[V.Narayan]

The start of the journey

My family was looking for a luxury car to meet two needs - (i) comfortable and safe (and more safe) long distance driving on business (ii) plush interiors to give us that feel good factor that maybe we've climbed a notch up in the material world. Sedan, SUV, hatchback whatever it is worked for us so long as we liked it. Ceiling set by a budget of Rs 75 lakhs (no loans & EMIs for me) and floor set by need for interiors that should be significantly better than our Skoda Superb. Where cars are concerned we, as a family, have been conservative and low key. Have avoided the German 3 so far in a large part for this reason though the temptation persists for nothing more than the show-off factor. We don’t buy a car because we target a segment (in the way auto experts see it) but more because we aim to fulfill a need - both physical and intangible and the looks, colour, interiors etc should appeal to the several members of my joint family. The garage today includes a Superb, a Jazz and a Zen. Till a month ago it included a Laura (now sold).

Evaluation of choices

I evaluated the E class, Q3, Q5, A6, the M class and came within a hair's breadth of booking the E. Did not evaluate the BMW family due to hard ride, no stepney and reputation for hydro locks (from what I have heard). Given that the proposed car would have replaced the Laura meant a lot of inter-city driving to small towns on business. In these circumstances a 'run flat' is pointless if you develop a flat 100 kms from a big city at 6PM. The Q5 and Q3 I kind of liked - high on interiors, good driving feel & refined engines. The A6 was interesting, great to drive, plush contemporary interiors, decent leg space (though not as good as the Superb) but the rear seat was two inches too low and would have posed a problem for the elders in the household. Further every body in Delhi-NCR is driving an Audi these days. My much better half said "iss gaadi ko tou main bhi pehchanti hoon….(Even I recognize this car)". Further some of the reports on Team BHP by forum members on Audi were a cause for concern. The M class I didn't like driving and thought the interiors were not as well put together as other Mercedes models. For my generation Mercedes represents class, wealth, taste, luxury et al. So my heart tugged in that direction. But nevertheless before booking the E I decided to ask four business associates on their personal experience with the E. And the sheer intensity of negative feedback on the car, on A.S.S. of Mercedes India, on hydro locks, warranty disputes and so on put that plan on hold. One of them had nicknamed her car as the 'nazuk maharani' (the delicate queen). This negative dose, honestly, caught me by complete surprise and deep disappointment. One good thing came out of that experience …. soon thereafter I located Team BHP in my on line searches! So the hunt began again and almost out of resignation I checked out Volvo and tested the XC60 and V40 (for the fun of it). Also liked the looks and interiors of the S80 but never tested it.

Homework

The homework with Volvo included a visit to their India office in Gurgaon and a meeting with the Managing Director (Tomas Ernberg) followed by some correspondence with him seeking assurance on after sales service, attitudes of the dealer, spares. Also met the owner of the dealership. The Managing Director was young, professional, well mannered, down to earth gentleman from Sweden who did not carry any airs and replied promptly to all my e-mails. Net result of all this was that the dealer offered me a week's trial on one of their test XC60s which I promptly accepted. Three days into this free trial I booked the car. In this trial period of 7 days I drove the car 350 kms while going about my daily routine and thoroughly enjoyed driving this beautiful stallion.

Relative to Mercedes and Audi the Volvo showroom was functional and neat and not luxurious with liveried waiters (Audi). The sales staff was less pushy and more at ease in their skins and attitude was one of take your time there's no rush. I made 5 visits to the Volvo showroom over 5 months and I don’t think they ever gave me the tone of impatience. On the other hand they could do with some training on gaining more knowledge of their product. I spoke to seven Volvo customers (names provided by the dealer -M/s Swede Auto, Gurgaon) on their experience with the cars and after sales service and all reviews came out between 7 on 10 to 9 on 10.

