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2008 Geneva Auto Show - 2009 Volvo XC60 Video



2008 Geneva Auto Show - 2009 Volvo XC60 Video 2

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It's definitely a Volvo up front, although the swept-back headlights give it a more aggressive look than the current XC90.
Volvo Cars North America, LLC
Signature taillights give the XC60 a unique look from the rear.
Volvo Cars North America, LLC
Profile view reveals the XC60's rising beltline and low roof.
Volvo Cars North America, LLC
Volvo has been upgrading its interiors to luxury levels over the past several years, and the XC60's cabin is proof of just how good they've become.
Volvo Cars North America, LLC
With a standard 281-hp inline-6, the XC60 should deliver performance on par with anything in its class.
Volvo Cars North America, LLC

2009 Volvo XC60

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Check out the Volvo XC60 at the Geneva Auto Show

What is it?
2009 Volvo XC60

What's special about it?
According to Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo Cars, the 2009 Volvo XC60 is not only the safest Volvo ever, "It's also the most stunning." Of course, he's paid big bucks to say stuff like that, but the fact that he's mentioning design at all shows just how important the look of the XC60 is to its success.

Mr. Arp isn't blowing smoke, though. The XC60 is certainly more stylish than the homely XC90. Instead of big and boxy, the XC60 is compact and athletic-looking. The swept-back headlights and rising beltline go a long way toward making this Volvo look like it belongs in the same league as the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK, two of its chief competitors in the small premium utility segment.

Volvo's Design Director Steve Mattin goes even further. "This car is charged with more emotive form and more energy than any other Volvo," he said. "If you say that you'd recognize a Volvo from 300 feet away today, I dare say the XC60 radiates a clear Volvo presence from at least twice that distance." Volvo presence from two football fields away? We'll have to take Steve's word on that one.

We're actually a little surprised that Volvo's engineers didn't come up with some equally optimistic quotes for the XC60's performance. In the U.S., the standard engine will be the T6 inline-6 used in the S80 sedan. Rated at 281 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the T6 makes the XC60 one of the more powerful sport-utilities in its class. A six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive will be standard, too.

There's some trick new safety equipment as well. Dubbed City Safety, the XC60's new system incorporates a low-speed collision avoidance computer that will stop the car if it senses an impending fender bender. Some high-end luxury cars already feature similar systems that are tied in with their cruise control, but the XC60 will come with the City Safety system as standard.

More details are expected when the 2009 Volvo XC60 gets closer to its early 2009 on-sale date in the U.S.

What's Edmunds' take?
Good-looking never hurts when it comes to selling premium SUVs. Throw in Volvo's reputation for family friendliness and the XC60 could do better than the current XC90. — Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line