- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
180kW, 350Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 6.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2014 Volvo V60 T5 R-Design Drive-E Review
Vehicle Style:Premium five-door wagon
Price: $64,890 (plus on-roads), $71,990 (as tested, plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 180kW/350Nm 4cyl petrol | 8spd auto
Fuel Economy claimed: 6.8 l/100km | tested: 10.6 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Earlier this year, Volvo launched its Drive-E engines, a pair of uprated turbocharged four-cylinder motors which - Volvo claims - will “take driving pleasure to a new level”.
Delivering the 'driving pleasure' is a combination of more power and torque, but with less fuel consumed.
Volvo is aiming to be taken very seriously these days, and isn’t afraid to put competitors on notice.
The T5, for example, produces 180kW and 350Nm, lining up BMW’s 2.0-litre squarely in its crosshairs, and the company is happy to mention that it bests Audi and Mercedes-Benz in its PR guff as well.
So, how does the Drive-E technology fare in a family wagon? That’s what we set to find out, spending a week behind the wheel of the lovely V60 T5 R-Design. Here’s how we saw it.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 4/5
Quality: Volvos have always been solidly built, but of late the quality, presentation and ergonomics have improved out of sight.
The V60 (and its S60 sibling) has high-end metal accents and surrounds, while the dashtop plastic is nicely grained and soft to the touch. Even the bread-bin cupholder cover slides smoothly and never feels cheap.
Things like the floating centre console could be cleaned up with less buttons and more integration into the infotainment system, however the fitment is all very solid.
The all-digital instrument display is a delight, with clear readout on speed, revs, fuel and other driving information, all in a neat cluster. It’ll even give an audio prompt for when you approach speed cameras.