2022 Volvo XC60 B6 First Test: Gorgeous and Updated but Showing Its Age Inside

volvo xc60 Full Overview

Five-year-old luxury SUVs don’t usually look this fresh, and we wish we could say the same about the interior. But let’s stay positive for a minute. Walk around the 2022 Volvo XC60 and you see why the Swedish automaker has barely changed this design in half a decade. This luxury compact SUV will look just as good 10 years from now as it does today, not something you can say about all its many rivals. The updated Volvo’s key changes mostly improve the XC60, but after a full MotorTrend test and evaluation, we found a few issues even a gorgeous set of Thor’s Hammer headlights can’t distract us from. Here’s what you should know about the 2022 Volvo XC60.

What’s New This Year?

Park the 2022 Volvo XC60 adjacent to the pre-refresh model, and you may notice revised front fascia designs—the R-Design here sports one new look, and the Momentum and Inscription models get different mods. Stare at the two XC60s long enough and you may see minor visual changes in the grille. Some buyers will notice the new wheel designs, including the giant 21s on our 2022 XC60 B6 R-Design test SUV. The integrated exhaust outlets are gone too; those dirty pipes are now hidden under the bumper.

The XC60’s changes are more than skin-deep, of course. Volvo updated every XC60 powertrain, giving the Recharge plug-in hybrid model more range (check those Monroneys carefully to see if you’re looking at the revised model). The T5 and T6 engines are gone, replaced by mild-hybrid B5 and B6 powertrains. In this XC60 B6’s case, total output comes to a healthy 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque—but as we were reminded during testing, track-verified acceleration is the ultimate measure. Inside the cabin, a clean new design for the digital instrument cluster joins a Google-based infotainment system on the vertically oriented 9.0-inch central touchscreen.

Solid and Smooth, but a Bit Surgey

This SUV is better the less you pay attention to the numbers. That’s because the 2022 Volvo XC60 B6 can’t compete with the segment’s best on the track. We clocked acceleration to 60 mph at 6.5 seconds, completely acceptable overall but behind the competition. That number matches a 2019 XC60 T5 we’ve tested, and is 0.4-second behind the quickest acceleration we’ve tested from an XC60 T6.

Elsewhere in the class, we’ve tested a 2021 Acura RDX AWD and 2022 BMW X3 xDrive30i at 6.4 seconds each, a 2021 Audi Q5 (45 AWD model) at 5.7 seconds, and a 2022 Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD at just 5.4 seconds. When you pay $4,000 more than an XC60 B5 AWD model for the extra power of a B6 AWD trim, we’d like to see a bit more oomph. That said, we haven’t tested the standard XC60 B5 model and are curious where it fits into the mix. Volvos have never been the quickest cars in the luxury world, and on the street the XC60 B6 feels plenty powerful. In fact, we’d love the eight-speed automatic to calm down, as it occasionally delivers more power than we want.

The Volvo’s as-tested 4,372-pound curb weight may have something to do with its merely adequate acceleration—it’s more than every luxury SUV mentioned above except the GV70. Braking from 60 to 0 mph required 122 feet, acceptable performance but a few feet behind all those competitors, except the GV70 which came to a stop in 124 feet. As you expect of a Volvo during a panic stop, the 2022 XC60 felt stable. However, we noted rather noticeable nosedive, reflective of the body motions we felt on the street. Bottom line: You may like the R-Design for its sporty styling, but don’t expect flat cornering or the quick and engaging steering of the GV70, our 2022 MotorTrend SUV of the Year.

The Volvo did, however, surprise us on the figure-eight course, a unique MotorTrend evaluation that tests acceleration, braking, handling, and the transitions in between. The XC60 B6 AWD’s actual performance—27.1 seconds at 0.64 g (average)—is better than the last XC60 T5 we tested but behind the last XC60 T6 we ran around the course. The RDX is slower (27.8 seconds at 0.67-g average) but the Q5, GV70, and X3 all have the XC60 B6 beat. Again, though, this Volvo isn’t a numbers-car. We appreciated its brakes, though, as they are easy to predict and modulate during testing. Road-test boss Chris Walton said, “Mild understeer on the skidpad made it easy to carve a neat, full arc. Overall, I enjoyed it far more than I imagined I would.” Those comments also apply in real-world driving.

