6 gears

I would not claim that the V60 is a premium car - nor a station wagon. It is nevertheless undoubtedly a Volvo.

Look-and-feel

A weekend with Volvo is not a bad weekend. I must honestly admit that for a man who grew up with great cars like PV and Amazon, it is always a special feeling to get behind the wheel of a Volvo. Although the V60 is far from a retro design. A modern car that challenges the Audi A4 and BMW's 3 series.

I raised the seat a little in height, adjusted the seat angle separately and the seat back continuously. The lumbar support was perfect. The only thing missing would be that with my height of 1,88 and 46 in shoes I would not find a comfortable driving position. This is, after all, a Volvo built at Volvo's factory in Torslanda - for tall Norwegians.

Before I turned on the ignition, I got the feeling of a somewhat simple and outdated driving environment. Deep clocks, small screen and center console with many buttons are a thing of the past. After all, it has been over 10 years since the special center console won awards for good design. When I turned on the ignition, however, I discovered that the instruments were digital computer screens, which raised the impression considerably.

I conclude that the interior is more than sensible, at least in the basic version with fabric seats. Yet there is something solid and robust about it – in typical Volvo fashion. The exterior design of the V60 is continued in the V50's style, and given a front reminiscent of the V70. I like the rounded back. Here, more emphasis has obviously been placed on style than space.

I am left with somewhat mixed feelings. On 16-inch standard wheels, it looks fairly ordinary, and parked alongside SUVs and large family cars, it seems a bit small. I think the rounded corners contribute to that. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that the Volvo character actually gives an ever-so-slightly good feeling - completely subjective, that is.

volvo-v60-686-1

Driving pleasure

Turbodiesel with 115 horsepower and torque of 270 Nm is not a bad source of power. After a few kilometers I thought "Citroën C4", - a car I have driven a lot in recent years. The 1,6-litre in the V60 is the same 1,6-litre The PSA group uses in its cars, and the same one that Ford uses. It is a legacy from the time when Ford owned Volvo. In Volvo's 2016 models, the D2 has been replaced with a new engine of 120 horses. Whether this is the same 120 horsepower that PSA offers in its model range, or an engine developed by Volvo, is not clear. On paper, it has the same characteristics as today's engine. Although, that can only be found out by test driving the cars that are out at the dealers these days.

Volvo has chosen a six-speed gearbox that is perfectly suited to Nordic speed limits. It's easy to find the power when you use the gear lever, and you cruise nicely in sixth gear in the 80-zone and above.

The Volvo front gives goodwill in traffic.

I also noted that the car felt a bit more like a compact car than a large car on the road, without any inconvenience. I also noted that the height difference between gas and brake felt somewhat higher than what I am used to.

Award-winning center console over ten years ago.

Comfort

The V60 in the standard version does not excel in terms of comfort - at least not on first impressions. The seats are the car's biggest plus. I could sit effortlessly behind the wheel for several hours without discomfort of any kind, - something I would characterize as discreet comfort. The comfort er there, but you don't think about it.

Considered as a premium class, the soundscape is characterized by quite a lot of unattractive engine hum, but feels more pleasant from 80 upwards with the sixth gear engaged. The suspension is a bit firm, but far from uncomfortable.

The bike test was only barely passed. — The bike test was barely passed, but this is, after all, a large men's bike with 27,5″ wheels.

Place

I usually don't focus so much on luggage space in the cars I come across, but make an exception for station wagons. The V60's body shape reveals that there isn't room for too much in the boot. It is the loading opening in particular that presents problems. My men's bike barely had room with the rear seats folded down - but only barely. The biggest problem was the width of the rear door. It was actually easier to get space for the bike in the e-Golf I tested a couple of weeks ago. With the rear seats folded down, the specs say it actually is the sea more space in the Golf than in the V60, and then we are talking about a regular 5-door Golf - not the station wagon.

However, the trunk is easy to use for more manageable items. It is easy to fold down the seats to a completely flat floor. On the rear seat backs there is a pull-out luggage compartment net to secure the load in typical Volvo fashion. I also liked that the window pillars were covered with washable hard plastic on the inside - and not fabric. Then the car stays just as nice, even after I drove a full load of waste onto the rubbish heap.

The distinctive rear lights have become a Volvo hallmark.

Security

According to NCAP, the V60 scores almost evenly with competitors such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, and thus places itself in the top tier. You can order your V60 with lane departure warning and blind spot warning, - and from 2016 also adaptive cruise control.

Economy

With a starting price of 360 without winter tires and additional equipment, the V800 places itself in the same price range as the Audi A60 and the BMW 4 series. When I watch Finn.no I see that there are high prices for used V60s, also for models before the facelift in 2014. To ensure the second-hand value, I would order my V60 with slightly larger rims. The test car had sensible additional equipment such as reversing alarm, towbar, digital instruments and automatic lighting.

The PSA engines have been praised for their low consumption and durability. They easily cover both 200 and 300 thousand kilometers without problems, not only in Volvos, but also cars from Peugeot, Citroën and Ford.

From an economic point of view, I think the D2 is the best engine choice in terms of economy.