So with this background we selected the XC60 D5 Summum AWD top end model in bronze twilight color. We choose, after much intra-family negotiations, an interior which is a beige-black combination with black flooring & beige seats. The only shortfall in my eyes was that the dashboard came in an all piano black and not the two tone black top-beige bottom variation. The bronze body colour was settled upon after some haggling by all in our family from ages 87 to 17 so I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally settled on my favourite choice - the bronze twilight and said let's go for it guys. Being the karta of a large family has its privileges on decision making but everyone above 80 and daughters below 21 don’t recognize that. Volvo had a car in stock (it seems they have started holding small stocks of the XC60 and S60 now) and we got delivery in 3 days. Delivery was made on a date chosen by us (anniversary). The paper work took 30 to 35 minutes. Explaining the controls took about 90 minutes. My son & nephew understood everything faster than me. Volvo had been cautioned about the need for a thorough PDI and were co-operative and patient about it. The PDI list from Team BHP was invaluable. My thanks to all those who worked to compile it. A cake was cut for our nth anniversary, gifts given to the two sales staff and we drove away.

In the writings below I am only adding highlights I found interesting to compliment the well written detailed test drive & review by @ Der Alte ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ve-review.html ) and the excellent owners piece written by @trailblazin at ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ummum-awd.html )

HIGHLIGHTS:

General:

A very handsome looking car from all angles. Sinewy looks. Wedge shaped profile best seen from the 5 o'clock or 7 o'clock positions. there is a prominent bodyline from the bonnet to the waterfall tail lights that defines the contours. Paint finish is top class with a pearly metallic sheen to it.

230mm ground clearance. Requires a platform for short passengers. We are getting the sideboard installed as my mother and aunt are both 5'0" and old.

Tail lights' waterfall design adds style (in my opinion).

Sun roof & curtain. I prefer opening just the curtain and letting the sunlight stream in

We took the 5 year 150,000 kms extended warranty and zero depreciation insurance with cover for tyres

VIN number also given on front windscreen on bottom left corner

Servicing every 10,000 kms. Dealer said odd numbered services should cost Rs 15 to 20,000 and even numbered ones about Rs 25 to 30,000 or so. Brakes need replacement every 30,000 kms. Expected cost I assume will be about Rs 50,000 per year at our expected 20,000 kms a year.

Driving & Riding & Filling:

Ride is high on comfort - comparable to Camry, one notch below E-class; handles bumpy roads and potholes with reasonable comfort for the rear seat passenger.

The 440 Nm of torque gives excellent acceleration and the drive has a grip on the road. Sports mode was too fast and powerful for my liking and I switched off after reaching 120 kmph too fast too often on the highway.

Braking is very effective without skid or yaw. Experimented with sharp braking on wet and curvy roads from 100 kmph with neat stability.

Throaty growl from the 215 horse power diesel gives a sense of power; strong on acceleration. However, it won’t match a BMW X3 3.0d for sheer power or refinement, and the six-speed auto (in the Volvo), though quick enough, won’t grant you the snappy shifts that I believe you may get in a BMW. Nevertheless it is fun to drive. All-wheel drive and torque vectoring ensure handling is predictable at all times and you can adjust the level of steering assist to your liking as well. The gear shifting is for acceleration and not for the best mileage hence there is a acceleration whoomph and at least I don't sense a lag nor have I ever needed to use the paddle shifters or get into the sports mode. I love the growl of the engine and as it is winter time have been driving around with the windows rolled down to savour the grrrrrr.

Drives with a grip on the road. This is my first experience with AWD hence have no reference point to compare with.

Driving is relatively less tiring even in Delhi-NCR's traffic conditions. May be it’s a combination of the seat, the low cabin noise and the automatic gear. On one occasion I drove 148 kms through traffic from Greater Noida to Gurgaon and back (after a 1 hour business meeting in between) on a weekday. Over the last 5 to 6 years I have avoided driving myself during weekdays for long distances in NCR due to the tiring traffic demands. The Volvo may change that. Today, as a part of my work routine I drove from the Palam airport to Faridabad (via the Gurgaon ridge road) and back and attended a long business meeting in between and experienced little exhaustion. I am in my fifties and only averagely fit so this says a lot about the driving comfort and joy of this car. The ergonomics of the seat and the comfort of an auto box are the most likely factors. Otherwise with the benefit of driver-employees at home and work I had simply stopped driving myself on weekdays in Delhi-NCR. It also means that the email & phone call clearing that took place in the rear seat has gone kaput.

