No, that's not a typo. Yes, this is the 2015.5 Volvo XC60. We've grown accustomed to the model year creep, but it's rare that we see an x.5 update. This midcycle refresh adds a new 3G wireless connection to the dashboard, enabling the new Sensus Connect 3G infotainment, as well as Volvo's Mapcare updating and Volvo's On-Call telematics subscription services to the tech mix.
Design
The XC60 is a midsize SUV that features similar lines and exterior design to Volvo's V60 wagon and S60 sedan. The tall seating position affords excellent forward visibility and the tall rear end offers excellent utility. I was able to cram 17 cases of wine into the rear hatch during my testing, even with the optional locking cage installed.
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The interior has an understated and premium feel. Think Volkswagen design with Audi construction. It doesn't scream for attention, but the solid-feeling touch points and high-quality materials help to justify the SUV's price tag.
Our example arrived equipped with the optional Platinum package, a $4,400 option that, in one fell swoop, adds most of the best available features to the XC60. The package adds a power liftgate to the rear end, smart keyless entry and push-button start and a rear camera (which really should be a standard feature on an SUV in this price range), then rolls in all of the cabin comfort features of the automaker's Convenience package and driver-aid features of the Technology package, which we'll get back to shortly.
2015.5 Sensus Connect tech
Another part of Platinum package is an upgrade to a 650W, 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. Sound quality is quite good, with a marked improvement in clarity at volume and audio staging when compared to the standard 8-speaker setup that we heard in the V60. Standard audio sources for the single-CD rig include HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, USB/iPod connectivity, an analog auxiliary input, Bluetooth for audio audio streaming, hands-free calling and text messaging. This system checks all of the boxes.
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The driver interacts with these audio sources, the standard navigation software, and more via the 7-inch Sensus Connect infotainment system. This Web-connected infotainment system is the major upgrade that marks this XC60 as a 2015.5 model and is identical to the one that we recently saw in the 2015 Volvo V60 T6 R-Design, where Senior Editor Wayne Cunningham states:
The Connect label is a recent addition to Volvo's Sensus system, adding a dedicated 3G data connection through AT&T powering a variety of built-in apps. Showing good organizational sense, Volvo includes a link to navigation-oriented apps on the destination menu. These apps included Yelp, Park and Pay, WikiLocations and a simple local search option. The apps proved a little slow to connect, requiring some patience, but I was very pleased with the first three. I especially like WikiLocations, which worked as a kind of tour guide for my immediate location by showing descriptions of nearby landmarks.
Local search proved less successful. When I searched a store name with two locations in the San Francisco bay area, it only had a few results to show that where hundreds of miles away. By contrast, entering the exact same search term into my iPhone's Google Maps app returned the correct results. Volvo uses Nokia's Here service for maps and business locations, which doesn't seem to have as good a directory as Google. However, Yelp proved a useful alternative.
Most of the other apps available in Sensus Connect center around audio. Rather than show these apps among the audio sources menu, I had use the main apps menu. In the V60, I had access to Pandora, Stitcher, Rdio and TuneIn. Volvo should be able to add and update apps over the car's data connection.
In addition to apps, the Sensus Connect data connection enables the automaker's Mapcare service, which periodically updates the map data for more accurate routing and the Volvo On-Call telematics service. Via an On-Call smartphone app, the XC60 driver can monitor their vehicle (fuel levels, location, mileage, maintenance warnings, etc.) and control some of the vehicle's systems (such as the locks, remote starter and climate controls) remotely. On-Call also includes such services as roadside assistance and automatic emergency crash response.
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This is going to sound underwhelming, but one of the best features that I found when evaluating the XC60's Sensus Connect infotainment system was the excellent implementation of steering wheel controls. On the right spoke of the wheel, a clickable scrolling wheel and a "back" button control the cursor on the main Sensus Connect system allowing complete access to every function of the infotainment without removing a hand from the steering wheel. Combined with the vehicle's excellent voice command system, which let me input full addresses without multiple prompts, I never had to reach for the center console.
Platinum package safety tech
The all-in-one Platinum package rolls in all of the driver-aid features of the Technology package.
This includes Volvo's forward-collision and distance-alert systems -- both extensions of the standard City Safety low-speed collision-avoidance system. Together, these three systems keep an eye on the road, notifying the driver with an audible alert and flashing red light when following too closely or closing too quickly, and automatically braking if necessary. Personally, I found the systems to be just a bit obnoxious and overzealous; the Volvo seemed to always be beeping at me for something. In stop-and-go traffic, the XC60 was beeping when I closed the gap with the lead car. In smooth-flowing traffic, if the car ahead brushed its brakes, the XC60 was beeping before I could get my foot from one pedal to the next. Sure, the addition of full-auto brake is useful in a situation where the driver's attention momentarily lapses, but when I'm looking right at the car ahead and driving safely, ohmygawd, stop beeping at me!!
The Good The Sensus Connect infotainment system in the 2015.5 Volvo XC60 T6 includes Yelp, WikiLocations, TuneIn and Stitcher, among other apps. The XC is
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