2015 Volvo XC60

There are five fundamental trims available on the 2015 XC60 which differ from each other because of the powertrain. All five trims have the Premier, Premier Plus, and Platinum tag which makes them identify as separate trim. The base T5 Drive-E trim has standard features such as 18-inch pan alloy wheels, LED DRLs, T-Tec/cloth upholstery, power front seats, 7-inch touchscreen, HD radio, and 40/20/40 rear seats. With the Premium tag with its name, the T5 Drive-E trim has leather upholstery, a Laminated Panoramic Roof with Power Sunshade, Adaptive Digital TFT Display, Silver Roof Rails, and auto-dimming rearview mirror.

The Premium Plus T5 Drive-E trim has features like a power tailgate with a programmable memory setting, a Homelink integrated garage door opener, a 12-volt power outlet, electric folding rear headrests, and a rear park assist camera. The Platinum T5 Drive-E trim has navigation, Harman Kardon premium sound system, accent lighting, and auto-dimming exterior mirrors. The features Premium, Premium Plus, and Platinum adds are nearly the same on every sub trim. However, there are some changes in the exterior and interior on the R-inscription trim.

There are multiple packages offered on the 2015 XC60. The Climate package adds heated front seats, heated rear seats, heated windscreen washer nozzles, heated steering wheel, and heated windscreen. The Inscription package is only available on the T6 and T6 AWD which adds Inscription branded aluminum tread plates, Inscription branded floor mats, Anthracite black headliner, leather-covered dashboard, power lumbar support, modern wood inlays, and Perforated Soft Sovereign Hide leather. The Sports package includes sport seats and 20-inch Titania alloy wheels.

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Volvo has provided a vast ocean of options to choose from in the lineup of the 2015 XC60. It would be better if you go with the Premium Plus trim with the T6 Drive-E engine. This way you won’t be expending too much, and still, you can have a fuel-efficient Drive-E engine and you can still avail all the options the way you want them.

There are about 5 different power plants that vary according to the trim level. The 2.0L turbo Drive-E engine is given on the T5 Drive Drive-E trim which is married to an 8-speed automatic transmission and puts out 240 hp plus 258 lb-ft of torque. The 2.5L turbo engine is provided on the T5 AWD trim which has the 6-speed automatic transmission and it puts out 250 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. The first engine sends power to the FWD, while the latter, as the name indicates, sends power to the AWD. The 2.0L Drive-E engine makes the XC60 accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds, while the 2.5L turbo finishes the same goal in 6.6 seconds.

The 3.0L turbo engine is coupled with the 6-speed transmission and sends power to the AWD. It produces 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0 L Drive-E supercharged engine in the T6 Drive-E trim is engaged with the 8-speed transmission and sends power to the front wheels. It produces 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Lastly, the 3.0 Turbo engine in the T6 R-design trim is betrothed to a 6-speed transmission and transfers power to all wheels. It churns out 325 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. The T6 R-design does the 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds less than the T6 Drive-E.

All SUVs in the competition have a similar capacity engine and share the same horsepower with each other except the Q5 which has 20 hp less in the account. The fastest SUV in the segment is the X3 which finishes the 0 to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The slowest of the bunch is the Discovery Sport which does the 0-60mph in 0.8 seconds later than the XC60. When comparing the price tag, BMW is the most expensive option in the segment.

There are multiple engine options given on the 2015 Volvo XC60. Therefore, there will be multiple sets of fuel economy. For the sake of convenience, the 2.0L Turbo Driver-E engine has been taken for easy comparison with the rivals. It returns fuel economy of 24/31/27 mpg in city/highway/combined. The 2.5L Turbo engine returns 18/25/21 mpg in city/highway/combined, while the 2.0L Supercharged engine returns 22/30/25 mpg in city/highway/combined. Despite the engine which changes according to the trim level, an 18.5-gallon fuel tank is constant.

While the base Drive-E engine XC60 comes out as the most fuel-efficient SUV, the least efficient title goes to the Discovery Sport, although both share the same fuel tank capacity. The 2015 X3 returns one more mpg in the city and combined as compared to the Q5, but the Q5 has the biggest fuel tank of all. When comparing the overall range, Volvo offers the most at 574 miles on highways. 

The cabin is filled with high-quality material, and you can feel the Swedish luxury vibes just by sitting in for a while. Aluminum and wood trims are spread across the cabin. The seats have standard leather upholstery, the leather-wrapped steering wheel has a paddle shifter, and the gear shifter is also wrapped in leather. Dark-tinted glass is on the rear door and cargo area. The cabin is well designed, but the rear row is a bit crampy as it is difficult for three beefy adults to sit comfortably in the back. 

