Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium Geartonic 5dr Car Review - January 2012

The Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium is definitely a fun and exciting car to drive. With 299 bhp at 5600 and torque figures of 324 lb-ft at 2100-4200 rpm, the Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium gives an impressive performance and great driving quality.

The automatic has a 2953 cc, 24 valve 6-cyclinder petrol engine. Like the T6 AWD R-DESIGN, the Lux version of the XC60 T6 has clearly built with a driver in mind, as it can go from rest to 60 in just 7.3 seconds, and has a top speed of 130 mph. Something many cars of the same class can not match.

On top of this, the weight is distributed between the front and rear axles for optimal balance and a smoother drive.

A compact version of the XC90, the Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium has long muscular lines and a sleek shiny body. A bolder grille and more distinctive shoulders set it apart from the rest.

Of course the Lux version has the ultimate interior. Volvo’s are known for their amazing quality as it is, but the XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux takes it to a new level. Five soft, plush and squashy leather seats and an airy cabin trimmed lavishly with the best quality material, the XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux is designed not only to feel spacious and roomy, but to give a sense of royalty too.

It is also ridiculously well equipped with features such as Blue tooth, MP3 connectivity and a CD system. The only downside is that the SAT-NAV is too fiddly and confusing.

Power-steering, alloy wheels, DSTC stability control, central locking, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control and rear-parking sensors also come as standard to the Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium.

A 5 star NCAP for occupants, 2 Star NCAP for pedestrians and4 star NCAP rating for children gives the small 4x4 a fantastic 5 Star Euro NCAP overall. This proves that the luxury T6 is not only trimmed to perfection, but designed for maximum safety too.

The Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium’s rear seats are higher than the front two, which helps improve the children’s visibility and as a result makes them feel safer. The two outer seats can also be specified with two-stage booster cushions for further ease and comfort.

The boot itself is very practical, allowing up to 1,455 litres of load space with the seats down and 495l with them up, giving plenty of storage space for long-distance journeys.

Like most Volvo’s, the Xc60 T6 AWD SE Lux Premium has a 3 year warranty or 60,000 miles, suggesting Volvo’s trust in the reliability of their designs.

At £41,160 the Volvo XC60 T6 AWD SE is the most expensive car in the XC60 range, but then you cannot expect it to be cheap considering it is a Lux Premium design. For a luxury car that gives a smooth drive and has a pretty good engine for its size, the price isn’t too bad.

If you are looking for a car that can double as a practical family car and a luxurious road cruiser, then you would certainly be getting you moneys worth with this particular XC60.

It does however, emit 249g/km of CO2. With quite a big petrol engine for this hefty chunk of 4x4, an insurance group 36 and Tax band L, the running and insurance costs are hefty.