Ergonomics of the driver's seat is excellent. Volvo says they consult a panel of back doctors while designing the seat. Certainly reduces the sense of tiredness. The positioning of the controls and buttons is well thought through.

When filling diesel you have to insert a plastic funnel provided by Volvo. Not sure what its purpose is. Don’t know if it'll be a problem if the funnel gets misplaced. Tank takes 70 litres.

NVH levels are excellent. Full marks in this department.

The air intake is positioned about 16 inches above the ground thus reducing the risk of hydro-lock (Mercedes, BMW, Audi - please note). The standard engine underside protection is plastic covering. You can buy a steel one as an accessory (which has been my choice)

Interiors:

Interiors are of a high quality, well put together - plastics, leather, wood, polish, chrome all top notch. I think the leather is better or at least as good as the E class. The seats of the S80 with the 'Inspiration' finish, however, are even better.

The quality and the standard of the materials are first rate from the knurled knobs, to the garnished chrome to the plastics to the polished wood to the stitching on the seats. The controls on the stalks and steering wheel {music, phone, cruise control, voice command} are well placed. Both seats and steering can be adjusted over a wide range. There’s ample headroom up front with good visibility past the narrow A-pillars and rear seat passengers won’t want for space either relative to an upper mid-sedan (like say a Honda City).

Seats 4 very comfortably. The 5th passenger comes with a pinch if not of average build. The space at the back for baggage is sumptuous. Photo shows my nephew, 5' 10", in the rear seat with passenger seat in front of him set for average height (me) at 5' 6". Drivers seat has 3 memory settings.

Dashboard display comes in 3 themes of red, blue and green. You can choose the displays you want to see between variations on speed, rpm, temperature, mileage, fuel to empty how economically are you driving, odometers etc.

The load bay is well proportioned while the 40/20/40 split rear seat folds flat into the floor should you need it to.

Rear headrests can be folded to give driver a better view through the rear view mirror (if no one is sitting at the back) - like this.

Leather clad steering wheel provides a beefy masculine grip

Automatically dimmed rear view mirror; rear view is reasonable - better than my Superb; not as sweeping as the Jazz. OVRMs are usefully large. Automatically fold in on locking the car.

Blue tooth connectivity

Many electronic aids. A geeks delight. Takes time to figure out. A bit of a pain in my opinion. Too many options are often less useful than fewer better selected ones - IMHO. After 5 days I am still struggling to figure out what is what in the options.

Air-conditioning - not much of an idea. Will discover the truth in April.

Music system. Sounds the same as the Superb at home and Camry at the office. I cant tell of any difference. Am satisfied with the fidelity.

Safety:

Emergency brake assist up to 50kmph. Laser assisted warning jams the brakes if you don’t. Trust me it wakes you up as brakes jam and the seat belt instantly tightens and hauls your torso in.

Active bending lights

Front airbags & curtain airbags

Rear camera & park assist

Emergency brake lights - if you brake in an emergency then your brake lights will flash 4 times a second to signal to the driver behind that you are slamming to a stop. They resume normal brake light mode as speed comes down to 10 kmph

Inner & outer rear view mirrors with auto-dim to protect your eyes from the glare of the headlights of the inconsiderate chap behind you

Water repellent front windows - treated to break water into smaller drops and roll off faster

Emergency Brake Assistance (EBA) that helps supplement your own emergency braking pressure and further distribute it to all wheels optimally to aid better braking

Once you start driving the central locking self locks as the speed exceeds 10 kmph.

5-star NCAP rating for safety

Areas for improvement:

Space saver instead of a full sized tyre

Mughal era navigation system. Personally I never use a navigation system so don’t miss it. But for most today this could be a sore point.

