Volvo XC60 R Design is an Excellent Long Distance Cruiser

The Volvo XC60 R Design model boosts the XC60′s already sporty aura and gives the car an even more refined character in terms of both driving experience and design. For Swedish performance aficionados who remember the Volvo R sedans and wagons from the ’90s and early 2000s, Volvo’s recent Volvo XC60 R Design packages left much to be desired.

Despite the company’s storied rally history, Volvo seems to have eschewed building its line of Volvo XC60 R Design vehicles into street-legal racers in favor of simply creating design packages that give the company’s sedans, crossovers and hatches some much-needed attitude.

The Volvo XC60 is a car that has already carved out a solid market share in the premium sport crossover segment and with its muscular curves and sharply contoured tail lamps. Now, the new Volvo XC60 R Design specs gives the car an even more purposeful and bold appearance.

Somewhere a pale yellow 850R wagon may be cracking a smile, though, as the Volvo XC60 R Design mark the return of power upgrades to the Volvo fold. However, as our experiences proves, SUVs and sportiness do not often good bedfellows make which is why we approached the Volvo XC60 R Design with some caution.

Rather than increase power, those add-ons were being limited to stiffer suspension bits, flashy wheels, and sporty feel to the Volvo XC60 R Design interior and exterior trim. Already the most entertaining Volvo steer in some time, the rest of the Volvo XC60 R Design includes the addition of a front strut-tower brace, monotube rear dampers, stiffened and lower springs all around, and stiffer rear suspension bushings.

The Volvo XC60 R Design is Volvo’s lightweight, Scandi take on Merc’s AMG or BMW’s M-Division, adding a frisson of performance – at no detriment, of course, to the Massive Amounts of Safety Stuff – to its strait-laced range. Though the Volvo XC60 R Design misses out on any engine upgrades, it gets tartly styling, smart leather and, most significantly, a stiffer chassis and sharper steering.

The Volvo XC60 R Design chassis is stiffer, features stronger damping and has more distinct driving properties – without compromising ride comfort; all passengers can still enjoy a long and pleasant ride on any type of road surface. The new Volvo XC60 R Design, more direct steering gear also significantly contributes to the driving experience.

The faster steering response gives the Volvo XC60 R Design driver more alert feel and more precise communication with the road surface. This in turn builds up confidence to push the car to its limits and fully enjoy the sporty capabilities of the Volvo XC60 R Design performance.

The Driving Impression Volvo XC60 R Design

The Volvo XC60 R Design engine is smooth, responsive and quiet and perfectly suits this prestige-segment SUV which perhaps has Buckley’s chance of seeing dirt under its tires. Though the Volvo XC60 R Design gets sports suspension with stiffer springs and different dampers, the ride is never harsh.

However, while it looks like a sporty SUV, after driving in the Volvo XC60 R Design road tests only a few miles it’s clear the car is anything but. Volvo says the Volvo XC60 R Design suspension has been firmed up but not lowered, to maintain what off-road abilities the standard car has, but the difference is barely perceptible.

In corners, the Volvo XC60 pitches and rolls, while an overly light but quick steering rack and a loose manual gear change mean there are few incentives to push on. The trade-off is a supple ride, making this Volvo XC60 R Design an excellent long-distance cruiser.

2012 Volvo XC60 R-Design Review