Swinging Sixties
Volvo describes the latest 60s range as “new”. That’s pushing the envelope a tad; the vehicles aren’t really completely new and there are no mechanical changes to the range – so we would describe the vehicles as “face-lifted”. Having said that, they do incorporate a number of significant changes.
But, before we get to those changes, a brief description of the make-up of the 60s range. Essentially, it comprises three model derivatives: the S60 sedan, V60 sportswagon and XC60 sports utility vehicle (SUV). All three of these derivatives boast a new exterior that is reminiscent of a good facelift – you know the person has had work done but they have been subtly enhanced rather than completely resculptured. In the case of the cars, they now have much stronger lines, giving the vehicles a more purposeful look. This is especially the case with the XC60. The designers aimed to give it a more urban look; they wanted to take it out of the forest and put it into the city. I think that this has been achieved; while it still looks rugged and determined, the vehicle also looks like an elegant and trendy urbanite.
Yet another noticeable change is the exhaust. The Volvo designers are really proud of the 5mm gap around the exhaust pipes – and they should be. Instead of hanging around below the car’s butt, they look as though they’re part of the car.
While the exterior has been tweaked, so too has the interior, which boasts new upholstery colours, new wood inlays, a new headliner, and silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls. Again, it’s not a radical change but rather a subtle enhancement – and the end result is a much more inviting, cosseting interior.
While many of the improvements to the latest 60s range are cosmetic, there are a number of technological enhancements too and, in typical Volvo fashion, many of these offer safety benefits. For instance, there are new systems to protect pedestrians and cyclists, while the cars have a really fancy new feature called Active High Beam Control. You know how you have to keep switching between low and high beam while driving at night? That’s a thing of the past with the 60s range; with Active High Beam Control, you can leave the lights on full beam all the time. When another car approaches from the opposite direction, the system automatically shades out part of the light, so the oncoming driver isn’t blinded. We didn’t get a chance to test this feature on the launch (we only drove during the day) but the powers that be at Volvo assure us that it works quite brilliantly.
Another feature worth a mention is the key. Each vehicle comes with two keys – and each can be programmed differently. So, assuming the vehicle is driven by two different people, they can each store their own seating, side mirror positions, as well as preferred digital display theme (elegance, eco or performance). Volvo is constantly crowing about its vehicles being “Made for You” – or individualised. And this is just one of the ways in which it is delivering on that promise.
PRICING
S60 sedan – from R329 600
V60 sportswagon – from R340 500
XC60 sports utility vehicle (SUV) – from R464 800
Text: Charleen Clarke