2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E Review, Specs, Price

Volvo XC60 has been out for a few years now, and we always thought hard for a sleek exterior style, stylish cabin and its exciting driving dynamics. Of these, the characteristic attributes disguise what is still a reasonable vehicle with plenty of comfortable space for family and versatile features, plus excellent crash test scores.

For 2015, the Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E become more exciting thanks to the new four-cylinder engine that brings energetic acceleration and good fuel economy in its class. Help the latter is an eight-speed automatic transmission and automatic stop-start system surprisingly smooth, that even though the model is only available in front-wheel-drive.

Price and Features

The 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E is a five passenger compact crossover SUV offered in four sub-trims: base, Premier, Premier Plus and Platinum. It’s sold in to the U.S market with price range MSRP from $36,200.

Standard equipment for the 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E base includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED running lights, automatic headlights, front and rear foglights, roof rails, automatic wipers, heated mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, driver memory functions, eight-way power front seats, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 40/20/40-split-folding rear seat, T-Tec fabric upholstery, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, an eight-speaker sound system with a CD player, HD radio, satellite radio, a USB/iPod audio interface and an auxiliary audio jack.

The 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E Premier add a panoramic sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, an auto-dimming mirror, rear privacy glass, configurable digital gauges and leather upholstery. The 2015 XC60 T5 Drive-E Premier Plus adds power-folding mirrors, a cargo cover, a rearview camera, power-folding rear headrests, a power liftgate, a pop-up trunk-mounted grocery holder and a folding front passenger seat. The Platinum sub-trim adds auto-dimming exterior mirrors, interior accent lighting, a navigation system and a 12-speaker surround-sound audio system.

The 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E SUV also offers the Climate package that adds interior air quality system, washer nozzles, heated steering wheel, windshield, heated front seats and rear seats. The Sport package adds 20-inch wheels and sport front seats. Stand-alone options include adaptive bi-xenon headlights, rear child booster seats with power child door locks and a dual-screen rear entertainment system.

The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) package adds cross-traffic alert, a blind-spot warning system, front and rear parking sensors. The Technology package adds a frontal collision warning system with fully automatic braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection with fully automatic braking, a driver-inattention warning system and lane-departure warning.

Engine and Safety

The 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E SUV is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are standard. For performance, Volvo estimates the 2015 XC60 T5 Drive-E will accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds. The 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E also features with an automatic stop-start system that shuts down the engine to save fuel when you stop in the traffic light. EPA estimates fuel economy stand at excellent figure, 24 mpg city/31 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined.

Standard safety features for 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E SUV includes antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, front seat side airbags, whiplash-protection front seats and full-length side curtain airbags. Also standard is Volvo City Safety system, which automatically applies the brakes that engages at speeds of up to 30 mph when the car detects that a collision is imminent.

In brake testing, an 2015 XC60 with 20-inch wheels and summer tires came stop from 60 mph in 118 feet, which is a respectable distance for this class. In government crash test, the 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E get five-star rating for overall, frontal and side crash protection. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, 2015 XC60 received the best possible rating of good in all test, an rare achievement.

Interior

Like other Volvo models, the 2015-E XC60 T5 Drive cabin described by modern design but has the feel of Sweden. The form of a floating center stack and real wood trim is very distinctive, and of course very comfortable and supportive front seats.

Direct dual-temperature adjustment and ‘mode men’ pictogram make climate control adjustments easy and simple. Audio system telephone style number pad and surrounding buttons may look a little old-fashioned in the luxury class, but it makes controlling the basic stereo functions become easy to do. For more complicated tasks such as selecting playlists, optional navigation system or control vehicle functions, 2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Drive-E using standard Sensus system. It is also quite easy to use and similar to a competitor system, although the location of the versatile button in dash not ideal.

For a small crossover, the XC60 T5 Drive-E rear seat is spacious, with high seat cushions, head space above the average and decent leg room for adults. Unfortunately, the rear seats do not lie, but the parents will appreciate the available integrated child booster seats. For cargo affairs, versatile 40/20/40 split rear seat can be folded in different ways. Maximum cargo space stands at 67 cubic feet, which is a good number for this class.