Volvo XC60

The XC60 five-seat crossover is the first example of a new design language at Volvo: bold and aggressive, yet clearly retaining the company's styling DNA.

With appealing body lines and an upscale interior, Volvo’s upcoming XC60 may attract buyers who never considered the brand. In a special early look at the enticing new compact five-passenger crossover, Volvo asked MSN Autos to come by their headquarters in Sweden to take a sneak peek at the XC60 before its public debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

Well equipped for battle in the fastest-growing market segment in the world, the 2009 XC60 radiates a critical “it” factor that will draw unbelievers: those who’ve argued that small, useful, safe and sexy could not be done. To our eyes, the XC60 has the boldly athletic styling and lavish, spacious interior needed to compete in the so-called “Small Premium Utility” segment. The competition will be spirited, to say the least. The XC60 is going up against the BMW X3, Lexus RX 350, Acura RDX, the upcoming GLK from Mercedes-Benz and the Q5 from Audi. This is good news for consumers, as the heated European sports sedan market has wrought some of the most exciting cars ever built.

Sexy XC
The XC60 has plenty of sizzle, even when viewed in static pose under the harsh lights of a sterile photo studio. Steve Mattin, chief of Volvo styling and a relatively recent arrival after a ten-year stint at Mercedes-Benz, walked us around the vehicle and explained how he had merged Volvo’s traditional DNA (“Do Not Abandon design traditions”) with a new DNA (“Dramatic New Approach to vehicle design”) in order to create an “emotionally charged design, sleek yet muscular, powerful yet agile.”

The aggressive lines begin at the nose with an enlarged Volvo badge in the trapezoidal grille. “It’s not discreet, not modest,” said Mattin, “but bold and packed with self confidence.” The front fenders sweep back into broad shoulders accentuated by a sculptural undercut, and the sharp vee of the hood merges cleanly into the coupe-like swoop of the roofline. Integrating the roof rails into the roof itself gives the XC60 a particularly low and clean profile for a vehicle with so much utility.

At the rear, new LED taillights flow up through the car’s wide shoulders and into the C-pillar. The third brake light is now integrated into the roof spoiler. This unique treatment is not, however, just a result of designer’s whimsy. As part of the vehicle’s new safety strategies, the entire assembly lights up when the brakes are applied.

Cool From the Inside Out
The XC60’s driving position is upright in the Volvo tradition, with good outward sightlines. The relationship between the seat, pedals and steering wheel can be easily adjusted to accommodate even those at the far ends of the physical scale. “You should feel like a pilot at the controls of a business jet,” said interior designer Jonathan Disley.

The exterior’s sense of energy was brought inside, said Disley, with a technique called “thick to thin, which adds drama by mixing contrasting materials, such as soft, warm, dark panels and hard, cold aluminum inserts.” Newly designed for the XC60, the signature floating center stack is canted about 12 degrees toward the driver to underscore this sense of being at the center of command. Overhead, a panoramic roof opens wide to give the airy interior a greater connection to the outdoors.

Newly contoured seats are covered in leather of contrasting tones and feature a handsome X theme in the stitching. The rear seats are slightly higher than the fronts to give passengers a better view, and, in keeping with the XC60’s role as a utility vehicle, they also fold flat in three different configurations to accommodate various cargo. Even more luggage space is provided in a hidden, under-floor compartment that’s secured with the central locking system.

Interior measurements, as well as its $35,000 projected MSRP, place the XC60 squarely in line with the competition. But few other manufacturers have spent such attention on the interior of a vehicle that presumably will be used more rigorously than just getting groceries. Although it was designed primarily for the street, the XC60’s nine inches of ground clearance and capable four-wheel-drive system give the crossover the credentials to wear its “Cross Country” badge without shame.