Volvo XC60 D3 AWD SE Premium Start/Stop 5dr Car Review - January 2012

A relatively soft and smooth ride, the Volvo XC60 D3 AWD SE Premium isn’t exactly speedy, but it does glide evenly and feels very safe to drive. Built with top-quality materials, the manual 6-speed 4x4 copes extremely well with long journeys. Because of its D3 status, this version of the Volvo XC60 can withstand heavy loads with ease making it ideal for family holidays and carrying pets.

But it is slow. Compared to the T6 and D5 models it is a rather tedious drive, not at all ideal for the boy racer. Though it has the same 20 valve, 5-cylinder, 2400cc diesel engine as the Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE Premium, it only reaches a top speed of 121 mph, contrasting vastly with the D5s 127 mph.

With a torque figure of just 309 lb-ft at 1500-2500 rpm, and a ps of 163 at 4000, it goes from 0-60 in a painful 10.4 seconds.

Really it is built with long-distances, heavy loads and safety as key factors over speedy performance, but at least the engine is more quiet and peaceful than the fiercer versions.

With regards to looks and features, the D3 is similar to the Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE Premium. Sleek and stylish with a muscular body, it looks good for a 4x4.

With a roomy cabin and soft, subtle interior, the Premium Volvo certainly feels luxurious to sit in. The supportive seats are ideal for long journeys, the rear seats being raised slightly so children have better visibility. Leather upholstery is also an option for a further £970.

The small 4x4 has five doors making it practical when placing small children into the car, dogs or luggage. The boot has 1455 litres with the seats down and 495 litres with the seats up, so there is plenty of room to carry the heavy loads not only with ease but with comfort to the surrounding passengers.

The Volvo XC60 D3 AWD SE Premium features power-steering, alloy wheels, DSTC stability control, central locking, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control and rear-parking sensors as standard. It also has bluetooth, cd system, and mp3 connectivity, again making it ideal for entertaining kids on long journeys.

The Volvo XC60 is incredibly safe. Like the D5, the D3 has an overall 5 star Euro NCAP earned from the 5 star NCAP rating for occupants, 4 star for children and 2 star for pedestrians. With a 3 year warranty or 60,000 miles it is inevitably built-to-last.

A diesel engine with a tank capacity of 70 litres allows the Premium XC60 to go long distances without too many stops to refuel.

If the main deciding factors when you’re buying a car are its safety and reliability ratings, then £33,875 is great value for money. Disregarding the fact that the engine purrs rather than roars, the Volvo XC60 D3 AWD SE Premium is definitely good value for money. Not only is it practical with lots of entertaining and handy features, but it’s incredibly reliable and strong body will last many family holidays.

Despite the fact that it can withstand heavy loads emissions for this car are 149g/km, which places it in tax band F, so it is one of the less expensive XC60s to run, perhaps making up for its lack of speed.

All in all it’s not a bad car. But if you do want a vehicle with similar reliability statistics but with a bit more grunt, the Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE Lux Start/Stop 5dr is possibly a better option, and at £36,250, it’s still one of the less expensive XC60s.