The 2009 Volvo XC60

It was probably inevitable that Volvo would get into the compact SUV business. It is one of the fastest growing areas of the car market. Volvo’s first entry is the 2009 XC60. This is an SUV that is based on their successful line of station wagons, which should tell you something about its ability as an off-road vehicle. However as a way to get the family around town it is outstanding. Surely this will be just the first of many SUV’s from Volvo.

One of the fastest growing segments of the car market is the premium compact SUV, so clearly it is no surprise that Volvo have made an attempt to enter the market. The 2009 Volvo XC60 is their first attempt at building a compact SUV and for the most part it has been a success. Of course it would have been hard for them to not be successful since they are well known for building quality cars. In fact most compact SUV’s are nothing more than a different body on a car chassis. Therefore if you are producing a good quality car the SUV that you build out of the same chassis and with the same engine is likely going to be a success as well. This is the case with Volvo. The XC60 is based on the company’s successful station wagons.

Of course a compact SUV is intended primarily for city driving, nobody really thinks that you can take one of these vehicles off-roading. In this respect the Volvo XC60 performs very well. The six cylinder engine delivers lots of power and it is easily controlled with a six speed automatic transmission. The XC60 has all of the features that you would expect on a luxury vehicle like a navigation system. The XC60 is clearly aimed at the family market with lots of room inside. The people who used to buy station wagons now buy compact SUV’s; this is why Volvo got into the market in the first place. Therefore it is important to make sure that you provide the customer with all of the features that they would expect on their station wagon and this is something that Volkswagen does very well.

One thing that Volvo is well known for is the safety of their vehicles. They include all of the standard features like front and side airbags. However where they really shine is when it comes to preventing accidents. This includes things like a collision avoidance system, and anti-skid system and traction control. Clearly Volvo are firm believers that the best way to survive and accident is by not getting into one. This is something that they have worked hard at over the years and have done quite successfully. Volvo deserve their reputation for building some of the safest cars on the road and this is something that continues with the 2009 Volvo XC60.