2022 Volvo CX 60 B6 AWD Mild Hybrid Review: Better than Good

As the title suggests, Volvo’s XC 60 has the get up and go to match good looks and value.

Some might argue that our test price of 92 grand is steep, but, set it against Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar, and the story changes completely. “Are you saying Volvo is in the same class as BMW,” I hear you cry? Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying.

Let’s have a look at this objectively:

We’ve used Volvo’s excellent Google operating system before, and can say without question, that it is vastly superior to Mercedes and BMW. It is easier to use, especially by voice, and is fully integrated into the car system.

No matter which function you pick, it is easier. There are one or two little glitches here and there, for example the previous function doesn’t always resume if you send a text (using Siri). CarPlay isn’t available as yet, but Hey Siri still works if your phone is in the console where it can hear you.

Adding favourites to car radio is as easy as going to the list and hitting the “Star” against the station title. You can unselect the same way, even if you’re already in the “favourites” page.

You can ask the car to take you home, and it will. And if you’re signed into your google account, it will show in the HUD as directions. You can keep the annoying voice turned off, and listen to some nice ambient music streaming from Spotify. Both the Spotify and Google maps will then work even if you are out of cell range temporarily, once the route is active or list selected.

Best of all, the Google assistant will interact with anything connected to your account, such as home automation.

Fast Facts HERE: Volvo XC60 B6 R-Design EIQ89Q fact sheet as tested

This Week: 2022 Volvo XC 60 B6 Review and Google OS Demo Full REVIEW

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Matrix Lights:

I know I’m always banging on about Matrix LED lights, but once you’ve had them, everything else is camping. Check out the video where our dashcam footage shows how good it is, even around town and/or on the freeway.

The Exterior:

If you want bling, XC 60 isn’t for you. It is unassuming and understated elegance as only the Scandies can manage.

21” wheels are overkill, but by god they look good. They fill the wheel arches with a bunch of testosterone that even the girls loved.

The rear tailgate is electric with foot operation and inside are a couple of buttons to raise or lower the air suspension for easy loading. The suspension also has an entry/exit mode. It subtly changes the height to allow ingress/egress sans contortion.

The Cabin:

Although XC 60 isn’t in its first flush of youth, the cabin is delicious. The dark and brooding theme is a mix of quality material with some having real wood. The metal trim is classy, and XC 60’s optioned with seat cooling have perforated nappa leather.

The dash is all digital, and an HUD puts relevant data in the windscreen that appears to float at the end of the bonnet in your line of sight.

Our XC 60 B6 R Design is top drawer and it feels it.

You can’t out your finger on any one thing, but as a whole, the effect is tasteful. Materials feel quality. The plastic feels soft, and where it is hard, feels like quality. Leather and metal looks like it was hand crafted, old school.

The is a little ticket holder on the front pillar for parking tickets, but I kept forgetting to use it.

There is a special key that can be programmed not to exceed a certain speed, perfect if a leadfoot borrows your wheels.

Comfort:

After setting the seats and mirrors, there are 2 memories to keep your preferences. The front bolster and lumbar controls are on the same dial down by the rest of the seat controls. You can extend the bolster for extra thigh support, then tilt the seat back so that you can cruise in comfort.

Climate control has 4 zones, and a graphic shows air quality, which the Volvo has stripped of pollutants. There is no smell, even in the nastiest of tunnels.

Rear seats have tons of room, and the outer seats have pads that can be raised for small humans.

It might sound strange to mention here, but there is a space saver spare. Nothing is less comfortable than waiting on the side of the road for a man in a van to come rescue you. Every time it has happened to me, it has been either raining, freezing cold, or after midnight. Services are provided by local auto clubs, so expect a very long wait during periods of high use. You’re in the same pot as everyone else wanting roadside assist.

The Volvo Concierge service:

We tried this service, and the only things they could assist us with was calling roadside help, or with car functions. Other such services have been able to send directions to our navigation, book tables at eateries, and help with finding parking. Volvo might want to smarten that end up a little.

The Drive:

If a 2.0L 4-cylinder sounds a bit limp, keep in mind the is electric assistance via the mild hybrid system. 220kw/420Nm is oodles, and goes to the AWD system through an 8-speed automatic.

She is a hefty lassie, at 1186kg, so the 0-100 sprint of 6.2 seconds is stunning to say the least. Economy for our week was nearer 10L/100k than the claimed 8.0L/100k.

Air Suspension ride was decent and could be firmed up for spirited cornering. Handling was stunning for a tall, heavy wagon and our Old Pacific Highway descent through the sandstone cliffs was a revelation. It changed direction like a cat-on-carpet.

You may have noticed months of flooding and torrential rain that has turned our goat tracks in to even worse goat tracks. Ride over mild damage was a little less than limo-esque but nothing could detract from a joyous experience.

We’d like to have gone further, and XC 60 would me a great tourer.

Volvo goes to considerable effort in winter and off-road testing. You don’t get a lot in the way of drive modes so the car is sorting itself out with clever electronics.

The shift-by-wire gear lever is a bit of an odd-bod, you have to make sure that you’ve given it 2 pushes or pulls to get in to reverse or drive. Manual is another pull back, there up and down is a side-to-side affair. There are not steering wheel paddles, and the side movement doesn’t feel natural.

The smart cruise system has lane centering and the AEB seems to have a psychic ability to protect the driver in in all directions at most speeds, and when lane changing.

Volvo used to send teams to accidents in Sweden. They’d take the real-world data and use it to make their cars better, and to find out performance was as designed. That attention to detail makes me feel very safe indeed.

Conclusion:

Volvo deserves to be at the table when it comes to buyer lists.

Buyers seem to consider the Germans to be superior, and while that is a matter of opinion, it is one based more on marketing than reputation. That’s not to say one is “better” than another, only those buyers should choose for themselves after an extensive road test.

Price: From $69,490
XC 60 B6 R-Design: $82,490
As Tested: $91,840
Engine: 2.0L 4-cyldiner Petrol with E-Charger (mild Hybrid)
Power: 220kw/420Nm
Trans: 8-Speed Auto
Econ: 8.0L/100k
CO₂: 182g/k