Volvo XC60 R-design – more detail

We ran a report  early last month on the new Volvo Volvo XC60 R-Design which gets unveiled properly at Frankfurt next month before going in to production in November.

Although the XC60 R-Design doesn’t get any sort of power boost, it does get some tweaks to the setup to provide a more sporty drive. Volvo has stiffened up the chassis and added more damping, and tweaked the steering ratios to give a quicker response.  But Volvo reckons this has virtually  no impact on ride quality (which begs the question ‘Why didn’t they do it to start with if there’s no trade-off’) and sensibly they have not gone down the lowered suspension route, so the XC60 still has good ground clearance.

On the cosmetic front, the R-Design gets body coloured lower section, matt silk metallic finish for the trim and chrome tailpipes. The XC60 also gets a set of 18″ Cratus alloys, with a 20″ option. On the inside you get a few ‘R’ logos and some extra aluminium inserts and aluminium pedals. You also get the centre stack with swirling graphics that match the seat trim.

Volvo are also adding the rear seat entertainment option to the XC60, which gives you a screen fitted to the back of each headrest, each with an individual DVD player and equipped with an AUX input for MP3 connections.

We still don’t know how much Volvo wants for the XC60 R-design, but I guess we’ll find out at Frankfurt next month.

Volvo XC60 R-Design Equipment

Exterior:

• Grille in silk metal finish with R-DESIGN badge
• Door mirror housings in silk metal finish
• Five-spoke 18-inch aluminium wheels – Cratus (20 inch optional)
• Sill mouldings in aluminium look
• Twin chromed tailpipes
• Colour-matched lower body mouldings
• Chrome-plated rear skid-plate with black mesh
• Sport chassis
• 7 body colours to choose between including the R-DESIGN unique colour Passion Red

Interior:

• Sport seats for great cornering support and comfort
• Unique upholstery in smooth leather with a choice of two colour combinations: off-black with soft beige inserts or vice versa
• Embossed R-DESIGN emblem in the front backrests
• Watch Dial instrument with blue gauges, unique to the R-Design model
• R-DESIGN sports steering wheel trimmed in perforated leather
• Sports pedals in aluminium
• R-DESIGN centre stack trim with a new décor pattern
• Gear selector trimmed with perforated leather
• Off-black sports mats