The 7 inch console lacks the touchscreen feature. This is a miss by Volvo. While driving touch is simpler way to change commands than to look at the screen and turn a knob. The 2010 Superb at Rs 22 lakhs has it for the music system. Volvo, you need to catch up.

Rear view mirrors do not automatically come back to normal after dipping while reversing. So I have (through the command console) deleted the "dip when reversing" feature.

No mud flaps as standard. You have to buy them as an accessory and then wait 3 weeks for shipping. Why Volvo, why.

Interior colour combinations - Volvo could do with more flexibility here especially as the cars are built after order in most cases. I would have preferred the dashboard to be a black top-beige bottom with black carpets but Volvo would take 3 months to build & ship it. Also the lower variant i.e. D4 R version has some awesome off white on black stitching in its interiors not available on the top end D5. The beige flooring on the D5 is a very light (and impractical) colour prone to instant dirt as I saw in the test vehicle I had for a week. But the darker beige floor available in the D4 won't come in the D5!?! Volvo may want to look at greater flexibility in its interior colour combinations.

Cost

Rs 56 lakhs including accessories, insurance and warranty

Conclusion

In conclusion the Volvo XC60 is a well built high quality, feature laden SUV soft roader with top class interiors and 5-star safety features. The Volvo sales manager claimed they have had no reports/compliants of engine problems from contaminated diesel. In India Volvo does not yet have badge value but instead has uniqueness value married with high quality engineering and safety. For some buyers that is a plus.

This initial owners review is after only a little over 500 kms of driving - 350 on the test mule and 150 on the owned unit. I'll write an update after 3 months and a few thousand kms under the belt. Expected usage will be about 1500 to 2000 kms a month. As I have been a good customer Volvo have consented to my request to drop a V40 over for a couple of days though my eyes are on the S90 due in 2016 as a replacement alternative for the Superb. I hope you enjoy the photographs and thank you for reading. In a few weeks I will post more close-up photos of the details of the car. My thanks to Vid6639 & GTO for their support with the article.

Brown stallion with its beefy looks and sun roof


bonnet line extends gracefully to the side body to give it a wedge look


The wedge look in full form




The cavernous boot space


Passenger of 5'10" height with seat in front set for a passenger with 5'6" height


Seats in front set at maximum and minimum travel




Central console; looks better in real life. Angled towards driver - one gets used to it though it looks odd initially


Push button start; key goes into a holder. The key needs to only be in the car. I just keep it in my pocket






Day time running lights on the bottom side of the main headlights; angular looks adds to the car's stylishness

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[jfxavier]

Congrats on the excellent choice.
Keep updates coming on the experience.
I wish I could swap my gearshift knob with the one like on your car.
Something to ponder about.

[vasanthn21]

Congrats on the new ride.

I read that you feel it is easier to change commands on touch screen than a knob. Interesting, I personally found it easier to use the knob than to use the touchscreen (as I have to take my eyes off the road to use the touchscreen and not so with the knob).Even if there is a voice command option, the manual option is still easier (and faster) IMHO. Matter of personal choice I guess.

[sandeepmohan]

Happy to see a Volvo ownership log. Its rare to come across one.

On a trip to Hyderabad that I did in December, I found the place filled with Volvo's. S60's were everywhere. I saw more Volvo's than any other premium car brand. I don't remember the name of the club in Kavuri hills, the place had a Volvo banner inside and there was no event as such taking place. Seems to suggest sponsorship.

Volvo's were once very boring cars in terms of design. Its a different story today. They V40 and S60 are sharp looking cars. It was only last Sunday, I was parked on the side of the road waiting for my wife when a small convoy of 4 Volvo's went past. They were all dealer cars. It was a V40, two S60's (a blue one too) and a XC60. What a sight it was.

If there needs to an area of improvement, its probably the dashboard design. It looks dated and little has changed over the years.

On the subject of the air intake, my guess is the suv's from the other brands too should have it at a similar height.

[Vid6639]

Another Volvo ownership on the forum. Slowly but surely people are looking at other options to the haloed 3.

