Volvo XC60 stylish, luxurious

The new XC60 is one of the sleekest luxury crossovers available. The windshield flows smoothly into the roofline, and the back of the crossover is gracefully finished with a forward-swept D-pillar. The XC60 features tall, slender taillights, as do a number of Volvos - including the XC70 and C30 - but these are perhaps the most distinctive yet. They feature a slim line of LEDs that follow the outline of the roof pillar and are quite eye-catching.

The front of the XC60 likewise has strong styling, such as a large mesh grille and bulging hood. Volvo uses lighting to good effect here, too, with thin, slanted running lights on either side of the grille. Audi and BMW have shown how unique lighting can serve as a styling cue, and Volvo appears to be following suit. All XC60s have standard 18-inch alloy wheels, but 19-inch alloy rims are available through Volvo's vehicle accessory program.

The XC60's sole trim level is the T6, and it's powered by a turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine that makes 281 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. By the numbers, it's one of the more powerful base engines available in a compact luxury crossover, and it felt plenty strong on the hilly roads outside San Francisco where I tested it.

Helping matters on those hills was the engine's abundant torque at low rpm. Even with the engine spinning at only 2,400 rpm, pressing the gas pedal brings an immediate strong acceleration without a hint of turbo lag. The engine makes the XC60 one quick crossover when accelerating hard from a standstill, and it also feels strong at freeway speeds.

The turbo engine pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission that includes Sport and clutchless-manual modes. Most shifts are smooth and refined, but I experienced a couple of jerks during my drive. The Sport mode is less inclined to upshift, which keeps the engine revving higher, and it seemed best suited to the task of winding mountain roads; the engine never feels bogged down when accelerating out of a slow corner.