Volvo’s wagon rides again

Published 12:00 am Sunday, June 8, 2014

Say “Volvo,” and what image springs to mind? A station wagon, right? And not just any wagon, but one as square and imperishable as a Saltine, and as much a staple of the suburbs.

So when Volvo stopped selling wagons in America, it was a seismic event. Like many automakers, Volvo saw the writing on the family wall. With its SUVs exponentially outselling traditional wagons, Volvo slammed the tailgate shut in 2011 as the V50 waved goodbye to America.

Now the Volvo wagon rides again, joining a band of outliers including the Audi Allroad, BMW 328i Sports Wagon, Acura TSX Sport Wagon and Cadillac CTS wagon. And although this lovely 2015 entry looks nothing like Swedish Conestogas of yore, the V60 has the familiar Volvo attributes of safety, ease and practicality — and a new bonus of class-leading fuel economy.

Like its sibling, the XC60 crossover SUV, the V60 heralds the downsized Drive-E powertrains that will soon be offered throughout the Volvo lineup. (Despite the E-name, the cars do not have electric propulsion, although hybrid versions are planned.) The V60 gets a 2-liter direct-injected turbo 4-cylinder that produces 240 horsepower and a rich 258 pound-feet of torque.

With the identical 8 forward speeds as the BMW (in a smooth-shifting automatic transmission), the Volvo’s outstanding economy rating of 37 miles per gallon on the highway, and 25 in town, actually tops the BMW by 4 mpg on the highway and 3 in the city.

As you’d expect, the Volvo also costs less. The T5 Drive-E test car started at $36,225, about $6,000 below the basic Bimmer, and reached $42,225 with options.

The rear seat is split in a 40/2 0/40 arrangement, and folding the center section creates a generously wide pass-through for long gear. The leather-wrapped armrest with cup holders and storage, roughly a foot wide, is perfect for keeping children apart and cooties at bay.

In Scandinavian fashion, the cabin design is minimal yet stylish, including Volvo’s falling waterfall console, brushed metal trim and a kind of elephant-hide-grained plastic on the dash.

My test car’s $1,500 Sport package added to the looks and performance, with those white-stitched seats, smoke-finished 19-inch alloy wheels and a set of surprisingly robust and tactile metal paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Volvo needs no such help on safety. Its standard, pioneering City Safety system, now mimicked by some competitors, can automatically stop the V60 at speeds up to 31 mph if it detects potential collisions with cars or pedestrians. The $900 BLIS package added the radar-based Blind Spot Information System, rear cross-traffic alert and parking sensors front and rear.

Like a Porsche system, its eco-coast function uses a clutch to fully disengage the powertrain and save fuel when you’re not pressing the accelerator. But I found myself switching off Eco mode because of its obtrusive engine start/stop function, which unfortunately defaults to “on” each time you start the car.

Labeling a 4-cylinder car a T5 may be confusing. But clarity comes with a 6.1-second sprint to 60 mph, plenty quick for a family wagon. That time lengthens to 6.8 seconds for the T5 AWD model, a $37,725 version that does have 5 cylinders: Volvo’s older 2.5-liter 5-cylinder with 250 turbocharged horses. Owners who insist on shaking up the neighborhood can have the $45,225 T6 AWD R-Design, a sport-tuned version with 325 horsepower from a 3-liter in-line turbo 6.

For all types of driving, the main demerit — as in some other Volvos — are brakes that feel mushy and less than powerful. For a brand whose reputation rests on safety, these wimpy binders should prompt engineering meetings in Gothenburg.