[psispace]

Received these in the mail as promised (after a long wait)







No issues so far

30k service coming up soon. I will update once it gets there.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by psispace

No issues so far

30k service coming up soon. I will update once it gets there.

Doctor, looking forward to reading about your service experience - Narayan.

[psispace]

Doctor, looking forward to reading about your service experience - Narayan.

Hi V. Narayan.

She (The Volvo) had crossed 30k recently but no service indicator came up. This is perhaps because of my low running (I stay close to the hospital I work in and she stretches her legs only in the weekends); and the fact that I had last serviced in February / March.

The manual says 12 months or 30,000km for D5 engines. But this can vary with engine running time also. Traffic jams are fortunately not yet very common in Kochi. So drives are more or less smooth, except at weekends and busy junctions which I tend to avoid.

Fortunately no glitches so far. The engine is running as sweetly as ever. I have got used to the 'Polestar' acceleration and am thoroughly enjoying it on the highways.
No electrical gremlins or DIM issues yet.

P.S. Sales of Volvos have really picked up in Kerala. The new XC90 is sold out till next year. The 12th one is already delivered. S60 D4 Summums are having good demand. They are planning to bring in the XC90 T8 hybrid too next year. The S90 that you were interested in May come out in March 2016.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by psispace

Hi V. Narayan.

She (The Volvo) had crossed 30k recently but no service indicator came up. This is perhaps because of my low running (I stay close to the hospital I work in and she stretches her legs only in the weekends); and the fact that I had last serviced in February / March.

The manual says 12 months or 30,000km for D5 engines. But this can vary with engine running time also. Traffic jams are fortunately not yet very common in Kochi. So drives are more or less smooth, except at weekends and busy junctions which I tend to avoid.

Fortunately no glitches so far. The engine is running as sweetly as ever. I have got used to the 'Polestar' acceleration and am thoroughly enjoying it on the highways.
No electrical gremlins or DIM issues yet.

P.S. Sales of Volvos have really picked up in Kerala. The new XC90 is sold out till next year. The 12th one is already delivered. S60 D4 Summums are having good demand. They are planning to bring in the XC90 T8 hybrid too next year. The S90 that you were interested in May come out in March 2016.

Joining the club - put the down payment for a Petrol V40 cross country T4 yesterday. Loved the drive and the suprisingly brutal acceleration of the 1.6 GTDi. The 6 speed ford soured powershift box is really quick in comparison to the D5 torque converter. Now waiting for the loan formalities to clear. Hope this ends up a happy experience till the end. The Volvo guys in bangalore have been extremely supportive and helpful so far.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by psispace

Hi V. Narayan.

She (The Volvo) had crossed 30k recently
Fortunately no glitches so far. I have got used to the 'Polestar' acceleration and am thoroughly enjoying it on the highways.


P.S. Sales of Volvos have really picked up in Kerala. They are planning to bring in the XC90 T8 hybrid too next year. The S90 that you were interested in May come out in March 2016.

Thanks for the update. Delighted the young lady is running to her masters commands. What is 'Polestar' acceleration. If they bring the Volvo S.90 hybrid it will be a mouth watering attraction for me. My XC60 D5 AWD is approaching its first birthday and 13k mileage. I have commissioned my daughter, who is a professional photographer, to cover the old lady inside out for a big photo post. My daughter has consented provided I don't stand there giving her instructions. Happy motoring Doc.

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Joining the club - put the down payment for a Petrol V40 cross country T4 yesterday. Loved the drive and the suprisingly brutal acceleration of the 1.6 GTDi. Hope this ends up a happy experience till the end. The Volvo guys in bangalore have been extremely supportive and helpful so far.

Welcome to the club. Please share photos when she arrives and share your experience. Maybe you tell the Volvo guys that they have a reputation to live up to and you are sure they will do so.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Welcome to the club. Please share photos when she arrives and share your experience. Maybe you tell the Volvo guys that they have a reputation to live up to and you are sure they will do so.

Thank you! Will put up a complete review once I receive the car.

[psispace]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Will put up a complete review once I receive the car.

Wish you a hassle free delivery experience !
Can't wait to see your car in this forum
And yes, once again, hearty welcome to our group!

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thanks for the update. Delighted the young lady is running to her masters commands. What is 'Polestar' acceleration?

That was just my phrase, describing the more renewed vigor with which she gathers up speed, after the Polestar upgrade.

I have commissioned my daughter, who is a professional photographer, to cover the old lady inside out for a big photo post. My daughter has consented provided I don't stand there giving her instructions. Happy motoring Doc.

I foresee loads of wonderful images coming up on your thread.
Best luck to your daughter and you!

