Completely blown away by the introduction of the new S60 last year, I was keenly awaiting the arrival of its estate sibling.
I couldn't help but wonder how Volvo could maintain the solidity, balance and looks of the S60 in the longer and arguably more practical V60.
With Volvo's stunning D5 engine, the performance for a diesel is still nothing short of stunning, with incredible flexibility right through the rev range and the perfectly matched gear ratios allow for driving styles from the sublime to... well, the less reserved, shall I say. This combination allows for virtually any driving style to be accommodated and yet still being able to offer incredible fuel economy. 420 miles left the fuel gauge not very far below the halfway marker. Absolutely incredible!
A round trip to Bedruthan in Cornwall was going to offer a bit of everything while driving this fantastic and sleek looking car. It goes without saying that motorway cruising was absolutely effortless, with the only requirement just about all of the way being that of pointing the car in the right direction. The adaptive cruise control keeps you at the speed you want, but if Joe Bloggs in front is blocking your lane, there's no need to even switch the cruise control off as the sensors on the front of the car integrate with the controls to bring you to the same speed as Mr Bloggs until he decides it's time to let you by. Once the Volvo sees clear road ahead again, it's back up to speed. Even on the short single-carriageway stretch over Bodmin, with a huge Asda artic. Doing 45 in front, I didn't need to touch a thing. It's all very relaxing and very reassuring too. If the lane drift warning and collision warning are switched on too, then this must surely be one of the safest cars on the road today. EuroNCAP's recent award of a 5-star rating backs this up resoundingly.
Inside, the same as in the S60, the upholstery is sumptuous leather, with an apparently infinite range of adjustment for the driver's seat. Despite its low profile, once seated it is very supportive, and extremely comfortable. Overall visibility is good and the parking sensors again make everything that little bit easier when squeezing into tight spaces. The climate controlled ventilation ensures the atmosphere inside remains fresh throughout your journey, all helping to keep stress levels at a minimum.
However, all things considered on the driving, comfort, economy, gadgets and features fronts, this is one absolutely beautiful car too. It is sleek, streamlined, refined and smart. The black and chrome on the model I drove made it really look the part. It's a real black-tie job in amongst the smart casual.
I found the Volvo V60 very hard to fault and, all things considered, this new model from Volvo offers value for money in bucketfuls. It would suit almost any type of user from the busy executive to the young family, and seeing the build quality, I'm sure it would offer decades of service to any proud owner. If all the above sounds a bit over-enthusiastic and unobjective, don't be mistaken. In terms of what a car can offer for the money, in my experience I really don't think I've driven anything that can match or beat the newest V60 and S60 models.
Nigel Crawford
May 2011 |
The Volvo C30
