Volvo adds front-drive diesel XC60, MY13 tweaks
BY HAITHAM RAZAGUI | 29th Aug 2012
The new D4, priced from $58,490 plus on road costs, sits between the $55,490 front-drive petrol T5 base variant and the $59,990 3.2, which uses a petrol straight-six and has all-wheel-drive.
Powered by a 2.0-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine generating 120kW at 3500rpm and 400Nm between 2500 and 4600rpm, the new D4 consumes 6.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and emits 182 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
Despite the D4's smaller engine capacity compared with the more powerful 158kW/440Nm 2.4-litre D5 (from $62,490) and lacking the weight and friction losses associated with the D5's AWD setup, the new variant has no fuel efficiency benefit on the official combined cycle.
Acceleration from rest to 100km/h takes 10.3 seconds in the D4, two seconds longer than the D5.
Volvo's optional driver alert system, which is packaged with lane departure warning, now includes an automatic high beam system for night driving, while automatic headlights with tunnel detection are included with the rain-sensing wipers.
The driver alert system and the safety package, which includes adaptive cruise control and collision-avoiding autonomous braking technologies have also been upgraded to include a camera-based road sign recognition system.
It displays the current speed limit and other road signs, such as no overtaking zones, in the instrument panel until another sign is detected and flashes the display if the driver exceeds the limit.
Volvo has also upgraded its standard City Safety collision avoidance technology – deemed effective enough for Insurance Australia Group car insurers to offer discounts of up to 20 per cent for cars so equipped – to work at speeds of up to 50km/h.
Further tweaks to the MY13 XC60 include an illuminated gearshifter, redesigned boot badge script, a grocery bag holder, new Rebel Blue exterior paint finish and a new 20-inch Avior alloy wheel design.
Australian XC60 sales are up 21.1 per cent to the end of July with 1331 units sold, helping Volvo to maintain a 20.5 per cent share of the medium-sized premium SUV segment that has grown 41.3 per cent YTD – although its share has eroded slightly from the 23.9 per cent it held in the same period last year.
The Chinese-owned Swedish car-maker says the XC60's MY13 upgrades will help secure its “commanding position in the Australian premium SUV segment”.
| Volvo XC60 pricing (plus on-roads): | |
| T5 | $55,490 |
| T5 Teknik | $60,490 |
| 3.2 | $59,990 |
| 3.2 Teknik | $64,990 |
| D4 | $58,490 |
| D4 Teknik | $63,490 |
| D5 | $62,490 |
| D5 Teknik | $67,490 |
| D5 R-Design | $72,490 |
| T6 | $68,490 |
| T6 Teknik | $73,490 |
| T6 R-Design | $78,490 |
