Volvo XC60: Luxury Driving, Affordable Price

Newly redesigned XC60 turns heads

Indisputably, Volvo is an innovator when it comes to building safe vehicles. Years before government mandates required that certain safety features be included, the Swedish automaker was at the forefront of a technological evolution which brought three-point safety belts, enhanced child booster seats and side impact protection systems to today’s cars.

SUV Competition

An area where Volvo once trailed the competition was in the development of sport/utility vehicles, having not introduced its first model, the XC90, until 2002. At that time chief competitors such as Mercedes, Audi and BMW were well entrenched in the market, but the XC90 quickly became a hit and is currently Volvo’s most popular selling model worldwide.

For an encore, Volvo introduced the five-passenger XC60 for 2010, a smaller car-based SUV (crossover) model that competes against the likes of the BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Lexus RX350, and Cadillac SRX. Powered by a standard 3.2L V6 or optional 3.0L turbo-charged T6 engine, the XC60 is paired with a six-speed “geartronic” transmission that can be operated in either automatic or manual mode.

Uniquely Styled

Outside, the XC60 continues the “tall wagon” appearance of other Volvo models including the XC70. Wide shoulders, a wedge profile and the ubiquitous Volvo nose and trademark grill blend to form an attractive, well-balanced crossover.

Massive taillights rise from either side of the rear and up to the roof, offsetting a large centered brake light.

Inside, the Volvo XC60′s interior is clean, spacious and nicely appointed, featuring a fresh and ergonomically friendly dash layout. Audio, cabin comfort and navigation controls can be found in the center stack with saddle leather and brushed aluminum treatments adorning the interior.

Safety features abound including torsional rigidity, roll stability, traction control, comprehensive airbag system and head restraints for all. The XC60 has a solid look, feel and drive to it, inspiring confidence to all that this crossover lives up to its reputation.

Smart Storage

Storage is plentiful thanks to the XC60′s wagon-like cargo area which doubles capacity when the rear seat is folded down. Rear seating passengers, by the way, will discover that the XC60 offers plenty of shoulder and legroom for taller riders.

Perhaps what is of interest to most customers is City Safety, Volvo’s automatic braking/collision avoidance system which automatically stops the XC60 when traveling at speeds of 18 mph or less and when a collision with the car in front becomes apparent. Embedded infrared sensors located in the upper windshield constantly monitor the distance between both vehicles, automatically stopping your crossover if a crash is likely. This standard feature alone is a strong Volvo selling point for a car with a base price of $32,995 ($37,200 with the all wheel drive T6 engine package); low 40s fully equipped.

See Also — Edmunds: 2010 Volvo XC60 Review

It’s Official: Chevy Orlando Has Been Canceled

The US market will not see the seven passenger Chevy Orlando after all. GM has announced that this multi-purpose vehicle, based on the Cruze platform, will be sold in Europe, Asia and Canada, but not in the United States.

Line Up

Rumors had been flying that GM was looking to rejigger the Chevrolet line up especially as its expected-to-be popular Cruze compact hits the market in the next few months and the electric Volt comes on line in November. Chevrolet has been doing all of the heavy sales lifting for GM, carrying as much as 70 percent of the automaker’s share of US car sales.

Autoweek says that the reason for the Orlando’s cancellation has everything to do with what is already in the Chevrolet product portfolio as well as models to come. Chevrolet has been seeing strong demand for the Traverse and Equinox, two other crossover models. A third crossover line might end up siphoning sales from these models with Chevrolet satisfied that their current product mix offers enough choices for families.

Concept Model

First introduced as a concept at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, the Chevy Orlando has yet to go into production. When it does, it’ll be assigned to serve those other markets. But don’t think for a moment that the Orlando will stay away from the US market completely: with Ford expanding its own crossover line to welcome the European C-Max, GM could end up reversing itself down the line.

The Old GM might have gambled (and lost) with the Orlando’s debut, but the New GM is being much more cautious.

Chevrolet Korea

Speaking of Chevrolet, GM announced last week that the Chevrolet brand will be introduced to the South Korean market in 2011. GM Daewoo will be in charge of marketing Chevrolet, a brand that has been enjoying success in a number of Asian markets of late including China.

One of the first models to be sold in South Korea will be the Camaro, a model many Koreans are familiar with thanks in part to its role in the Transformer movie.

Hyundai Santa Fe: New and Improved

Midsize sport utility vehicles are a dime a dozen. Or at least it seems that way. Mostly ever car manufacturer offers at least one model, a segment featuring SUVs with two or three rows, typically seating 5 to 7 passengers.

The Santa Fe is also part of the sub-segment of vehicles known as crossovers. These SUVs ride on a car chassis, in this case the one underpinning the Hyundai Sonata, instead of a truck chassis as traditional SUVs do. With crossovers you can get optional all wheel drive capabilities, but as far as off-road work light duty is as far you would dare to go with these models.

Late Arrival

For 2010, Hyundai gave the Santa Fe a mid-cycle refresh, a late one at that. The 2010 model was introduced in January, months later than when new models are usually introduced. Thus, EPA gas mileage figures have only been posted for the base trim package.

The first generation model was introduced in 2000 for the 2001 model year, with the second generation Santa Fe rolling out six years later. Now midway through its lifespan, the Santa Fe enjoys several important tweaks including the following:

• Exterior updates including changes to the grille, fog lights, bumper, and body trim. New wheels are evident, available in 17- or 18-inch sizes.

• On the inside, the third row option is no longer available, which will put the Santa Fe at a disadvantage to similar vehicles including the Toyota Highlander. Third row passenger space was limited anyway as the Santa Fe is smaller than its competing models.

• Where the Santa Fe lacks in passenger seating, it gains in entertainment as the Hyundai now includes a number of important features such as audio controls on the steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB iPod interface. Seats have been upgraded and if you choose higher trim level packages, a power driver’s seat is available as are heated seats.

• Under the hood, the Santa Fe has two new engine choices. A more efficient 2.4L I4 engine is now standard while a 3.5L V6 is optional. The base engine with standard trim is paired with a six-speed manual transmission while all other trim and engine packages include a six-speed automatic transmission.

According to the EPA, the base engine with manual transmission returns 19 mpg city, 26 highway. Fuel economy figures for other trim levels should be released within the next week or two.

Safety Upgrades

Last but not least are a number of safety upgrades including active head restraints for the front seats, antilock brakes and traction control, and rollover sensors which work to deploy the side impact airbags when needed.

Source: Hyundai Motor America