Used 2019 Volvo XC60 T6 Momentum SUV Review

The 2019 Volvo XC60 is one of the strongest contenders in the luxury SUV segment. It has abundant passenger space, an updated interior with attractive design, and easy-to-use infotainment interfaces. And under the hood, three different powertrains offer varying levels of performance and fuel efficiency, regardless of what trim level you choose.

Under the hood are three different versions of the same four-cylinder engine. One is turbocharged, another is turbocharged and supercharged, and the third is a plug-in hybrid. What's best is that buyers can pair any of these powertrains with any trim level, meaning no powertrain-equipment-level combo is off the table.

As for the equipment, the XC60 comes with the tech you'd expect in this segment, such as dual-zone climate control, an attractive 9-inch infotainment display, and standard support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also gets safety technology such as road-departure mitigation, lane keeping assist and a drowsy-driver warning system. From there, the options stack up nicely too, with lots of functional and aesthetic add-ons.

While the XC60 is an easy recommendation, we should note some drawbacks. For starters, the driving experience isn't as sporty as it is in some competitors, and the cabin isn't as insulated from noise. Those definitely aren't deal-breakers, though, and we'd certainly recommend anyone in the market for a luxury SUV take the 2019 Volvo XC60 for a spin.

Notably, we picked the 2019 Volvo XC60 as one of Edmunds' Best Family Cars and Best Gas Mileage SUVs, the 2019 Volvo XC60 Hybrid as one of Edmunds' Best Hybrid SUVs as well as the 2019 XC60 T8 as one of Edmunds' Best Hybrid Cars and as one of the Best Luxury SUVs for this year.

The 2019 Volvo XC60 is available in three trim levels that offer varied levels of luxury and sport-focused amenities: Momentum, R-Design and Inscription. Each trim level is available with any powertrain, which are named T5, T6 and T8 eAWD Plug-in Hybrid. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission available. The base T5 Momentum comes with front-wheel drive, while all other XC60s come standard with all-wheel drive.

The base Momentum trim is nicely equipped, featuring 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, a rearview camera, automatic high beams, automatic wipers, integrated roof rails, and a power liftgate with programmable height.

Inside, there's faux leather upholstery, aluminum interior trim, a panoramic sunroof, automatic dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming mirror, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats (AWD models only), driver-seat memory settings, 60/40-split folding rear seats (with rear underseat storage), a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 10-speaker audio system, two USB ports, satellite radio, support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth connectivity.

On the safety front, all XC60s are equipped with lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, oncoming collision avoidance and mitigation with pedestrian and large animal detection, driver attention alert, road sign recognition, and a four-year complimentary subscription to Volvo On Call with remote engine start.

The T5 designates a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (250 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque), while the T6 upgrades to a turbocharged and supercharged version (316 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque). On the base trim, T6 and above models add 19-inch wheels.

The T8 eAWD Plug-in Hybrid uses the same engine as the T6 but adds an electric motor and battery pack (combined 400 horsepower, 472 pound-feet of torque). This powertrain also comes with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a tire repair kit in lieu of a spare tire and tools.

The R-Design trim is mostly a sporty appearance package with its own 19-inch wheel, exterior and interior design that includes LED front foglights and cornering lights, and illuminated door handles. The interior gains front seats with seat-bottom extensions and shift paddles on the steering wheel.

The Inscription trim, like the R-Design, has its own interior and exterior design elements, such as additional chrome and wood inlays. Instead of sporty seats and shift paddles, you get four-zone climate control, a leather- and wood-wrapped dash, ambient interior lighting and a cooled glovebox.

A number of small packages and stand-alone options are available on the base Momentum trim if you don't need or want everything offered in the R-Design or Inscription trim.

The Premium package is available to all models and includes auto-dimming and folding side mirrors, heated wiper blades, keyless entry and a hands-free tailgate, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors with parking assist. The Multimedia package adds navigation, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. The Advanced package builds on the Premium package's equipment with Volvo's Pilot Assist (a Level 2 partially autonomous driving system with adaptive cruise control), turn-adapting LED headlights, a 360-degree parking camera system, headlight washers, daytime-running lights and a head-up display.

The Luxury Seating package is offered exclusively on Inscription models, and it helps elevate the XC60's amenities above the competition. Included are premium leather upholstery and upgraded front seats (heated, ventilated, and massaging with power lower cushion extenders and adjustable lateral support).

Stand-alone options include an adaptive air suspension that provides adjustments in body height and damping, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Volvo XC60 T6 AWD (turbo- and supercharged 2.0L inline-4 | 8-speed automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2018, the current XC60 has received some minor revisions related to the names of options packages and optional equipment. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Volvo XC60, however.