Spa Treatment

Volvo’s Best-seller Gets Full Swedish Deep-tissue Rejuvenation

- Frank Markus

The last Volvo XC60 we had in a 2015 Big Test comparison came off as a bit creaky and outdated, which was to be expected for a SUV in the sixth year of its model cycle. It deservedly finished last. We knocked its interior for a low-mounted and wonky infotainment interface, lackluster-luxe touches, and its propensity to squeak. It had enjoyed a heart transplant that very year—upgrading to today’s Drive-E 2.0-liter super/turbo engine, but the integration felt a little half-baked. The new eight-speed automatic’s shifting logic and quality drew criticism, and because the new engine was only available with front-wheel drive that year, it suffered torque-steer reminiscent of a turbocharged Chevrolet Cobalt SS. At least all-wheel drive quelled the torque steer in a 2016 test car.

For 2018, Volvo’s global best-seller (over 1 million served!) ditches its ancient Ford EUCD/C1-Plus architecture in favor of a chopped and channeled version of the 100 percent Swedish-engineered Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). A little brother to Motor Trend’s 2016 SUV of the Year, the XC90, the new 2018 Volvo XC60’s wheelbase gets bobbed 4.7 inches while track and body widths contract about a half inch compared to the XC90. The weight also is about 285 pounds lighter, when comparing five-seat versions of the two SUVs.