[nidhinsarath]

Hi, I'm in search of a new luxury car and my short list included
Benz C / E
VOLVO D5 Inscription
BMW GT LL
I test drove all vehicles and I was very impressed with volvo. Benz C had rear seat leg room issues and a cramped cabin space. E is comfortable but it is soon planned for a complete upgrade. I test drove VOLVO today after trying out other three vehicles. I was quite impressed with performance. Can you guys please give a long term ownership report of this vehicle. I'm seriously conserved about the reliability and service issues. How is maintainence costs? The usual service cost for a periodic service is 13-15 k and brake pads close to 10k. Is it true? Are volvos really cheaper to maintain?

[psispace]

Originally Posted by nidhinsarath

Hi, I'm in search of a new luxury car and my short list included
Benz C / E
VOLVO D5 Inscription
BMW GT LL

Quite a diverse range in that list there. All different classes of vehicles and different price range. Except for the C and the D5 I guess (I am assuming it is the S60 D5).

I test drove all vehicles and I was very impressed with volvo. Benz C had rear seat leg room issues and a cramped cabin space. E is comfortable but it is soon planned for a complete upgrade.

The rear seat leg space of the present gen Merc C and Volvo D5 are near similar. But the design, ergonomics and comfort of the Volvo seats creates a feeling of space. Better thigh support and well contoured (apparently designed consulting Spine Surgeons) seats keep you more relaxed. The leather on the Inscription models are also of a very high quality.

I can definitely vouch for the front seats on long drives. I felt fresh even after driving for 12 hours once. My back was fine (only my head was heavy from the stress of traffic). However, my father who is chauffeured in a Camry, prefers the rear leg space in that car to my Volvo's contours.

Two of my relatives own a present and previous gen E class respectively. As far as rear seat is concerned, both are definitely better due to the added space. But the fun to drive factor is missing. E classes are all about relaxed cruising. Unless you opt for the 350d models which are a lot more expensive.
The 2017 E classes will be in a different league with S class like interiors.

I test drove VOLVO today after trying out other three vehicles. I was quite impressed with performance. Can you guys please give a long term ownership report of this vehicle.

Until 3 years ago, there weren't may Volvos on our roads. Its' only 5 years back after the XC60 and S60 were released that sales started picking up. So, there aren't many ownership reports to go by at present except for a few here at Team BHP. If you haven't already read them, the ones I know of are listed below.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ummum-awd.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ms-update.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...vo-s60-t6.html

As for my car, nearly 5 years and 34k on odo, I have no regrets. Shes' still running smoothly despite the abuse that our bad roads throw at her. I do not plan to sell this car anytime soon either.

I'm seriously conserved about the reliability and service issues. How is maintainence costs? The usual service cost for a periodic service is 13-15 k and brake pads close to 10k. Is it true? Are Volvos really cheaper to maintain?

More or less, True!
Service costs will come to around 15k including oils and labour. And yes brake pads are 8 to 12k. But as with cars in this class, parts are expensive. This can be circumvented by availing extended warranty though.

Accessories are however, super expensive. For example, a reverse camera add-on will cost you around a lakh for the hardware and software. If you don't have front parking sensors on your car, that will cost another 50k. Although you can do without front sensors, the reverse camera is highly recommended.

If you don't run into major mechanical issues ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ne-seized.html),

and don't splurge on accessories; Volvos are indeed less expensive to maintain.
Generally, most owners have had good service experiences and unfortunate occurrences like the one above are few and far between.

All the best and Happy Shopping
And if you indeed decide on buying one, don't forget to join our Volvo Whatsapp group

[psispace]

Service indicator finally came up:

The 5th routine service since 2011 was rather uneventful.
Car was picked up early morning and delivered same day in the evening.

Routine maintenance came to around Rs. 7000.
This excludes engine oil (Castrol Edge) - Rs. 7500.

I was surprised by the thickness of the front brake pads. I did not feel the fade. These were replaced (just in time fortunately) - Rs. 8500.
Relievingly, there is no noticeable change in braking after replacement.





So the total service cost this year came to around Rs. 25000.

The Volvo dealership here is heard to be changing. Hope the new dealers keep up to the predecessor's reputation. The good news is the new service and sales center is to come closer to were I stay. And the earlier service team is planned to be retained.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the future.

[nidhinsarath]

Originally Posted by psispace

So the total service cost this year came to around Rs. 25000.

The Volvo dealership here is heard to be changing. Hope the new dealers keep up to the predecessor's reputation. The good news is the new service and sales center is to come closer to were I stay. And the earlier service team is planned to be retained.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the future.

