How I'd spec itĬonsidering the Pilot Assist II is part of a $2,200 package and that the T8 engine is an $11,400 premium, I'd start with the base Momentum trim for $41,500. ![]() You could also look to the racy Jaguar F-Pace or to the Porsche Macan, both providing plenty of driving thrills, but sans any hybrid technology. The Audi Q5 is priced similarly, but is also down on power when compared with the T8. The lower-priced Mazda CX-5 comes to mind immediately, but it's short on technical features. There are only a few other midsize crossovers that provide as much fun behind the wheel. Drivers still need to pay attention, but Pilot Assist II helps make stop-and-go driving as safe and stress-free as possible. A warning from the dash reminded me that I was still in charge of the car and to put my damn hands on the wheel where they belong. It's so good that I found myself digging in my bag for my phone to check email while the car did the heavy work. Pilot Assist II even keeps the car centered in the lane. A quick tap on the gas or flick of the resume button gets things going again. Pilot Assist II puts all that to rest, bringing the car to a complete stop behind a lead vehicle, with a brief pause before disengaging. My daily commute through the Bay Area is notoriously bad, compounded by the stop-and-go suffering that is the wait at the Bay Bridge. However, it is the Pilot Assist II adaptive cruise control that really won me over. It was neither jolting nor surprising, and is sure to be a boon in California, where motorcyclists often split lanes and seemingly appear out of nowhere. The technology intervened gently after a visual alert and audible warning. While I'm not comfortable barreling toward a pedestrian or driving on the wrong side of the road, I had no problem performing a slight lane drift for the sake of this review. If the driver does not heed the system's warnings and attempts to change lanes in front of a vehicle approaching from the rear, the XC60 will steer itself back into the correct lane. Similar technology is at work in Volvo's new blind-spot monitoring system. I'm not crazy enough to speed toward a stationary object to test this feature for you, dear reader, so I will just say that the inclusion of this technology is part of the company's commitment to zero deaths or serious injuries in a new Volvo by 2020. If its computer detects the driver attempting an evasive maneuver to avoid hitting an object from the front, the XC60 will make the turn as effective as possible by braking the inner wheels, adding steering input and then braking the outside wheels after the maneuver to settle the chassis. When compared with the low mid-twenties combined rating of the T5 and T6 engine, the hybrid is looking pretty darn good. The T8 hybrid has an EPA fuel rating of 56 MPGe or 26 mpg with premium gas. ![]() Or if you prefer to never plug the thing in, the gas engine charges the battery as well, but doing so isn't as efficient. It can be charged using a standard 110v or 220v household outlet or at a 200v public charging station, reaching full-tilt boogie in about 2.5 hours. ![]() A 10.4-kWh battery is mounted in the center tunnel, so the hybrid doesn't lose much interior space in relation to its non-hybrid counterparts.
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