2016 Volvo XC60

The XC60 has plenty to offer anyone who climbs in. The handsome interior holds up well against more expensive rivals from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus. The comfortable front and back seats and numerous entertainment features will be appreciated by the entire family, especially on long trips. The available driver assistance features are a great addition that will help keep everyone safe.

• "The XC60 offers room for up to five passengers with a level of comfort and luxury that can rival well-established competitors from Germany and Japan. The dashboard boasts soft-touch materials, leather and real wood trim." – Left Lane News
• "As with other Volvos, the XC60's cabin is defined by modern yet inviting design indicative of its Swedish homeland. The shape of the 'floating' center stack and available real wood trim are particularly distinctive, and there's certainly no mistaking the XC60 for anything else in the segment. Another Volvo hallmark is the sublimely comfortable and supportive front seats." -- Edmunds (2015)
• "All of the vehicles contending in this class have attractive, comfortable interiors, and the XC60 measures up well in that regard. The front seats-heated, cream-and-black leather-clad in our example-are heavenly, the sound system is first-rate, and there are plenty of connectivity options." – Car and Driver (2015)

Seating and Cargo

When people hear the word "compact," they sometimes assume it means cramped, but the XC60 will certainly change some minds in this regard. It seats five and has one of the more comfortable interiors in the class. Slide into the front seats and you'll notice that they provide plenty of support, and you'll remain comfortable even while crossing several state lines on a road trip. And for those in colder climates, the available heated steering wheel will certainly be a welcome addition.

The rear seats manage to impress as well. You may be familiar with cramming into a back seat and having your knees dig into the front seat, but you'll find no such issues in the XC60. The rear seats also have ample headroom, allowing you to sit up straight instead of hunched over.

Volvo once again thinks of the children with its seat design, and parents will love the available integrated child booster seats in the back. They pop up out of the seat bottom, allowing children to sit higher and more safely while riding.

To the delight of frequent travelers, the XC60 has a maximum cargo capacity of 67.4 cubic feet thanks to the split-folding rear seats, which allow you to haul larger items while still leaving room for the kids to sit in the back seat. That's above-average cargo space for the class and plenty of room for a weekend's worth of luggage or larger fare. An available power liftgate lets you open the hatch without leaving the driver's seat.

• The contrasting colors on the doors and seats are attractive, and the seats themselves are extremely comfortable, and perfect for long road trips. That is, once you've got the awkwardly placed lumbar support positioned better; the manual control is hard to operate." – Kelley Blue Book
• "The rear seat is particularly roomy as smaller crossovers go, with a high seat cushion, above-average headroom and decent legroom for adults. Unfortunately, the seatbacks do not recline, but parents and kids alike will appreciate the available integrated child booster seats that pop up from the seat bottom." -- Edmunds (2015)
• "Fold back down the versatile 40/20/40 split rear seat and you'll enjoy 67.4 cu ft of cargo space -- a robust figure for a vehicle of this type." -- AutoTrader (2015)

Interior Tech

The XC60 has a below-average starting price for the class, but it still offers plenty of tech features. The Sensus infotainment system comes standard and gives you plenty of connectivity options. It includes Bluetooth and a USB port, allowing you to charge your phone and sync it to the vehicle. Smartphone app integration allows you to use your favorite phone apps on the infotainment system, and there's even a Wi-Fi hot spot so you never have to worry about an internet connection, even while you're on the go.

The XC60 has several features that you can control without taking your eyes off the road for too long. Adjusting climate settings is a piece of cake. All you have to do is look at a picture of a seated human outline and select the region(s) of your body where you want more air flow. The available voice-activated navigation system is a nifty co-pilot in unfamiliar areas, allowing you to input addresses and route preferences without taking your hands off the wheel.

The XC60 fills your entertainment needs as well. Standard satellite radio ensures that you'll never be bored on your commute, and audiophiles will love jamming out with the pristine sound of the available Harman Kardon audio system. For parents who are worried about keeping their small children occupied on car rides, the available dual-screen, rear-seat entertainment system could turn out to be a lifesaver.

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• "We love Volvo's clever ventilation control, which uses a seated human silhouette to indicate where you want airflow to go; tap the head for your upper body, legs for foot-wells, etc." – Kelley Blue Book
• "The audio system's phone-style number pad and surrounding buttons may look a bit antiquated in the luxury class these days, but they're simple and make controlling basic stereo functions easy. For more complicated tasks like selecting a media player playlist, programming the optional navigation system or controlling more complicated vehicle functions, the XC60 relies on the standard Sensus system. It, too, is fairly easy to use and similar to competitor systems, though the multipurpose knob's location on the dash (rather than the center console) is not ideal." -- Edmunds (2015)
• "… the sound system is first-rate, and there are plenty of connectivity options." – Car and Driver (2015)

Safety Tech

Volvo is routinely one of the first stops for car-shopping families who are concerned with safety, and the 2016 XC60 won't fail you in that regard. People who regularly drive through busy neighborhoods or cities understand that crowded streets can be just as dangerous as high-speed highways.

You won't have to worry about neighborhood children running into the street thanks to City Safety, which is standard on the XC60. City Safety automatically applies the brakes to help you avoid low-speed collisions. The XC60 offers collision warning with cycling and pedestrian protection to help you avoid inattentive pedestrians. It also has an available front blind view camera, which helps you see around corners to avoid pulling out into oncoming traffic.

If you and your family frequently take long trips, you'll appreciate the XC60's available driver assistance features. Blind spot monitoring helps take the guesswork out of changing lanes, and lane departure warning and driver drowsiness monitoring can alert you if your attention starts to wander.

• "Volvo's City Safe system acts like an extra pair of eyes and feet. At speeds of 19 mph or less, the system detects stopped or slow-moving objects - cars or pedestrians - and automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not, avoiding or reducing the severity of accidents." – Kelley Blue Book