to air springs, the XC60 plies tech to extract excellent performance.
The XC60 earns a solid 7 for performance, based on the B6 drivetrain and conventional suspension. It’s a cross-trainer of a car, one that spans a wide athletic range between trail-riding and wind-sprinting.
Is the Volvo XC60 4WD?
The front-drive B5 can be fitted with all-wheel drive; the B6, Recharge, and Polestar have it standard.
How fast is the Volvo XC60?
Volvo says it’s powerful enough to reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds as a front-driver, in 6.5 seconds with all-wheel drive. We haven’t spent time in those versions; instead, we’ve driven the similar B6 drivetrain, which adds a supercharger to the engine for a net of 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. This XC60 builds power even more easily, behind a wall of soundproofing, for a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds. It’s quiet and unruffled, unburdened by even a full carload of people.
Two plug-in hybrids boost the B6 setup with an 87-hp electric motor that drives the rear wheels and an 11.6-kwh battery. The T8 version sports 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, quick enough to reach 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, and capable of going 19 miles on electric power alone. Twist the screws mildly, and the Polestar Engineered edition develops 415 hp and 494 lb-ft of torque, for slightly quicker acceleration to 60 mph: 4.9 seconds.
The Polestar Engineered XC60 takes a sharper tack, with 21- or 22-inch wheels, bigger brakes, and 22-way adjustable shocks. This version’s a sizzling performer, still supple enough to endure a daily commute—but still a rarity.
Comfort & Quality
Day-long comfort and attention to detail give the XC60 interior its edge.
An exceptionally comfortable vehicle in a class of cars dedicated to making life easier for the well-heeled, the XC60 racks up points for its ability to seat five, supportive front seats, plentiful cargo space, and interior fit and finish. It’s a point shy, in back-seat comfort, of a perfect 10—but not by much.
There’s not much to complain about inside the XC60. Its SUV body ensures lots of head and leg room for front passengers, who also get incredibly well-cushioned seats with thick cushions and ample bolsters in cloth—or in leather, with heating and cooling, in the premium versions. The XC60’s uncluttered dash and low console extract maximum space and visual impact out of the interior, which can be trimmed in nappa leather, silvery wood trim, and a glass-tipped shift lever. It’s breathtaking, in the right configuration.
Three adults will fit in the second row, though seat comfort isn’t quite up to the fronts’ benchmark. Leg and head room suit 6-footers, and the rear seats will fold down to boost the XC60’s cargo space from about 30 cubic feet to about 50 cubic feet.
Safety
We’re almost at peak safety here.
How safe is the Volvo XC60?
It’s stout on safety technology and crash-test scores are strong; only thick rear roof pillars keep it from a perfect score. It’s a 9 here.
The NHTSA awards the XC60 a five-star overall rating; the IIHS dubs it a Top Safety Pick+. On top of that, the XC60 comes with a laundry list of safety gear, from automatic emergency braking to adaptive cruise control to blind-spot monitors with steering assist.
Features
The XC60 has a great warranty and equipment; we’re not convinced on its new Android OS.
The XC60 comes with lots of standard equipment and flexibility in features choices. It also has a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with free scheduled maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles. But a new infotainment system takes a step back in functionality, to total up an 8 here.
The $43,745 XC60 B5 Momentum comes with standard cloth upholstery, rear parking sensors, keyless start, adaptive LED headlights, 18-inch wheels, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Options include leather upholstery, heated front seats, automatic park assist, a power tailgate, and a surround-view camera system. The $55,345 Recharge has similar equipment.
Which Volvo XC60 should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded Volvo XC60?
The $70,595 Polestar Engineered XC60 rolls on 21-inch wheels, and has a head-up display and Bowers & Wilkins audio.
The XC60’s 9.0-inch portrait-style touchscreen remains in place, but Volvo has slid an Android-based operating system under its surface. The new setup doesn’t have Apple CarPlay at launch, and won’t be able to run that interface at the same time as it runs the Volvo interface; it’s one or the other, when it used to offer both. The car will require a firmware update to run CarPlay as well as Android Auto and to host satellite radio, when those services become available. There’s also no AM radio.
Fuel Economy
The plug-in XC60 earns the best EPA ratings.
Is the Volvo XC60 good on gas?
Its plug-in hybrid edition can turn in 19 miles of electric power on its way to a 57 MPGe rating—and after that, it’s EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined.
But it’s not the most common XC60. We give the SUV a 4 here, based on the EPA ratings for the all-wheel-drive B5: 22 mpg city, 28 highway, 24 combined.
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