Apart from the front seats having an 8-way power adjustment, the driver seat also has power lumbar support and a 3-position memory setting. Heated seats and steering wheel are optional. The rear seat can be folded down in a 40/20/40 pattern which will increase the cargo capacity from 30.8 to 67.4 cu-ft. Some other creature comforts include manual tilt and telescopic steering wheel column, dual-zone automatic climate control, accent Lighting, Auto-dimming rear-view mirror, paddle shifters, cargo lights, Adaptive Digital TFT Display, Keyless Drive with Personal Car Communication, and front plus rear 12-volt power outlet.

If we compare the interior dimensions, the most spacious SUV in the segment is Discovery Sport which also has the biggest cargo space. Next in line is the X3 which has leading front and rear headroom. The Q5 is squished between the X3 and Discovery Sport but has 1.5 cu-ft of cargo space more than what’s given on the X3. Finally, the XC60 is the least roomy SUV as compared to rivals, but it has the second-biggest trunk in the bunch. Major interior features include:

• Cloth upholstery
• Leather upholstery
• Dual-zone automatic climate control 
• Heated seats (optional)
• Heated leather-wrapped steering wheel (optional)
• Front row power windows and door locks
• Accent lighting
• Keyless ignition and entry
• Illuminated vanity mirrors

How intuitive is the 2015 Volvo XC60’s infotainment unit?

The 2015 XC60 is equipped with the Sensus Connect infotainment system. It includes a 7-inch touchscreen which is simple to use. Standard features given on the base trim are SiriusXM, Bluetooth, an eight-speaker sound system, a CD player, an HD radio, an auxiliary audio jack, and a USB port. A Harman Kardon’s premium sound system is a stand-alone option. Major highlights of the infotainment unit are:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• 8-speaker sound system
• SiriusXM
• Navigation system (optional)
• Harman Kardon premium sound system

The exterior design language of the 2015 Volvo XC60 is not complicated, and you can see short body lines all over the exterior which makes it looks more sleek and sporty. On the front, the chrome grille complements any exterior color you choose. The hood has a middle bump which is covered by the two-body lines. On the top, black roof rails are standard, but bright roof rails are also available. You also have the laminated panoramic roof with a power sunshade under the Premier trim.

The XC60’s back has uniquely shaped taillights and a power liftgate. When you select the T6 R-Design trim, many trim-specific exterior features such as R-Design exterior trim, R-Design dual exhaust, and 20-inch Ixion II alloy wheels are given. The 2015 Volvo XC60 runs on the 18-inch Pan alloy wheels, but you can also get the 18" Zephyrus alloy wheels on the higher trims. 

The length and width of the XC60 and rivals are in the same ballpark except for the Discovery Sport, which is 2.1 inches longer and 7.1 inches wider as compared to the XC60. The Discovery Sport also has the shortest wheelbase, but the biggest one belongs to the X3. With the leading ground clearance of 9.1 inches, bumpy roads won’t be a problem for the XC60, whereas the low weight of the Discovery Sport will help it in the performance section. Major exterior features are:

• 18-inch Pan alloy wheels
• Laminated panoramic roof with power sunshade (available)
• Power heated side mirror with memory function 
• Rear window defroster
• Black roof rails
• LED daytime running lights

NHTSA has assigned an overall 5-star safety rating to the 2015 Volvo XC60 where it scores full 5-stars in every test except the rollover test. IIHS has given ‘Good’ ratings to the 2015 Volvo XC60 in crashworthiness tests and ‘Superior’ ratings in the crash prevention test. IIHS also awarded the 2015 XC60 with the ‘Top Safety Pick+’ title, making it one of the safest midsize luxury SUVs. The standard safety features include a city safety low-speed collision avoidance system, cruise control, engine immobilizer, and encrypted ignition key. 

You also have optional packages which add many safety features. BLIS PACKAGE adds blind-spot monitoring, lane change merge aid, cross-traffic alert, and front and rear park assist. The Technology package adds adaptive cruise control with queue assist, active high beam, road sign information, lane departure warning, collision warning with full auto brake, cyclist detection with full auto brake, pedestrian detection with full auto brake, driver alert control, and distance alert, but this package is only available on the Premium trim/package level. Major safety features are:

• Cruise control
• Tunnel Detection
• Adaptive cruise control (optional)
• Collision warning with full auto brake (optional)
• City Safety Low-Speed Collision Avoidance System
• Pedestrian detection with full auto brake (optional)
• Cross-traffic alert (optional)

The 2015 Volvo XC60 is an SUV that ticks all the boxes, whether it is the freedom to choose the suitable powertrain or optional features or the option between impressive fuel economy or decent power figures. It also stands high with impressive safety ratings, proving itself as the suitable choice for you in the midsize luxury SUV segment. However, rivals have an edge in the luxury, performance, and interior space. Still, if you want a complete luxury SUV package at a reasonable price, the 2015 Volvo XC60 is a great choice.