Review: 2020 Volvo XC60 T8 Inscription

Text and Photos by Emily Chung

The 2020 Volvo XC60 T8 Inscription is a beautifully crafted compact luxury SUV. Our road test model combined a standard combustion engine (supercharged and turbocharged) and an electric motor. The 2020 Volvo XC60 is also available as a plug-in hybrid. The Polestar engineering added to the drive, the vehicle handled well, was powerful, and truly delivered for a performance SUV.

Exterior Design

The exterior carries Volvo’s signature rectangular shapes throughout with sharp angles in the lighting system.

The vehicle’s LED headlights were bright during a drive in the country and the high-pressure headlight sprays are concealed discretely just below the assembly.

Lastly, you can easily adjust the height of the XC60’s rear depending on the amount of cargo you’ve got.

Interior Design

The overall dashboard incorporates a simplistic and modern design with most functions available in the centre display. This minimizes the number of buttons or switches needed in the dashboard itself. One subtle touch is that the centre display is angled towards the driver, making the setup more ergonomic.

The centre console is organized; the crystal gearshift and stylized drive mode roller gives the SUV a luxury touch. Drive mode options include constant all-wheel-drive, pure eco mode, hybrid, Polestar engineered, and off road.

Our road test included front massage seats and this was much appreciated during longer drives. Also included were heated and ventilated front seats.

The rear seats in our road test vehicle had the heated add-on, and the rear bench is a 40/60 split. The manual release to fold the rear seats down is clearly marked when properly latched back in.

The panoramic sunroof added much light to the interior cabin and made the space feel much larger.

The 2020 Volvo XC60 road test included the Park Assist Pilot with Park Assist Front & Rear. This is part of the Premium Plus Package (an additional $2600) which includes features such as the heads-up display and 360-Camera. The Park Assist features enables handsfree parking both for the vehicle going in or out of a parking spot.

The 360-camera view displays very well in the centre screen and this technology helps in maneuvering tight parking spaces.

The 2020 Volvo XC60 road test also had Pilot Assist, Volvo’s semi-autonomous feature. While it helps keep the vehicle in the proper lane, it really is a steering aid and you’ll need to keep your hands on the wheel. If not, you’ll get a warning to put your hands back on.

Under The Hood / Spare Tire

Lift the hood of the 2020 Volvo XC60 and you’ll notice most of it is covered with plastic and plumbing. There are a few basic maintenance items that drivers will want to be aware of.

Right away the washer fluid refill cap is noticeably placed near the driver side at the cowling.

In order to access or view the reading on our brake fluid reservoir, you’ll need to remove the plastic that is under the front cowling. This is an extra step compared to other vehicle manufacturers; however, it’s expected that you’ll be looking at this on an infrequent basis and removing the plastic piece doesn’t take up a significant amount of time.

There is an access port to the coolant fluid reservoir on the left side of the vehicle, also at the cowling area. With respect to boosting your vehicle’s starter battery, you may do so at the vehicle’s charging point, at the driver’s side. Volvo notes that this point is appropriate for boosting your vehicle, however you should not use your vehicle to jump start another car.

There is a tire compressor kit provided with our road test. This is located underneath the trunk floor panel and the instructions are in the owner’s manual.

Keep in mind that Volvo’s owner’s manual is available digitally through its centre display, there is no hardcopy provided in the vehicle. This isn’t convenient, imagine navigating this inside the vehicle while going to the tire that you need to use the compressor kit on. The manual is also provided online so accessing it through your mobile device or tablet would be more practical.

Child Car Seat

If you are installing a rear-facing child car seat, you may lose some space for the front seats despite the amount of cabin room available in the 2020 Volvo XC60. The rear seats have a slight bucket shape and an incline so you may need to use pool noodles or a rolled towel in order to get the correct recline angle. The seat bench is firm and this will help during the child car seat install.

The 2020 Volvo XC60 also has an anchor underneath the front seats for you to use the rear tether, if your child car seat allows this additional point of security.

The outboard headrests are relatively flush with the seatback and only the centre headrest is removable. This will make it easier to install the tether strap on a forward-facing child car seat. The tether anchor is located just behind the seat.

Lastly, the UAS anchors are clearly marked and located just behind the pull-out tab.

Storage / Trunk

There is ample space in the trunk and it is an open area without the wheel wells taking up any cargo room. There is a bumper cover available which adds protection when you’re loading or unloading items from the trunk. There is also a pass-through opening in the centre of the rear bench for longer items (such as skis) and sufficient small storage to the side of the trunk.

Lastly, the dog guard convenient folds downwads to provide protection for your pet in the cargo area. When not in use, the dog guard folds discretely upwards and doesn’t obstruct the view when looking in the rear-view mirror. Great touch for drivers with furry friends!

Starting price for the 2020 Volvo XC60 T8 Inscription is $73,850 CAD.

Model tested:

2020 Volvo XC60 T8 Inscription

2.0L supercharged/turbocharged engine w/Electric Motor

8-speed automatic transmission

All-wheel drive

Seating Capacity: 5 people

Road Test Terrain: 60% city, 40% highway

Tested MSRP: $86,950 CAD + Accessories