On the eastern shore of Virginia, there鈥檚 a village named Temperanceville. Established by Quakers, its largest employer is a chicken-processing plant, the odour of which ensures that it remains a hamlet. Nevertheless, its name speaks to ideals that go聽against the basic instincts of Americans: temperance.
But the idea that Americans ever had temperance is a misguided notion. If Americans used restraint, the United States would still be 13 English colonies, the Midwest would still be owned by France and Florida would still be owned by the Spain. Similarly, Elizabeth Taylor wouldn鈥檛 have married Richard Burton twice, shopping malls wouldn鈥檛 outnumber high schools and the average adult wouldn鈥檛 be carrying more than $5,800 US in credit-card debt.
Is it any wonder so few people have chosen to call Temperanceville home?
And while Americans have always taken risks, they have become risk averse and paranoid, as if everything and everyone were trying to do them in. This is why a cup of coffee from a coffee shop carries a warning that it may be hot. It seems that Americans want to go through life with reassurance that nothing will ever go wrong, and if it did, they have our emotional support peacock to comfort them.
Of course, marketers at Volvo realized this decades ago, building an image of safety to sell their cars. Yet Volvo isn鈥檛 that sort of company anymore, having gone through a bad marriage under Ford ownership, which plundered the Swedish automaker鈥檚 platforms to underpin its own line of vehicles. Recently wed to Chinese automaker Geely, Volvo is now thriving with an owner that funds its products but does not intervene. The result is a stunning line of vehicles that don鈥檛 need safety to sell them.
Consider the 2018 XC60, which replaces the previous one after a nine-year run. More than a million XC60s have been sold worldwide, accounting for 30聽per cent of Volvo鈥檚 sales. But this latest rendition makes it easy to forget its forbear, with a sinewy, athletic stance and sophisticated demeanour that resonates with classic Scandinavian understatement. It鈥檚 obviously upscale, but it doesn鈥檛 shout its intentions. It glistens with a knowing sophistication and strength that proves hard to resist.
That鈥檚 certainly true once you find yourself behind the wheel.
The new XC60 is offered in three variant powertrains, starting with the T5 and its 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Step up to the T6, and that engine is turbocharged and supercharged, yielding 316 horsepower. At the top of the heap is the T8 plug-in electric hybrid that develops 400 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic is standard, as is all-wheel drive.
While acceleration won鈥檛 blow your dress up with boatloads of power, it delivers more than enough power to satisfy most drivers, although it seems somewhat unrefined compared with the segment leaders. There鈥檚 some body lean in corners, along with a compliant ride until encountering the worst of America鈥檚 crumbling infrastructure. This makes riding in the car more pleasant than driving it, at least for driving enthusiasts. Nonetheless, its handling is solid and secure, offering few surprises, but not returning any, either. Steering is nicely weighted, although it would have benefited from better on-centre feel. Braking is fuss-free. And the cabin was graveyard quiet, an impressive feat for this model segment.
Having once sold safety as its prime consideration, it鈥檚 surprising that lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking are standard, while more advanced systems, such as Oncoming Lane Mitigation and Pilot Assist, Volvo鈥檚 advanced semi-autonomous driver assistance system, are optional.
This proves that the Volvo is no longer a one-trick pony, especially when it comes to technology.
As in Volvo鈥檚 90 Series vehicles, a centre-mounted infotainment screen anchors the instrument panel. Named Sensus sa国际传媒, its screen is vertically oriented. Its user interface is one of the best in the business, being easy to understand and operate. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard; Bluetooth connectivity and an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot powered by a 4G LTE data connection are available along with navigation, real-time traffic and weather. In addition, Volvo鈥檚 smartphone app can now send navigation destinations to an owner鈥檚 car, find nearby fuel stations and locate the car in parking lots or in unfamiliar locations. The icing on the cake is the optional 1,400-watt, 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system. It鈥檚 superb.
It鈥檚 housed in a cabin that鈥檚 trimmed with the same opulence as its larger 90 Series cousins; only the scale differs. Seat comfort is exceptional, although the wide centre console steals legroom from front seat passengers.
Nevertheless, this Volvo provides everything you might require in a premium midsize crossover, avoiding extremes to deliver a well-balanced experience that will reassure you in these risk-averse times.
Consider it an emotional support vehicle.
