Volvo XC60 Premium Compact SUV

Volvo are sticking to their own philosophy about building high quality, safe, executive cars. But I'm not going to talk about performance models right now, or how diverse Volvo's line-up is compared to, say, BMW's - because the Germans still have an upper hand. This article is about quality and about how people have started to realize that Volvo cars are actually quite brilliant.

If you've never driven an XC60 before, you seriously need to get your behind to a Volvo dealership and try one out. I'm not saying this because of the XC60's Ferrari Scuderia-like handling, since it's a regular compact SUV from many points of view. But what you do need to experience is the extraordinary attention to detail, the spacious cabin, the excellent ride and the overall feeling you get while behind the wheel.

Everything you'd want from a premium compact SUV, the XC60 delivers. You seriously need to get it on a race track in order to find out how exactly a BMW X3 or an Audi Q5 will out-perform it from a dynamic perspective. Otherwise, you really get a sense of a level playing field if all you're doing is sitting in traffic, driving on motorways or going off-road... Occasionally.

Heck, its 230 mm ground clearance is superior the that of many, larger SUVs. Of course, I'm not just going to go around praising it without also throwing some numbers at you - since they hardly ever lie.

With a new generation set to come up for air in 2016, I can't help but wonder if Volvo can actually keep dominating this segment for the next couple of years. Who's going to challenge them? The new Mercedes-Benz GLC & GLC Coupe? The same people that appreciate the XC60 now, would definitely avoid something that's possibly less practical and definitely more expensive.

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