As the first year that the Northwest Automotive Press Association allowed SUVs to be included in the annual festival of speed, the Volvo XC60 T8 fits in with the ideal of high-horsepower and fast vehicles.
The 2018 Volvo XC60 T8 has a turbo- and super-charged 2.0L hybrid powertrain. It goes like stink when you put the foot down to the floor, which is great, but the suspension was not made to cope with ‘attack runs’ on curvy roads (passengers are likely to get ill from the body roll).
If you’re into driving fast in straight lines, you’re going to be good. The Volvo XC60 T8 is one quick people-carrier. If you like corners, be prepared for the roll.
Besides, fast driving isn’t safe, and thus against the corporate vision of safety and luxury safety. And that they do exceedingly well. The 2018 Volvo XC60 T8 has all the safety items a soccer mom could desire: lane keep assist, pedestrian/moose/cyclist collision avoidance system, road sign information reader, and more.
During our brief time with the Volvo, we tested out the navigation system (re: we got lost and went off route) and it was quite capable of getting us back on track. Our extended time with the Volvo allowed us to test out the
And they’ve got the second half of that nailed down, too. The leather upholstery was unerringly comfortable, yet not quite capable of holding me in my seat around the ahem “safely” taken corners. It was more like driving your couch: it felt home-y and cozy.
It felt like I should be drinking a cup of hot cocoa while on my way back to the chateau at the ski lodge, not tossing the SUV around hairpin corners at ahem the speed limit. (We were left sadly bereft of hot cocoa…)
So, does the 2018 Volvo XC60 T8 live up to the spirit of Run to the Sun? Yes, in a straight line and in the numbers game, but possibly not in the roads we were driving around. However, it wins (hands-down) in the ‘what do I want to drive home after spending 14 hours in sports cars in two days’ game (possibly similar to the ‘I just flew in a plane’ game and the ‘I just drove with a new driver’ game, as all the desires after all three are the same: pampering. And that it does do well.