Our XC60 B6 test vehicle was equipped with Volvo’s air suspension, which helped to smooth out the ride remarkably, in spite of the those large and attractive 21-inch wheels. By no means does it feel like you’re riding on a cloud, but the XC60 isn’t harsh, either. That’s an unexpected bonus for those who maximize curb appeal with an enormous set of wheels. One tip we have for a future XC60: offer quicker-ratio steering at lower speeds to make parking-lot maneuvers easier.

B6 Efficiency and That Transmission

We noted slow gear changes in our first drive of the 2022 XC60; the new mild hybrid’s best feature isn’t responsiveness but the way it makes average gear changes less noticeable. That and the stop/start system’s operation, which is only faintly detectable in normal driving. What we’d like more of from this mild-hybrid lineup of powertrains isn’t power—though that would be great—but efficiency.

In fact, the entire compact luxury SUV segment could stand a few efficiency improvements. In the Volvo’s case, the B5 AWD model is good for 22/28 mpg city/highway, not bad in this segment but not great either. The B6 AWD model sits at 21/27 mpg, or about the same as the Volvo’s quicker competition except for the entertaining Genesis GV70 3.5T, which only manages 19/25 mpg. In terms of driving range, the XC60 B5 and B6 AWD models are EPA-rated at 451 combined city/highway miles, good for this segment. More driving range means you have the luxury of time; the Acura, BMW, and Genesis will require more refueling stops.

Interior Issues

Not bad so far, but the interior needs updating. Volvo’s 9.0-inch touchscreen has divided the staff over the years, but it’s starting to feel dated even before you consider the new-for-2022 Google-based architecture. The screen’s narrowness and vertical orientation means some content is pushed too low on the dashboard, which isn’t good for quick-glance visibility. The rear camera, for example, displays on the bottom half of the screen. That makes this 2022-model-year SUV feel older—a larger and horizontally oriented screen at the top of the dash would work better (our 2022 SUV of the Year has a standard 14.5-inch screen). We also wish the modern, tiny gear stalk didn’t require two nudges every time you move from park to drive or reverse. Here, different is not better. For the most detail-oriented drivers, even the engine-start action could use improvement. Volvo’s method is a physical control you twist on the center console, but it’s positioned a tad too far back to be comfortable.

We do like the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which features a beautiful design with the map front-and-center. There’s also a Calm mode that’s great for those who sometimes feel screen- and info-fatigue. But that’s it. If you’re considering a 2022 Volvo XC60, you’ve probably heard about the Google-based system. The more we drove the SUV, the more positively we began to think about the tech, but there’s still lots of potential for updates. The system worked well, with two exceptions during our time with the SUV: once with a voice-command error and once with the instrument-cluster map having trouble locating us. And thank you, Google, for integrating corny jokes into the system; as with Mercedes’ voice commands, it’s a fun addition you can showcase every time friends and family are on-board.

We look forward to Volvo adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the XC60; as this is written, the automaker expects to release the Apple phone-mirroring convenience tech mid-2022 as an over-the-air update, and Android Auto sometime after that. If Volvo’s vertical-screen version of CarPlay is anything like Subaru’s, we hope it’ll offer a split-screen option to show map and music info at the same time. All of this assumes Volvo manages to deliver CarPlay by its target and Android Auto after that. Google-based navigation means getting directions to local stores and restaurants is just as easy as it is in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but we will still welcome those features once they’re ready.

Where the XC60 wins back some of our favor is its spacious rear seat. Add in the ingenious power-folding rear headrest feature, and you’ve got an awesome combination of tech and functionality. You’re curious about safety ratings too, right? The XC60 earned a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and gets five stars in overall safety testing (out of a possible five stars) from the NHTSA.

So, Is the Volvo XC60 a Good Car?

The 2022 Volvo XC60 is a solid performer even beyond the design. But in a segment full of options, the Volvo is a little less compelling when you consider the types of everyday inconveniences you may not notice until after a test-drive is over. The 2022 XC60 remains recommendable for its design, spaciousness, and surprisingly good ride with 21-inch wheels, but the B6 is held back by merely adequate acceleration at the track and some interior issues. If those things don’t faze you and you just can’t stop looking at these XC60 photos, enjoy your new Volvo. Just be sure to drive a B5 model before committing to the more powerful B6.

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