And boy is this XC60 growing on me. I love the understated clean design. No flash like the BMW, Merc. Heck nobody will even realise you're driving a 50 lakh car. That's something I like, unwanted attention and doesn't make you feel special.

Looking at other ownership reports, the Volvo seems reliable and is much cheaper to maintain as well. Perfect.

This is one car I would love to have in my garage.

Excellent write up Narayan. You have summed up the car perfectly and your satisfaction shows in the report.

Will be closely watching this thread for more updates and photos.

[drmohitg]

I was waiting for your thread eagerly as I have started to really admire Volvo cars off late. They really have a unique sense of style and luxury which is different from the other 3 germans in the same segment. When I was in the market in 2013 for an entry level car, my experience was also the best at Volvo. Infact Mercedes and Audi were really disappointing and Volvo dealership in Gurgaon was the first one to acknowledge me as a customer that has come to shell 30+ L on a car.

Have you checked with Volvo if there is some error in settings as to why the ORVMs do not fall back into place once you shift out of reverse? I find this function immensely useful in my 3 and the mirrors turn right back to where I had set them once I engage D from R.

Another thing that looks slightly disappointing from the pics is the rear seat space. For such a large car, it looks quite inadequate from the pics atleast specially the under thigh support. Infact I had similar issues with the back seat of the V40 and the XC60 looks to have the same dimensions of the rear seat. Also the transmission tunnel makes the rear seat good for only 2 people.

Lastly what is the use of the funnel provided for refuelling? Is the fuel tank opening not of a standard size in accordance with our fuel pumps? I thought that these sizes were standard across the world.

Edit: How much did the extended warranty cost you and does it cover everything? Are there any service packs also being offered by Volvo yet?

BTW when is the new XC60 coming up? I heard that the whole design language is going to get more aggressive just like the XC90.

[Khushrav]

Congratualtions on owning this beauty. There is an X factor about Volvos that's difficult to nail but they surely stand out in a crowd.

Just a word of caution - one of my colleagues owns the S60 D4 and he has encountered multiple niggling issues in the past 18 months. The problem is not so much the issue but the glacial pace of parts procurement, replacement and servicing. Side skirting pin replacement - 4 weeks, electronic boot not functioning - 3 weeks, etc. Dont know if this is a Mumbai only problem but it sworthy of keeping an eye on.

Did I mention about the WOW colour? Enjoy it

[prakhar1998]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Interiors are of a high quality, well put together - plastics, leather, wood, polish, chrome all top notch. I think the leather is better or at least as good as the E class. The seats of the S80 with the 'Inspiration' finish, however, are even better.

Congratulations on your purchase of the car that can't be crashed. Its impeccably well built, with extreme attention to detail and is one of the most reliable brands in the world. I am sure you're going to love every moment you spend with it.

Most people don't know this, but the leather in the E class is actually faux, and only the launch edition sported real leather. Honestly, I find the leather to be equally good, if not better than real leather. Its so much easier to clean, its more durable and doesn't smell in the heat.

Your comment on the ASS of Merc has left me worried. I too asked a few acquittances about how reliable their Mercs were, and most of them faced no issues even with ASS. I believe Merc's after sales and service is a mixed bag.

Though I've only heard good things about Volvo's ASS.

[autobalan]

Thats an excellent initial ownership report on Volvo XC60.Some of your experiences really surprised me, like Volvo India Head replying your mails and Dealer is offering test car for few days.Volvo makes really competent cars and better in terms build quality/safety than German trio but they never get the publicity. I have driven S60 and XC60 and felt they better built than new Merc's. They have some interesting facts like roof is made of Boron steel which withstands 5 times weight of car, means you will safe in a rollover accident, all models are imported from Belgium, still cheaper than German trio. But people have a wrong perception that Volvo's are expensive than Germans.
Anyway, Great car, Kudos!

[Gannu_1]

First off, congratulations!

Someone had posted on a random thread (I can’t seem to trace it now) that the insurance quotes on Volvo vehicles are substantially lesser than those quoted for Audi, Merc and BMW vehicles. That was news to me! IIRC, the poster mentioned that this was because Volvo cars involved in accidents going for insurance claims were rare. I am not sure if this is entirely correct though. Which insurance have you opted for and what was the quote?

