When most people think of Volvo, they think of boring, box shaped vehicles, that are a safe buy. But this is beginning to change, as Volvo recognized that you can have a safe car with dangerously good looks.

 

This may not be at the top of most college students' shopping lists, as certainly only a few college students with established trust funds can afford one. Realistically, most students will be getting this car as a hand-me-down from their parents in a few years.

 

The model we tested was about as close to base as one could get. It featured halogen headlamps, and it only featured the cold weather package.

 

Design

As far as the exterior is concerned, Volvo has come a long way from its boxy 850 and 240 sedans, with this new XC60 having a look that is neither boxy nor pretentiously curvy. The XC60 features a high belt line that is made to give occupants the feeling of being in a larger vehicle and it also gives an impression of implied safety.

 

Out front, the 2010 XC60 is the first Volvo to show the company’s new design language. The large trapezoidal grille with the Volvo iron mark gives this vehicle a more aggressive stance. Flanking the grille are two lights, known as “DNA lights”.

 

These “DNA lights” help identify this vehicle as a Volvo and improve its down the road graphics. These types of lights are not new to the industry as BMW created this feature in the mid 1990’s with their “halo eye” park lights and Audi began adding their “Egyptian eyeliner” LED markers a couple years ago.

 

Long story short, Volvo “DNA lights” reinforce “V” shaped styling cues that can be seen in the grille, on the hood, and at the rear of the vehicle.

 

Speaking of the rear, the Volvo XC60 features a design that is very close, and in my opinion, better than the XC60 concept car revealed in 2007. LED’s and light piping flank the tailgate, and create a modern look that brings cool and tranquil thoughts to the mind. Combine this with the small circular dots in the plastic surrounds and this is a feature you could find yourself staring at for hours.

 

Below this you will find the brake lights, reverse lights, and turn signal which I can only describe as, "simply placed". On a vehicle like this I would expect them to get a similar styling treatment as the tail lamps and CHMSL. It is surprising that none of these are LED’s.

 

Capricious ranting aside, Volvo did get the styling of the rear end right. An additional feature we found that no one else has written about is, if you suddenly brake very hard, two additional brake lights on the lower bumper fascia will light up. This aids others during high speed driving by helping them better determine that the vehicle is making a panic stop.

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