Volvo V60 Review

Volvo has long understood the appeal of a good estate car, and the V60 is a very modern example of that tradition. It looks crisp and expensive without trying too hard, and it offers the sort of day-to-day usefulness that many SUVs still struggle to match once you look beyond their high driving position.

This generation of V60 arrived in 2018, but Volvo’s recent updates and the reintroduction of the car to the UK line-up have helped keep it relevant. The current line-up centres on the B4 mild hybrid petrol and the T6 plug-in hybrid.

That does mean there is less breadth than there once was, but it also makes the V60 easier to understand. The mild hybrid is the straightforward, do-it-all choice, while the plug-in hybrid is there for buyers who can charge regularly and want lower fuel use, stronger performance and a more electrified feel around town.

The regular V60 is the focus here. Volvo still offers the V60 Cross Country, which adds extra ride height, chunkier styling details and a slightly more rugged flavour, but that is best thought of as a niche spin on the formula rather than the core V60 line-up.

Where the V60 scores especially well is in the way it combines different strengths. It is comfortable, refined, spacious and premium-feeling, but it is also tidy enough to drive and attractive enough to make more obvious alternatives feel a little ordinary. That all gives it a breadth of appeal many rivals would love to have.

For most buyers, the Volvo V60 B4 mild hybrid in Plus trim is likely to be the sweet spot. The 197hp petrol engine is strong enough to suit the car well, and the mild hybrid set-up keeps things simple if you do not want the added cost and charging routine of a plug-in hybrid.

The T6 plug-in hybrid makes sense if you can charge at home or at work and your typical journeys are short enough to make use of its electric range. It is also very quick, which gives the V60 a surprisingly effortless feel.

Trim-wise, Plus is the most sensible point in the range because it gives you the richer equipment count many premium-estate buyers will want, without pushing the price as hard as the higher-spec alternatives.

The current Volvo V60 range starts at £45,210 for the B4 mild hybrid and rises to £52,765 for the T6 plug-in hybrid.

That means the V60 is not a cheap way into estate-car ownership, but then it is not trying to be. This is a premium-badged, design-led family estate, and its pricing puts it right into the same conversation as cars such as the Audi A5 Avant and BMW 3 Series Touring.

The Volkswagen Passat Estate is one of the clearest alternatives if you want a big, polished family estate with a more straightforward value case. It does not have the same badge pull as the Volvo V60, but it is roomy, comfortable and very easy to justify.

The Audi A5 Avant is another key rival if you want something premium-badged with a smart cabin and strong all-round ability, while the Skoda Superb Estate remains the space-and-value benchmark if outright family usefulness is the priority.

The BMW 3 Series Touring is still the driver’s choice in this class, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate is also worth a look if you want something plush and badge-led. If you want the tougher, raised-up interpretation of the same idea, Volvo’s own V60 Cross Country is the obvious in-house alternative.

The Volvo V60 is exactly the sort of car that reminds you why estates still make so much sense. It is low enough to make loading easy, long enough to swallow bulky luggage and spacious enough inside to work properly as a family car.

Space in the front is generous, with plenty of headroom and legroom, and the broad range of seat and steering adjustment makes it easy to get comfortable. The cabin also feels airy thanks to the glass area and the relatively low-set dashboard.

Rear-seat room is strong by class standards, especially for legroom. Adults fit comfortably in the back, and the V60 feels more genuinely family-friendly than some sleeker-looking alternatives. The middle seat is still the least inviting spot, as it tends to be in this kind of car, but the outer two are properly comfortable.

The boot is one of the V60’s biggest strengths, but it depends on which version you choose. The mild hybrid offers up to 648 litres, while the plug-in hybrid drops to 519 litres because of the battery packaging.

That makes the B4 one of the biggest cars in this class for luggage space. Its 648-litre boot is larger than a BMW 3 Series Touring at 500 litres, comfortably ahead of an Audi A5 Avant at 476 litres, and well clear of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate at 490 litres. The Volkswagen Passat Estate and Skoda Superb Estate still go larger, so the V60 is not the outright class champion once you include the biggest non-premium estates, but among premium-badged rivals it is one of the strongest cars here for outright luggage capacity.

The T6 plug-in hybrid’s 519 litres changes that picture slightly. It still matches or beats several premium alternatives, and it remains more practical than many SUVs, but it gives away a useful chunk of space to the battery. In other words, the mild hybrid is the one to choose if boot space is a major priority, while the plug-in hybrid remains good rather than outstanding by estate-car standards.

