(Image: Volvo)
After 9 years of waiting Volvo introduced on Tuesday morning at the Geneva Auto Show 2017 the second generation of its mid-size crossover truck XC60.
The first generation of the Volvo XC60 stood out from the outset for its beautiful design of delicate but forceful lines that made it, in the eyes of many including this writer, the best Volvo design in decades as well as one of the Most beautiful crossovers of those days. But when the first Volvo XC60 came to light Barack Obama was not yet president and Volvo was part of the portfolio of brands of the Ford Motor Company. A century in automotive years.
Volvo took its time in replacing the Volvo XC60, and at first glance it looks like the wait was worth it .
(Image: Volvo)
Volvo is experiencing a renaissance in design similar to the one Audi experienced 10 years ago. The Swedes have given their models a very particular flavor and the new XC60 is the latest expression of that streak. In fact Volvo had no choice but to hit a home run with the XC60 , after all this truck will compete nothing less than with vehicles as established and prestigious as the Audi Q5, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Jaguar F-Pace or The Porsche Macan. At least visually we already know that he succeeded.
But Thomas Ingenlath, Volvo's senior vice president of design, insists that "the XC60 is not a pickup designed to see others under the shoulder but to be driven." With such a declaration of intent to Volvo, it was better for him to respond with technology at the same time as the beautiful design and to judge by his recent efforts, they have to do it.
As with his older sister the XC90, the new Volvo XC60 features a trio of powertrains based on its scalable architecture. The first of them uses as heart the turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-liter we have already known in the Volvos XC90 and S90 while the second is powered by turbocharged and supercharged version of the same engine . Volvo has not revealed yet the power figures of these two engines under the hood of the Volvo XC60. The third, called 'T8 Twin Engine' is, as the Volvo followers have already intuited, a plug-in hybrid power train . The 'T8 Twin Engine' system is capable of generating a combined power of 400 horsepower and accelerating to the new truck from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds . How things have changed when the more powerful options are also the ones that less pollute and spend less fuel. Long live progress.
(Image: Volvo)
Volvo honors its traditions by endowing the new XC60 with an impressive battery of safety systems and an architecture that judging by the results of the preliminary crash and frontal crash tests is so, and probably safer and more resilient than the Volvo of the past that earned the Swedish manufacturer an enviable reputation as a builder of safe cars.
The XC60 will also feature Pilot Assist, Volvo's semi-automatic driver assistance system , capable of accelerating, braking and steering the vehicle autonomously at speeds up to 80 miles per hour on well-marked tracks. With the Pilot Assist activated, the driver can enjoy a little more along with the passengers of the beautiful cabin of the Volvo XC60 and of the info-entertainment system and connectivity Sensus of Volvo.
Volvo has already confirmed that we will have access to the XC60 over the next summer when we can see to what extent the Swedish manufacturer fulfilled the promises implicit in the presentation of this exceptionally beautiful crossover. The new XC60 will begin to be built by the middle of next April at the Torslanda plant in Sweden and should reach our shores next fall.
Source: univision
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