AWD SUV $65,000–$125,000

Volvo XC60 D4 Inscription

For the last couple of years, Volvo has provided genuine competition to the German and British offerings in the premium SUV market. This year, the XC60, like the XC90 before it, has taken out this prestigious class.

Think ‘SUV’ and you probably think ‘gas guzzlers’, but the finalists all have relatively fuel efficient 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines with eight-speed automatic transmissions to make the most of the small capacities and keep them in their RPM sweet-spots to maximise responsiveness and efficiency.

Gone are the boxy Volvos of the past and both the internal and external styling of the XC60 are elegant and very much in keeping with the overall brand design shared with the XC90. The cabin has a very upmarket feel, with a mix of woodgrain panels, leather and brushed metal accents, and intricately cut speaker grilles and shaped air vents.

A customisable, dash-mounted, tablet-like screen provides the driver with a main access point to the XC60’s systems, such as the infotainment system and driving controllers. Physical buttons are limited to demisters, hazard lights, music navigation, volume and a home button for the touchscreen.

The quality of the seats, both in their materials and comfort, is class-leading and the engine start/stop is next to the drive selector and operated via twisting a knob. Pioneering safety technology is nothing new for Volvo, and this vehicle follows the tradition of the first-generation XC60, which was the first Volvo to get autonomous emergency braking as standard nearly a decade ago.

The new XC60 has a collision avoidance assistant to help the driver in making evasive manoeuvres, and oncoming lane mitigation, which steers the vehicle away from a potential head-on crash. It also has intersection collision avoidance that automatically applies the brakes if the driver turns in front of an oncoming vehicle.

The all-wheel-drive system is fitted across the range and driving was surprisingly smooth.

On the bitumen you aren’t really conscious that you’re driving an SUV and would swear you’re instead driving a well-behaved and competent handling sedan. Off-road it didn’t do as well as some in the mud and dirt undulations, mainly due to its city road tyres quickly clogging up and making traction difficult. However, even off-road you feel cossetted in the quiet, safe and comfortable cabin of the XC60.

Living with the XC60 is simple and convenient. There’s a user-friendly tailgate that opens with the swipe of a foot under the bumper. And, while not having the cargo space of the larger XC90, it does have ample storage space.

The XC60’s lower price made it the best value package in the class. As an extremely drivable vehicle with a comfortable and luxurious interior, the judges just kept piling on the scores to have it winning ahead of its larger and more expensive sibling.