3 May 2012
No substitute for safety
After a ten year absence from New Zealand, Auckland recently had the pleasure of hosting the start to leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean race. It is well known as being the greatest test of sailing prowess and human endeavour on the ocean. This leg of the race had Kiwis flocking to Auckland’s Viaduct to catch a glimpse of the sail boats and to welcome the competitors to NZ. The race sponsors know how to put on a good show and attract followers from around the world, and Volvo would certainly welcome the same reception when launching new motor vehicles onto the market.
The Scandinavian motor company has always been regarded as the manufacturer with safety credentials. With so many manufacturers catching up in terms of safety, will this be enough to stay attractive in a booming market of SUVs?
The motor company has committed to not having any deaths or injuries in their cars by 2020. This commitment has brought on more standard safety equipment being fitted to their cars, which normally would be optional extras. The XC60 has benefitted from the innovative City-Safety feature as standard equipment, which helps to avoid or minimize an accident with other vehicles at speeds of up to 30km/h. This feature will reduce the number of inconvenient insurance detail exchanges being made with other drivers at shopping centre parking lots.
A touch of class
The T5 is the new kid on the block for the XC60 family, it boasts a 2.0L GTDI (Gasoline Turbo-charged Direct Injection) engine bolted to an automatic six speed Powershift transmission, better known to you and me as a Dual Clutch Transmission. Benefits of using the Dual Clutch Transmission are clearly noticeable, with the quick and smooth gear changes. Unlike the rest of the XC60 range, the new sibling drives the front wheels only.
In the driver’s seat you are welcomed by an array of buttons located on the centre console. The console features a floating design that brings the controls closer to the driver for a more commanding position. The centre console and the interior door handles have been given an aluminium treatment, which adds to the sense of sophistication in the cabin. The seats and the four spoke steering wheel have been nicely wrapped in leather. Thanks largely to the good quality soft materials used for the interior finishes, there is a sense of luxury and calmness in the cabin.
The audio system has DVD, MP3, Bluetooth Connectivity, AUX and USB sockets. There’s also a seven inch colour screen, with steering wheel audio controls for easy operation while driving. Other features include reversing camera with park assist sensors, convenient dual level child booster seats at the rear, electric parking brake, cruise control, auto wipers and climate control air-conditioning.
The rear seating has a 40/20/40 split configuration which gives you enough options when tackling bigger loads. There are 495 litres of load space available with the rear seats in an upright position, and 1455 litres with the seats folded down.
Cross Country in a two wheel drive
The 2.0L, four cylinder engine produces 177kW of power and 320Nm of torque, while averaging 8.5L/100km fuel economy and 198g/km CO2 emissions. At $69,990 the T5 is $10,000 shy of the D5 2.4L diesel model which also boasts an AWD configuration. If you can resist ticking too many option boxes, the two wheel drive T5 is a good alternative for those not needing to go bush, and manages to save a big chunk of money too.
The T5 comes standard with seventeen inch alloy wheels, upgradable to two eighteen inch options. The front suspension is coil over struts with multi-link independent rear suspension, with anti-dive anti-lift function and anti-roll bars fitted to the front and rear.
Passive safety features include the driver and passenger frontal airbags, curtain airbags and front seat airbags. Active safety features include Dynamic Stability Control, Roll Stability Control, EBD, ABS and EBA.
Most buyers will be attracted by the safety status Volvo is renowned for, but the good looks and exemplary engine, won’t go unnoticed either.