The dealership seems very nice - they lent you the test drive car for a week and you drove it for 350 km! I haven’t heard others being so kind. Did they do it out of their interest in selling you a vehicle or did you know them personally?

And I spotted the HU remote on the rear bench in one of the snaps. Is this the one:



That finish though! *drool*

Please do post some snaps of the instrument console with different displays and colors. Looks very Tron’ish.

Congrats once again and drive safe!

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Rs 56 lakhs

Got you a CBU? To think of it, the Q5, Q7, GL, ML, X3, X5 are assembled locally.

[amansanc]

Congratulations sir on owning an understated beauty. The car looks absolutely stunning. Much much better than the competition. And the fact that its a CBU with better quality of workmanship at a lower or almost equal cost makes it only better
Wish you lots and lots of trouble free miles with the car.

@Gannu_1: The insurance part was mentioned in the other Volvo XC60 review thread that went live a few months ago. The reason is that Volvo has pedestrian safety system too. It has an airbag under the bonnet. Insurance companies charge a lower premium because of that. The premium is about 40% lesser than vehicles of the same segment from other brands.


Cheers
amamsanc

[vb-saan]

Congratulations Narayan! Lovely car, and very well-written review. Please do update the thread regularly, and do add in a few more pictures

Originally Posted by drmohitg

BTW when is the new XC60 coming up? I heard that the whole design language is going to get more aggressive just like the XC90.

Volvo cars normally normally go an extended run before the new generation model is introduced. XC60 is into its 7th year and I guess it will go on for another couple of years before the next gen comes through. After XC90, the next-in-line should be the S80.

Even though the XC60 has been there for a while, it still looks very elegant and modern. Age has not really caught up with this model

Originally Posted by amansanc

@Gannu_1: The insurance part was mentioned in the other Volvo XC60 review thread that went live a few months ago. The reason is that Volvo has pedestrian safety system too. It has an airbag under the bonnet. Insurance companies charge a lower premium because of that. The premium is about 40% lesser than vehicles of the same segment from other brands.

AFAIK, the pedestrian safety airbag came with the V40, and not on the models before that. And if I remember correctly, even for the V40 Cross Country, the feature did not come through in the India spec model.

The lowered insurance premium for Volvo cars should be due to the array of other safety features incorporated (like the city safety).

[Santoshbhat]

Nice review there. There's a real dearth of reviews of Volvos on T BHP and it is refreshing to read one of the XC60. I did read up quite a few online reviews and came to the conclusion that the XC60 was a credible alternative to german option of the X3, Q5 and the ML250 once you look beyond the badge value.

I had summarised its strengths to be good ride, quality interiors, good reliability, fantastic front seats, class leading safety, obscure brand value (an advantage for me) while its weaknesses are slow auto box (relative to its competitors), dated interiors, not as entertaining to drive as the German competition. The last weakness was mentioned in almost every review and it bothered me quite a lot.

I have three questions for you

1. Since you don't like to drive fast, why did you opt for the D5 over the D4. I believe the D4 variant now sports an 8 speed auto. Did you TD the 8 speed D4? Does it shift faster than the 6 speed AT box of the D5?
   
2. How comfy are the rear seats when compared to the Superb?
   
3. If you were to seat three adults at the back, would they feel a lot more comfortable than sitting in the Laura?

Lastly some pictures of the instrument console would be nice.

[Turbo_asd]

Congrats on acquiring your beauty. Volvos indeed have a unique charm about them, something that no other can match. Pity they lack badge value and are severely under rated in India.
Your first requirement: a comfortable and safe car- it can't get better than a Volvo.
I remember reading some stories written by accident victims whose Volvos were involved in it. They sang praises of its safety features and go to the extent of saying that if not for their Volvo, they would not even be alive to recall their experience!
Wishing you many(guaranteed) safe miles on your XC60 .
Do post more photos to satisfy my greedy eyes!