Any more info about the new dealership? When i visited the showroom 2 weeks back, they didn't give a clue about this.

[psispace]

Originally Posted by nidhinsarath

Any more info about the new dealership?

It is said to be the Indel group (Palakkad).
Will officially be transferred over the next 6 months or so.

When i visited the showroom 2 weeks back, they didn't give a clue about this.

I guess they can't announce it to us until its official. And they have to ensure business continuity at the same time I guess. Most of the team are said to be retained. I have no personal info on this group except that they have recently entered the automotive sector.

The website still shows MGF as the dealer. They may not have updated the website, or they may be waiting for the official transfer themselves.

Best to confirm with them personally nidhinsarath.

[littlebrother]

hello psispace, I'm considering on volvo s60 D5 inscription a 2015 model vehicle, 6speed auto box variant. what would be your take on this buy considering the updates in the current 8 speed auto box and forthcoming engines for the newer volvo's ? Still a good buy? is there any considerable lag with this 6 speed?

[psispace]

Hi littlebrother

Thanks for waking me up
I was a bit caught up with changes at my workplace. Hence the hibernation.

The D5 ( in the 2.4 guise) is an older engine and mated to a previous gen 6 speed auto (Geartronic). But it is in no way unrefined. Especially with a Polestar upgrade which is an option.

The D4 is a newer engine in Volvo's line up of 2L displacement engines in various states of tune. In the S60 its around 180bhp.

Although the D5 seems to have more power on paper (215bhp), the difference is not noticeable in everyday city driving. In fact, the D4 is more city friendly. In slow moving traffic, you will find the D4 more comfortable, as the newer gearbox and lesser torque will make it more driveable and less 'jerky' in stop-start traffic.

Not to say that the D5 is undriveable in the city. I have been living with it for 5 years. That too in Kochi of all places. I did find it a bit unnerving initially in slow moving traffic, but slowly, I got the hang of it. With the Polestar upgrade, it has become a lot smoother and driveable.

The other thing to consider is mileage. Some Volvo owners regularly get excess of 20kmpl in long drives on the D4. I get max 16kmpl, but thats with very restrained driving.

If you want stopstart tech, D4 is the only option. However, most owners switch it off. They leave it on only to check if its working. However, it is quite unintrusive and will work only with certain predefined parameters. eg; if the ambient temperature is high, it will not cut off to ensure the AC keeps running. It will not cut off if the battery charge is not adequate either.

The D5 is definitely a louder engine. The D4 is actually quite silent which adds to its feeling of refinement. The D5 is especially quite loud on downshifts. In kickdown, it just sounds manic. This can be a good thing, or may be embarrassing, depending on your mindset. For me its' a good thing when I'm out of town and people don't know me. In town, its' sometimes a bit embarrassing.
To put things in perspective, I gave a colleague a test drive recently. I asked him to check it out in sports mode. The cacophony it made on the highway was enough for vehicles in front to give way. However, he found it quite impressive and compared the sound to his relative's Porsche Cayenne. He felt that sound is very addictive and if this was his car, he would always drive like this in sports mode.

The older D5 will be phased out in the future. But its reliability and popularity has ensured it is still around in 2016 as an option. Hence, I wouldn't worry about spares and service for atleast a few more years.

The newer D5 (2L version) is not yet available on the S60. At least not in India. Even when it comes, it will be different in character to the present one.

If a relaxed engine, mileage and present day engine tech are your priority, then its the D4 for you.
If you want a more aggressive engine, slight increase in performance on highways and are willing to go for a Polestar upgrade, then its' the D5 for you.

I suggest you test drive both versions back to back. Make sure you include city and highway drives in your test. Only then will you feel the difference. After all, in the end its' all about perception.

I noticed in your handle that you are located at Bangalore/Kochi. So if you need a test drive of my car in Kochi, you can PM me.

Cheers and Happy shopping.

[littlebrother]

Thank you psispace, for the prompt response and the very well written and updated thread which i have been reading repeatedly religiously for the past two days. I have been trying to figure how to pm you from the beginning and that's when i found that a newbie can't send pm's

We are looking this car only for the highway drive purpose and mostly for two occupants, my parents. First time shopping into premium sector as all these while my father preferred to maintain two vehicle long drive vehicles and a small car for city purpose all being under 30 lakhs range. After mine and my brothers persistence and his priority for an automatic performance diesel this time around, the s60 D5 has come into the picture.

I would really like to get in contact with you and discuss regarding the same whenever you're free. Expecting a pm from you with your contact details? (sorry for the trouble)

Yes we are put up at Kochi and would be happy to join your Volvo club if everything goes well