What is it? Volvo says this car-based SUV concept is meant to show two things: What the upcoming production XC60 will look like when it arrives in early 2009, and what direction the carmaker's styling is headed in the near future. Through this concept vehicle, Volvo hopes to shed some of the stodginess associated with the brand, and inject more emotion--without compromising their image as a builder of safe cars. Said to be close to the look of the production model, the five-seat XC60 concept is smaller than Volvo's midsized XC90 SUV. Volvo says the XC60 will combine the sportiness of the new XC30 coupe with more cargo capacity. The concept is equipped with an E85-compatible, 3.2-liter, six-cylinder engine producing 265 hp and a six-speed automatic transmission.
What is new or notable: Volvo's "City Safety" automatic braking will bring the car to a halt from low speeds if it senses a collision and the driver does not react.
CR's take: The XC60 concept is very close to the little brother of the XC90 that will be available in early 2009. This is a sensible move as other manufacturers are following in the tracks that the BMW X3 started to chart in 2004. By the time the XC60 is out, it is likely to meet new competitors from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti as well as the recently introduced Acura RDX. The XC60 will share a platform with the new Land Rover LR2, both marques owned by Ford.
