We are inching closer to the day when we can sit back and let the car do all the work.
Blind comedian and Strictly star Chris McCausland gave us an insight in his TV documentary when he was taken for a drive in San Francisco with no one behind the steering wheel.
The whole idea is not that far-fetched because of the huge advances in driverless technology over the last decade, and there are already bits and bobs in cars we are driving today.
I’ve just taken a trip when I virtually handed over the driving to the car, and not surprisingly it was the king of safety – Volvo. I hit roadworks half way into my journey on a wet and busy M6. Average speed cameras, of course, so I selected a speed, engaged adaptive cruise control and lane hold and the Volvo pretty much drove itself, accelerating and braking while following a vehicle, and preventing the car drifting out of the lane.
Don’t be thinking you can sit back and take a snooze. After a few seconds a warning tells the driver to put hands back on the wheel but this is certainly a case of steering into the future.
The car will emergency brake if it detects pedestrians, cyclists or a vehicle if a collision is imminent along with rear cross traffic braking, useful when reversing out of a supermarket parking bay and the like.
XC 60 has taken over from the seventies 240 as Volvo’s best selling car of all time and has had a bit of a refresh, mainly technical stuff and even more safety features, and a new grille that makes it look even more like the XC 90.
Should mention an upgrade to the plug-in hybrid where the range is now up to 50 miles, so for some that could mean electric only driving with a home charge top up taking only three hours.
For me the best part of a Volvo is the cabin. It is Scandi cool, just like the laid back Swedes with high quality light materials and finishes. It is just a relaxing place to be.
We first saw this new look a decade ago and it has only needed a few tweaks to keep it bang up to date. Then the downside was the revolutionary portrait style touchscreen, which was a nightmare to navigate with a telephone directory of menus and sub menus. It was too clever by half.
The same screen dominates the XC 60 dashboard but has gone from complicated to simple thanks to large easy to read icons, but if it is still too much use voice control which does just about anything requested. The same simplicity is mirrored on the steering wheel buttons for selecting information in the large driver’s display.
As a family car XC 60 ticks the important boxes, the front seats are the most comfortable of any car I have driven, there is ample space for three in the back and the boot, while not the largest in the class, is a good size.
The ride is more twitchy than expected but is set up for comfort and does a reasonable job of absorbing our annoying road surfaces. If sharper handling is on the must list then look at an Audi Q5 or BMW X3.
There should be no complaints on the performance front. Volvo uses the 2-litre petrol that has served them well for years and this T8 all wheel drive delivers a stampede of horsepower that will have you hitting sixty in under five seconds.
With the aid of hybrid the economy figures sound impossibly high – would you believe 282mpg – but driving on petrol only I managed 40mpg which is nothing to complain about.
After my super bright headlights problems with the Cupra Tavascan the XC 60 seems to have found a happy medium. This is also a Matrix system that lays a superb, complex carpet of light that does not cause problems for other drivers.
Nearly 70 grand for this top of the range model is a big chunk of money though not out of step with its premium sector rivals. It comes with all the bells and whistles but the key was that I felt completely safe in this car and that is not too high a price to pay.
Favourite feature: Brilliant voice control.
Fast facts
XC 60 T8 AWD Ultra
£68,860 (starts £48,410)
2-litre plug-in hybrid; 455bhp
0-62mph 4.9secs; 112mph
Electric range: Up to 50 miles
40mpg (Actual petrol only)
Full charge: 3 hours
32g/km. First VED £110
Insurance group 42
Boot: 468 litres
Towing: 2250kg
