Volvo is synonymous with safety, but alas, not every Volvo is created equal. The 2024 XC60 fell short of the Top Safety Pick+ award over an overall rating of acceptable in the updated side impact test.
Performed at 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers per hour) with a barrier that weighs 4,200 pounds (1,905 kilograms), said updated test concluded with an overall rating of acceptable due to potential injuries recorded by the driver and rear-passenger crash test dummies. What kind of injuries, though?
For starters, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes potential torso and pelvis injuries in the driver’s case. As for the passenger seated right behind the driver, the nonprofit organization highlights potential pelvis injuries. Because of these results, the 2024 XC60 was rewarded with the Top Safety Pick accolade instead of Top Safety Pick+.
It should be said that Volvo did no wrong. It’s the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that updated the side crash test in 2021 with a higher speed for the barrier (by 6 miles per hour), more weight for said barrier (used to be 3,300 pounds or 1,497 kilograms), and a honeycomb surface designed to bend around the driver-side B pillar upon impact.
The XC60 was also rated acceptable for headlights and the LATCH system. According to the IIHS, the headlights create some glare, and the visibility isn’t adequate in certain scenarios for both the low and high beams. As for the LATCH system, the nonprofit organization found some difficulty in maneuvering around the rear seats’ lower anchors.
Photo: IIHS
Last but certainly not least, both the internal combustion-engined B5 and plug-in hybrid Recharge could do better in terms of vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention. The overall performance of the standard collision warning with full autobrake system is superior during the daytime. At night, however, its performance falls to advance. That’s so and so in IIHS vernacular, with the lowest rating for autobrake systems being base.
From a structural standpoint, the XC60 does show its age. After all, it was developed in the 2010s with underpinnings from the XC90. Both crossovers are built around the Scalable Produce Architecture, which received a huge update in 2023 with the fully electric EX90 three-row crossover and Polestar 3.
SPA2 is an EV-exclusive platform, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the Swedish automaker intends to switch to electric vehicles exclusively by 2030. The Polestar subsidiary is specialized in electric performance, and there’s no chance whatsoever of a PHEV to happen ever again, leaving the 1 as the marque’s sole plug-in hybrid.
Even though it’s showing its age, the XC60 won’t be discontinued anytime soon. Similar to the XC90 and EX90, the XC60 will solider on for the foreseeable future alongside the yet-to-be-unveiled EX60. At press time, Volvo’s most affordable crossover is the EX30 Core Single Motor Extended Range at $34,950 (sans the destination freight charge).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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