There’s a lot to be impressed with throughout the entire Volvo range. Safety is, of course, the first thing that springs to mind with Volvo, and has done for a long time. Practicality is another feature; as is comfort. And with the XC60 range, off-roading ability has been added to the very tasty Volvo mix. Now, as much as most of us would like to purchase the top-of-the-range luxury model R-design XC60, common sense (and possibly our bank managers) tell us that we ought to go for something a bit less extravagant (others, however, can have the best, and these lucky folk should jump to the page reviewing the Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design). This is where the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD comes in: it puts the practicality, safety and design excellence of the XC-60 within a price range that’s more attractive to those on a lower budget.

The Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD is committed to providing value for money, and you will get plenty of bang for your buck from the six cylinder CVVT 3.2 litre petrol engine. Specifically, you will get 177 kW of power when the needle of the rev counter sits on 6200 rpm and a shade over 300 Nm of power. The Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD is fitted with a six-speed Geartronic transmission, which allows you to either sit back and relax with the hassle-free convenience or switch into manual mode when you want that extra bit of control – it’s the best of both worlds.

While the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD is the humblest of the line-up, one area that Volvo never, ever skimps on is safety. The Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD still comes fitted with a number of high-tech active safety features that are only provided as options on other marques, such as the “City Safety” system which uses front-mounted laser detectors to sense when you are too close to the vehicle in front of you, and then deploys brakes and interferes with the throttle so you lessen your chance of rear-ending the driver in front of you… unless you brake first. And, of course, you can use the brakes and throttle as normal once the road opens up in front of you. Other active safety features provided as standard in the Volvo XC 60 3.2 AWD include the DSTC (dynamic stability traction control), the ABS brakes with EBD, hydraulic brake assist (HBA) and “Ready Alert Brakes”, which sense (goodness knows how – might be a trade secret) that you are about to bang on the brakes and moves the pads closer to the discs ready for (in)action; and you’ve also got the pretensioned seatbelts all round with visual/audio warnings when somebody’s not buckled in, whiplash preventing head restraints, antisubmarining design, airbags on the front, side and curtain, and the perfect combination of a rigid body shell with side impact protection and crumple zones in the right places – and a device designed to activate the crumple zones of the vehicle you hit. The Volvo XC-60 3.2 AWD also has the IDIS safety system which detects when things are getting a bit tense in the cabin and promptly shuts down potential distracters such as the stereo (and the optional Bluetooth hands-free phone) until things settle down.

And the interior design of the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD isn’t minimalistic. You still have a leather-wrapped gear-shift knob and steering wheel, and leather upholstery on the ergonomically designed seats, including interior trims that combine off-black and lime green leather or beige and coffee quite strikingly, as well as more subtle black-all-over or beige-all-over. You’ll also find a dual-zone electronic climate control system, cruise control, rear parking assist (beeps when your rear bumper gets within 30cm of something behind it), and a sound system that features steering wheel mounted audio controls, a single-CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary input jack and six speakers placed strategically around the car. Other interior creature comforts of the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD include central locking, the “Home Safe” lighting function, integrated child booster cushions, flat-folding rear and front passenger seats, cupholders, plenty of storage space, electrically adjustable wing mirrors, a power outlet in the luggage compartment and a safety net in the boot to stop cricket balls flying forward and hitting you on the head if you jam on the brakes.

From the outside, the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD looks like every other XC 60, which means it’s a great-looking SUV with roofrails as standard, as are the snappy-looking low fog lights. The Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD has the ground clearance you’d expect from something designed to be taken off road now and again, and the vehicle exudes an aura of style and comfort mixed with playfulness and the sort of solidity that suggests toughness and safety all in one. If the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD was a dog, it would be a Labrador retriever… except Labradors don’t have 17” wheels.

If the motor is what you like in the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD, plenty of options are available to upgrade the vehicle, including three packages: LE (for a sunroof and a better stereo system plus a few other goodies), Drive Assist (for extras like the rain sensor and the lane departure warning) and Teknik (for park assist camera, active bending lights, Bluetooth phone and a navigation system).

The current model series includes the:

• Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD

For any more information on the Volvo XC60 3.2 AWD, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Volvo dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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