Volvo's most important car yet is the XC60 - here's what it's like to drive

The Volvo leather-wrapped fob is also gorgeous. I can't get enough of it, but then again, I owned two Volvos that started with humble plastic-clad keys.

Pretty!

The Orrefors crystal shifter is gorgeous. But the shifting itself is somewhat bothersome, requiring a double-pull-down to activate drive.

Minimalism in practice: this knob is all that's left below the touchscreen.

The 10-speaker. Bowers & Wilkins audio system is sublime and powerful: 330 watts. We named it Audio System of the Year for 2016 (it can be found in vehicles that aren't Volvos, in different configurations).

Read about the B&W system's brilliance.

But the Sensus system is the next best thing visually to what Tesla is selling and could be a harbinger of things to come in the industry.

I've found it frustrating on previous Volvos we've tested, and I still get annoyed when adjusting the climate controls or the heated-and-cooled seats.

This sounds fine, but in practice it takes some getting used to.

... you can control nearly all vehicle functions with touchscreen inputs.

Everything you'd expect is here, from navigation to Bluetooth to AUX/USB connectivity. But ...

You can tap and swipe to change screens.

The nine-inch touchscreen itself is operated like a tablet.

And the moonroof lets in ample natural light.

It's really pleasant back there.

The good Swedish vibes extend to the back seat, where adults will be comfortable for short hauls. My 6-year-old and 12-year old had no complaints.

Chrome, open-grain driftwood inlays, and glove-soft Nappa leather combine to deliver one of the best passenger experiences around. Oh, guess what — the glove compartment is cooled! All part of the $3,800 Inscription package.

The interior doesn't feel like a cave.

A panoramic moonroof makes sure that ...

The instrument cluster is digital and straightforward.

There's more chrome in here that what die-hard Volvo fans might like, but overall it's tastefully handled.

The perspective for the driver is quite soothing — not overstimulating, as it might be in a BMW or Audi.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels great.

The front cockpit is roomy and defined by the large center touchscreen running Volvo's Sensus Connect infotainment system. The screen is the most Tesla-like of any currently not produced by the Palo Alto carmaker.

The skin of the XC6O is lovely, but what's inside is stunning. Volvo's interiors have gone full-Scandinavian and for those who dig the minimalist vibe, they're ideal.

All-electric driving can be selected by using Pure mode. Max velocity and performance comes with Power mode, and the Off Road mode mimics a more serious SUV. Everyday driving happens in Hybrid mode.

Don't miss that start-stop know, by the way. It's reminiscent of another Swedish brand, now sadly departed: Saab. Volvo's didn't used to put starters in the middle console, but now it does. As someone who owned two Volvos and a Saab, I find is kind of weird.

I did try to recharge the XC60 — using level 2 juice, which should have restored 18 miles of range in about less than five hours. After two hours, however, the battery was only marginally revived. But I think the public charging station was the problem.

The charging port is locating toward the front of the vehicle

A go-slow charge cable comes with the car. It can handle 120V/240V outlets.

Out tester came with an offbeat drivetrain: the T8, which combines a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder motor with a supercharger and a hybrid system.

The triple-threat takes the horsepower to 400 horsepower with 472 pound-feet of torque. Remember, we're starting with a base 250-hp motor, then adding turbocharging for immediate punch, supercharging to cover the higher gears of an eight-speed gearbox, and a plug-in hybrid for frosting on this engineering cake.

The XC60 is fast. My colleague Ben Zhang and I both drove the vehicle, and while we don't do times 0-60 mph runs, we thought Volvo was justified in claiming the sprint in 4.9 seconds.

The hybrid aspect makes for an odd all-wheel-drive setup (Volvo calls its E-AWD). There's nothing connecting the front motor to the rear wheels, but there are two electric motors, one over each axle, with a 10 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery between them. It's an ingenious use of electric tech and it means that the only drive axle dealing with the turbo and the blower runs across the front end.

We did observe some notable torque steer when punching it. I haven't really felt good old-school torque steer for a while — each front wheel briefly had a mind of its own — so on the XC60, it was sort of refreshing, adding an element of wildness to an otherwise stately vehicle.

As for fuel economy, the government hasn't yet rated the XC60 in this trim level, but it's probably going to average around 25 mpg

Our XC60 was the Inscription trim level — Volvo says it "combines true Swedish craftsmanship with luxurious comfort."

I thought the wheels and tires could have been beefier.

It could handle luggage and gear for a family of five for a weekend getaway, gobble up groceries for a week, and accommodate modest loads, from a mountain bike to some antiques.

I didn't stress out the cargo capacity during our vehicle loan, but it's on par with the segment. Fold the second row down and you have a nice cavern into which you can stow stuff.

The XC60 now resides in the middle of the Volvo SUV range, with big brother XC90 above and soon-to-arrive XC40 below.

Check out the XC40.

These are some sharp tail lights — my personal faves in the business.

The SUV is a tough design challenge. The goal is to maximize space for people, pets, and stuff — not astound with glorious lines and curves.

Back in the days when the first SUVs were developed (and they weren't yet called that), they were boxy, quasi-military vehicles intended to absorb offroad punishment. If you didn't want to bust through rocks and rivers or cross deserts, you lived a more peaceful automotive life and gravitated toward sedans and station wagons.

The modern SUV owner has different ideas and wants his or her vehicle to be attractive, often even somewhat sporty. The XC60 isn't an aggressive-looking machine, but it is smooth and sleek, with a nice beltline that forms a wedge from front to back and culminates in an angular rear side window. The angle echoes the tall tail lights, which have been a Volvo feature for years.

The signature "Thor's hammer" headlights have become a signature element.

The famous Volvo badge. Yes, it could be mistaken for a "male" symbol, but it's actually a symbol for iron. And if you know your Volvos, you'll know all about the storied strength of "Swedish steel."

This is the first XC60 built under the watchful eyes of Geely, and it makes use of an engineering platform shared with the XC90.

The front fascia is, in classic Volvo fashion, subdued, but it isn't boxy. It is a tad more svelte than the first-generation XC60 that the 2018 model year it replaces.

The Volvo XC60 is a pretty nice-looking SUV. Scandinavian values of restraint govern the aesthetic, for the most part. And the XC60 looks very good in "Crystal White."