Skip advert
Advertisement

2019 Volvo XC60 review - design

It’s a premium mid-sized SUV, so unsurprisingly popular, but is Volvo’s XC60 actually any good?

Evo rating
RRP
from £43,845
  • Solid, comfortable, safe and sophisticated, executed with a Swedish flair that now defines modern Volvos
  • Only really advisable as a cruiser; it just gets worse the sportier you spec it

Design

Contrary to many rivals, Volvo’s on a bit of a design roll at the moment, and the XC60 is no exception, with a cool, clean aesthetic that looks expensive yet not intimidating. The clean surfaces are driven by a subtle curvature lacking in the bigger XC90. Its shared platform with the 90 also drives the 60’s chunky, almost cartoonish proportions, with a relatively long bonnet and large wheels in proportion to the overall footprint.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Pretty much all models look good though, and whether on small wheels and with simple body styling, or the biggest 22-inch wheel option and sporty body styling, it always looks right. Compared to the dull German competition, this is a revelation, and the XC60 has no problem living up to the strong price points of the higher-end models.

Those top-spec Polestar Engineered variants pick up a bespoke wheel design, gold brake calipers, black design elements and a unique grille. Although the effect is subtle, it’s just about distinctive enough to make it feel special, even if that’s not something that can be said for the driving experience.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The Mercedes C63 is getting the axe, but not for the reason you’d think
Mercedes AMG C63 S E Performance
News

The Mercedes C63 is getting the axe, but not for the reason you’d think

Just a few years since its launch in 2022, Mercedes-AMG’s controversial plug-in hybrid C63 looks to be getting the axe alongside numerous other models
11 Dec 2025
Latest Rocketeer Mazda MX-5 will best the Ferrari F40 on power-to-weight
Rocketeer MX-5
News

Latest Rocketeer Mazda MX-5 will best the Ferrari F40 on power-to-weight

Rocketeer’s been stuffing V6 engines into MX-5s for a few years now. Its operation is now expanding
11 Dec 2025
Genesis G90 Wingback teases a possible BMW M5 Touring rival
Genesis G90 Wingback
News

Genesis G90 Wingback teases a possible BMW M5 Touring rival

Genesis wants to expand its Magma brand into ‘a spectrum of typologies’ that includes sports cars, convertibles and apparently super estates
10 Dec 2025