The load area itself is also well thought out. The opening is broad, the floor is flat and there is the kind of long, square load bay that makes an estate much easier to use than a taller but more awkward SUV boot. Fold the rear seats and the V60 becomes even more versatile.

The Volvo V60 measures 4,778mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,427mm high. That makes it large for a mid-size estate, which goes a long way to explaining its generous cabin and boot space.

It is not a small car, but it never feels cumbersome. In fact, the relatively low body and good visibility make it easier to place than many SUVs of a similar footprint.

The V60 has recently been updated with Volvo’s newer Google-based infotainment software and the new Volvo Car UX. It still centres on a portrait-format touchscreen, but the system is now quicker, more responsive and easier to live with than earlier versions.

Google Maps integration is a particular strength, and the built-in services feel well embedded rather than tacked on. The updated Snapdragon-based platform also helps the system feel much slicker than older Volvo infotainment set-ups.

The downside is that Volvo still leans heavily on the touchscreen for routine functions. It looks clean and modern, but buyers who prefer more physical controls may still find it less intuitive than the more conventional layouts used by some rivals.

Material quality is strong. The V60 cabin still feels premium enough to take on Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz without embarrassment, and the Scandinavian design gives it a different mood to the usual German choices.

Depending on trim, you get a tasteful mix of wood, metal-look detailing, soft-touch surfaces and neatly judged upholstery choices. It all feels carefully assembled and built to last.

The current V60 line-up is much simpler than it used to be.

The B4 is the straightforward choice. It is quick enough to suit the V60’s polished character, and it avoids the extra cost and complexity of the plug-in hybrid.

The T6 is the more dramatic option. It combines strong pace with useful electric running, which means it can feel both more relaxed and much quicker than the mild hybrid depending on how you use it. If you keep it charged, it also makes the V60 feel a great deal more modern around town.

The V60 is a very accomplished estate to drive. It handles poor surfaces well, keeps body movements in good check and settles down nicely on faster roads. This is a car that feels built for long journeys, and it is one of the main reasons the V60 remains so appealing.

It is not quite as entertaining as a BMW 3 Series Touring, but it is composed enough to be satisfying on a good road and comfortable enough to make a lot of day-to-day rivals feel less polished. That is a hard balance to get right.

Wheel size still matters. Larger alloys bring more fidget, and sportier versions can feel firmer, but the V60 generally rides with the sort of maturity buyers in this class will appreciate.

Refinement is another strong point. Wind and road noise are well contained, the B4 is smooth enough in normal use and the plug-in hybrid is especially hushed when it is running on electric power. The V60 has the kind of quiet, expensive-feeling cruising manner that suits its premium positioning very well.

The Volvo V60 earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2018. It scored 96 per cent for adult occupant protection, 84 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road users and 76 per cent for safety assist.

That is backed up by a strong safety story in the car itself, with standard features including autonomous emergency braking, lane assistance and Volvo’s broader suite of driver-support systems.

The B4 mild hybrid returns up to 44.8mpg officially, which is a respectable figure for a premium petrol estate of this size and performance.

The T6 plug-in hybrid looks far more dramatic on paper, with official fuel economy of up to 470.8mpg and an electric range of up to 60.9 miles. As always with a plug-in hybrid, those headline figures only really make sense if you charge regularly and keep most of your shorter journeys within the battery’s range.

Charging the V60 T6 from empty to full takes around three hours on a 16A two-phase supply according to Volvo’s current figures, which makes it easy enough to top up at home if your set-up suits it.

Volvo covers the V60 with a three-year / 60,000-mile warranty, which is about par for the premium class rather than generous.

That means the V60’s appeal rests more on its design, comfort and quality than on any obvious ownership-cost advantage over rivals.

Insurance groups are fairly high, as you would expect for a premium estate. The current-style V60 range runs from group 32 for the B4 mild hybrid up to groups 42 to 43 for the plug-in hybrid versions. That means the V60 is not a cheap family estate to insure, and the T6 will carry a clear premium over the regular petrol.

From the second year onwards, a Volvo V60 costs £200 a year in standard VED form.

The bigger issue is the Expensive Car Supplement. Because the current V60 range starts above £40,000, all current versions attract the extra £440 a year from years two to six. That means a new V60 costs £640 a year to tax over that five-year period before dropping back to the standard rate afterwards.