After nine long years on the market, Volvo is finally ready to usher in the second generation XC60 SUV, and it comes complete with added comfort, a couple of extra safety features, and a fresh interior look that pushes it well into the realm of being able to compete with other premium SUVs once again. The outside of the XC60 has also morphed into a sleeker and much more attractive offering with deep, strategically placed lines, a revised waistline, and an overall more attractive package.

The new exterior look starts off up front with the revised grille that still sports a chrome surround and the traditional Volvo emblem, but now has vertical slats that seem to float within the grille surround. The new headlight units are thinner and link to the grille, but feature a unique LED strip that runs horizontally across the center of the light before getting taller and wider in the outside corners. Appropriately, it's called the “Thors Hammer” LED strip because it just seems to fit.

The lower portion of the fascia has been reformed to offer a sense of depth. The big changes to the sides include a belt line that swoops upward in the rear, reshaped rear quarter glass, a toned down side profiles, and some new wheels. Finally, sleeker and modern-looking taillights give the rear end a new look, while the lower fascia has been revised to include better placement of the exhaust outlets. All told, it’s an attractive exterior package, but what about the interior?

Inside, things get even juicier as a full update was in order, and boy did Volvo deliver. The seats now feature perforated center sections, while the center console is now taller, and doesn’t have that weird grade that the current model has, allowing for a central armrest up front. As such, the center console and center stack don’t appear to be one whole unit, and that ugly recessed infotainment display has been replaced by a much larger unit that protrudes from the dash just a bit. The whole dash has been redesign and is very pleasing to look at. The upper portion of the dash is wrapped in leather and gets contrasting stitching. The top pad creates a tiny overhang for the whole dash, including the instrument cluster and the new vent layout is much more attractive.

On the technology front, Volvo hasn’t said a whole lot, but considering this is a 2018 model and won’t launch for at least a few more months, that isn’t too surprising. However, the model you see here is sporting what appears to be a fully digital instrument cluster, with two primary gauges – one for speed and one that serves as a tachometer. The infotainment display serves not only as the centerpiece for navigation, communication, and audio pleasure, but also serves as the control for the integrated HVAC system – something that means fewer physical buttons and a cleaner overall appearance inside the cabin.

Volvo claims that the new XC60 is fully-loaded with new technology, but what that really means is that the City Safety system has been upgraded to include “Steer Assist.” This feature goes hand-in-hand with the new Oncoming Lane Mitigation system and will help steer the vehicle clear if oncoming traffic poses an immediate hazard, and the driver doesn’t react. It’s also integrated into the blind spot warning system and will help prevent accidental collisions with vehicles hidden off in your blind spot during lane changes.

On the drivetrain front, Volvo comes correct yet again, with power output increases across the board. At launch, you’ll be able to get the new XC60 with The gasoline powered T5 and T6 engines that now offer 254 horsepower and 320 horsepower, respectively. That’s an increase of 14 horsepower for the T5 and 18 horsepower for the T6. Volvo will also offer a couple of diesel powertrains (not likely to find their way into U.S. models, I’m sure) with the D4 engine offering up 190 horsepower and the D5 offering up 235 horsepower.

Finally, there’s the T8 Twin Engine hybrid that sits at the top of the range and delivers a cool 407 horsepower, which is enough to push the XC60 to the 62-mph mark in 5.3 seconds. Volvo hasn’t released torque figures for most of the engines, or any other performance-related information, but T6 carries on with the same 295 pound-feet of torque, so I suspect torque figures will remain the same for the other drivetrains as well. AWD should be available on certain trim levels as well.

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The Way it Should Be

I’ve been getting used to seeing facelifts and new-generation models that are too similar to their outgoing counterparts, but Volvo has managed to find just the right balance of new and old. That new waistline, the look of depth inside and out, the new technology – it’s exactly what the XC60 needed to remain relevant in the ever-growing and overpopulated SUV market.

As a 2018 model, the XC60 should go on sale late in the third quarter of 2017 or early in the last quarter, so if you’re looking for a new SUV you just might want to wait a bit before signing on the dotted line – you’re not going to want to miss the opportunity to consider the new XC60 on your hunt for the perfect, premium family hauler.

Read our full review on the new Volvo XC60 here.