Volvo XC60 sales rise 35% thanks to new Drive-E engines

The Volvo XC60 – launched seven years ago – is now the second best selling compact SUV in Europe with sales up 35% thanks to the new Drive-E engines.

We have a bit of a soft spot for the Volvo XC60, even though, in some areas, it’s starting to show its age. But despite being seven years old its still capable, well-built and appealing, and even more so now Volvo is starting to introduce the new Drive-E engines in to the XC60.

We recently reviewed the latest Volvo S60 with the D4 Drive-E engine, and were very impressed with its performance, economy and flexibility; in fact, it was so good it made the old 2.5 litre five-pot D5 an almost irrelevant option.

So impressive is the new D4 Drive-E engine that it’s driving sales of the seven year old XC60 to astonishing levels, with sales throughout Europe in 2014 up by 35 per cent, beating everything from the Range Rover Evoque and BMW X3 to the Audi Q5 and Land Rover Freelander in to submission. Only the Audi Q3 sold more than the XC60.

It’s an impressive performance for a car that is really in the twilight of its life, and the rise 62,650 sales in Europe (15 per cent of them in the UK) is all down to the new D4 Drive-E engine, with 36 per cent of XC60s sold getting the new engine.

Volvo will be adding more Drive-E versions to the XC60 in 2015, and with a new XC60 not too far away it looks like sales will continue to strengthen.

An impressive performance. But the Drive-E engines really are that good.