Family Car Review: 2024 Volvo XC60

How big is the boot of the 2024 Volvo XC60?

The boot of the 2024 Volvo XC60 is very large and practical for families of all sizes. When empty, it will hold fourteen shopping bags, which is comparable to the Audi Q5 and Range Rover Velar, which both hold 14 shopping bags. The BMW X5 will hold 16 shopping bags, and the Jaguar F-Pace and Porsche Macan both hold 13 shopping bags.

The LeclercBaby Influencer XL one-hand fold stroller fits nicely in the boot of the Volvo XC60 with the bassinet for those families with infants with room for six bags of shopping beside it.

The LeclercBaby Influencer XL one-hand fold stroller fits in the boot of the Volvo XC60, with room for eleven bags of shopping.

The LeclercBaby Influencer XL one-hand fold stroller, fits nicely in the boot of the Volvo XC60, with room beside it for eleven bags of shopping…

…and with its compatible Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule installed into the Volvo XC60.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as the kids lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

If your family has a fur baby, you can transport a medium/large-sized dog in the boot of the Volvo XC60 SUV.

Or a twin side-by-side pram will fit in the foot with four bags of shopping.

How good is storage in the 2024 Volvo XC60?

In the cabin of the 2024 Volvo XC60, the interior is calm with minimal storage.

In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console, they will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. In front of them is a charging pad for your phone and a 12V socket. Behind the cup holders is a nice little central console storage box that is lined so things won't rattle and slide around inside it.

The glove box will hold my iPad and wallet with the manual.

The door bins are generous in the front and will hold a refillable water bottle, and an iPad and wallet will fit, too. They also have storage in the little handle wells in the door.

Rear passengers are very well catered for, with pop-out cup holders on the front of the central seat fold-down armrest. Reusable or disposable coffee cups fit for older passengers, or a child's cup will fit in them.

The rear door bins are small and will only hold a 600ml water bottle and they have storage in the handle wells which are great for popping little kids' snacks and toys into.

Net map pockets on the back of both front seats will hold an iPad or kid's book but not conceal it, and there are two USB-C charging sockets in the back of the central console box so rear passengers can charge devices while driving.

How noisy is the 2024 Volvo XC60? How good is the media system in the 2024 Volvo XC60?

The 2024 Volvo XC60 is a quiet drive; being a luxury SUV, the road and wind noise are minimal, and you are well-cocooned from the outside world, making it a more enjoyable driving experience for passengers, young and old.

The media system in the Volvo XC60 is lovely and modern and very easy to use and navigate. There is a great selection of Apps like Spotify, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.

The Volvo XC60 has Apple CarPlay, so you can easily access your phone's navigation, messaging and listening apps while driving.

A great screen for families is the sound screen! You can easily control the sound and move it to the front if your little ones fall asleep in the back through the media screen.

The aircon and climate are easily controlled through the media screen and the heated seats.

When you put it in reverse, the camera images on the bottom half of the screen are nice and clear.

… you can see different views, like the helpful kerb guide…

… and the 360-degree camera uses the whole screen.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The indicators are not too loud in the Volvo XC60, and you can lock the doors and windows using the buttons on the driver's door.

The elaborate glass gear knob accentuates the central console.

How many child seats fit in the new 2024 Volvo XC60?

There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats; they are within plastic guides and are nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seatbacks. The outer two are clearly labelled in the centre of the seatbacks, and the central seat top tether anchorage is below the hatch opening. A netted storage area on the left of the boot is handy for families.

Three Infasecure child seats fit really easily across the rear seats of the 2024 Volvo XC60. I installed the Infasecure Attain More and Infasecure Momentum More forward-facing and the Infasecure Adapt More infant capsule rear-facing.

In the base of the two outer rear seats of the Volvo XC60, there are built-in booster seats. These are simple to use; you simply press the button and pull them out of the seat base. I found these fantastic to use with my eldest daughter rather than her sitting in an installed booster seat.

There are two heights of cushion, which you select depending on your child's height. There is a label that clearly states how to use it.

The Volvo XC60 is a fantastic car for tall families; the interior is very spacious, making leg room very generous. With a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule installed, we could fit a 186cm or taller driver in front of it.

With forward-facing Infasecure Achieve and Momentum More child seats we could fit even taller front passengers in front of them.

Posting Bub into their child seats in the back from inside and outside the car is nice and easy. The door openings are wide and tall, being an SUV, and there is plenty of interior space.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

I found there is room to feed Bub in the back with a child seat installed.

How comfortable is the new 2024 Volvo XC60? And How good is the new 2024 Volvo XC60 to drive?

The front seats of the 2024 Volvo XC60 are very comfortable and adjustable using controls on the side of the seat bases. They are divided by the central console, giving much-needed personal space to each parent.

For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are comfortable.

There is a hump in the central footwell so you do have to straddle it with your feet in the central seat.

I found I could sit between two child seats in the back or beside them comfortably.

The seats are dark leather in the front-end back, which does get hot in the sun but will wipe clean easily from kids spills!

For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.

There are four air-conditioning vents in the front of the 2024 Volvo XC60. Four across the front dashboard; one either side of the media screen and one at either end of the dash…

… and air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box for rear passengers.

There are also rear-side pillar air vents for rear passengers.

There are climate controls in the media screen…

…as well as with the rear air vents so everyone in the car is able to travel at a comfortable temperature

There are lights and handles above both rear doors that are well-positioned to hang a toy for rear-facing passengers.

I have found our kids do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

Visibility is good in the new 2024 Volvo XC60 even with three Infasecure child seats in the back and it is improved even more by the rearview camera…

…and the 360-degree camera.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Ioniq 6 was simple to park as the visibility with the cameras is very good!

How safe is the 2024 Volvo XC60?

The 2024 Volvo XC60 has seven airbags and is currently unrated with an ANCAP safety rating as it was tested too long ago. However, before it expired it did have a five-star ANCAP rating.