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2018 Volvo XC60 Spied For The First Time in Amsterdam

The Swedish from Volvo are on a reinvention path nowadays, which was started by the second-generation XC90 SUV and then continued by the S90 sedan and V90 station wagon.
2018 Volvo XC60 10 photos
Photo: CarPix
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The third model to go under the knife is the best-selling XC60 crossover, which is set to get an all-new replacement in 2017.

Volvo has already started testing pre-production prototypes of the model, with the first one getting caught by one of our spy photographers in the crowded city of Amsterdam, of all places.

Even though the car has Swedish plates, it is quite probable that the engineers onboard aren't just visiting Amsterdam's famous coffee shops as tourists, but are actually testing the next generation of Volvo's City Safety system.

Part of the so-called IntelliSafe array of safety systems, City Safety should transform in a real co-pilot, allowing the 2018 XC60 to drive itself in heavy city traffic and up to a certain speed.

We should probably remind you that Volvo has committed to making all its cars as safe as possible. So safe, in fact, that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020.

Based on the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform, just like the XC90 and S90/V90, the new XC60 will have an engine lineup consisting of turbocharged three and four-cylinder engines, at least one of which will be available as a plug-in hybrid.

Our spy photographer mentioned that according to the plate, the prototype in these photos is rocking a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with 254 hp, also known as the T5 gasoline powerplant option on various Volvo models. The most powerful version will probably be a T6 plug-in hybrid version, with around 350 hp in standard form, and approximately 400 hp in Polestar guise.

Expect the new XC60 to be unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show at the latest, unless Volvo goes the distance and shows it in early 2017.

UPDATE: Our trusty spy photographers have sent us six more images with the funky looking XC60 prototype running around the busy streets of Amsterdam and scaring pedestrians with its battle-ready camouflage. Considering the traffic, it's probably safe to assume that the self-braking features present on the car have been put to the test like there's no tomorrow. Maybe Volvo's R&D boss knew what he was talking about a few days ago.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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