first new volvo XC60 SUV rolls off the production line in torslanda, sweden

production of volvo’s new XC60 mid-size SUV has started at the company’s torslanda plant in sweden. the first customer-bound car, a ‘T5 AWD’ model in ‘crystal’ white, rolled off the production line just before lunch time. the new car replaces the original ‘XC60’, which in the nine years since its launch became the best-selling premium mid-sized SUV in europe, with almost a million on the road globally. today, the ‘XC60’ represents around 30 per cent of the swedish-automaker’s total global sales, and it continues to gain strength with the vision, ‘by 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new volvo car’.

all images © volvo

volvo’s ‘XC60’ is one of the safest cars ever made, and is loaded with new technology. steer assist has been added to the city safety system. a new safety system called ‘oncoming lane mitigation’ uses steer assist to avoid head-on collisions, while volvo’s blind spot information system (BLIS) now uses steer assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions. pilot assist, volvo’s advanced ‘semi-autonomous driver-assistance’ system, takes care of the steering, acceleration, and braking on well-marked roads up to 130 km/h, and is available in the new ‘XC60’ as an option. 

the SUV offers volvo’s award-winning ‘T8’ twin engine petrol plug-in hybrid at the top of the powertrain range, delivering 407 hp and acceleration from 0-100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds. but it is not just beneath the bonnet that the ‘XC60’ delivers healthy performance. its ‘cleanzone four-zone’ climate control system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver fresh air on the inside.

 volvo cars’ driver infotainment and connected services, ‘sensus’, and the volvo on call app, both receive a graphical update with improved usability, while smartphone integration with android ‘auto’ and apple ‘carplay’ is also available.

‘this is a proud day for everyone at the plant,’ comments magnus nilsson, vice president of the torslanda plant. ‘we have worked hard in recent weeks and months to prepare torslanda for this latest new volvo model, and now we are ready to start delivering new XC60s to customers.’