2010 Volvo XC60 - Styling Review

See more photos

Shopping for a new Volvo XC60?

SEE LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS

If you asked a dozen Volvo owners why they purchased their vehicles, chances are none of them will mention the cutting-edge design. Volvos have many, many attributes, but looks have never been one of their primary selling points. That might change with the introduction of the 2010 Volvo XC60, a stylish and very eye-catching new crossover from the Swedish automaker.

Edmunds reviewers describe the XC60 Volvo as a "small luxury crossover [that] is available in one well-equipped T6 trim level." TheCarConnection.com's research shows that the radical—for Volvo, at least—styling is a big hit with reviewers, and it should strike a similar chord with consumers. Cars.com raves about the "stylish design," while also calling the XC60 Volvo "one of the sleekest luxury crossovers available" thanks to a "windshield [that] flows smoothly into the roofline." Car and Driver finds that "the face and stern are unmistakably Volvo, but the shape is more fluid and stylish than anything recent from the Swedish automaker and makes the bigger XC90 look boxy." Motor Trend labels it "possibly the curviest Volvo ever, certainly more voluptuous than the former looker of the line, the C30." The 2010 Volvo XC60 also boasts an impressive amount of ground clearance, which at 9.1 inches is "more clearance than the other players in this premium-small-crossover class," according to Car and Driver.

The interior of the XC60 Volvo features standout styling as well, though that's nothing out of the ordinary for Volvo. ConsumerGuide reports that the XC60 Volvo's "cabin is pretty much exactly what you would expect from Volvo: simplistic luxury." Other reviewers heap more emphatic praise on the interior, especially the center panel. Cars.com contends that "the thing that really pulls the cabin together—and is one of the XC60's most eye-catching design cues—is the slim center control panel. When finished in optional Nordic Light Oak (aluminum trim is standard), it has an appearance that's unlike anything else in its class; it recalls high-end furniture." Edmunds agrees, finding that the center panel "combines with the optional two-tone upholstery to make the XC60's cabin look upscale and inviting." On the downside, ConsumerGuide says that "the navigation system screen is on the small side, making some readouts difficult to decipher at a glance." Edmunds also points out some ergonomic inefficiencies, warning that some of the 2010 Volvo XC60's "controls, particularly those for the optional navigation system, aren't immediately intuitive."