Skip to main content

Some people like the loud roar of a supercar purring down the highway. That’s not actually as fun when it’s in an SUV, however. The 2021 Volvo XC60 has a very quiet interior that’s rather soothing after a long day at work. In fact, it’s so quiet that it managed to impress U.S. News and made it onto a list of “The 11 Quietest SUVs in 2021.” 

It doesn’t get quieter than this

If you’re used to driving a vehicle with a lot of wind noise, you might be pleasantly surprised at how quiet the interior is in the 2021 Volvo XC60. Outside noises are almost impossible to hear unless you’re listening very hard or it’s just very loud. The engine is also impeccably quiet. This is all thanks to the high-quality materials Volvo used.

Volvo has put a lot of focus on making the interior as luxurious as possible. The genuine leather seats are made for long rides, making the XC60 the idle SUV for road trips. To further make it road-trip-worthy, the cargo area is one of the biggest in its class.

Volvo isn’t getting stingy with the standard features either. The XC60 comes with a 9-inch touchscreen that can integrate with your smartphone, a 10-speaker audio system, and the Sensus infotainment system. Learning to navigate the Sensus system can be a little frustrating because it can sometimes take several steps to complete one task.

Volvo is currently focused on safety features and offers quite a few as standard such as a rearview camera, run-off road mitigation and protection, driver drowsiness monitoring, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring to name a few.

The 2021 Volvo XC60 has more than a sweet interior going for it

The 2021 Volvo XC60 won’t get any awards for its powerful engines, but most drivers looking at a compact SUV aren’t planning on going off-road or entering a drag race. The base model T5 engine is a 250-hp turbocharged four-cylinder.

The next engine option, known as the T6, is a 316-hp turbo- and supercharged four-cylinder engine. The third engine option, known as the T8, is a 400-hp turbo-four engine with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. 

The 2021 Volvo XC60 is not designed for hauling large loads, but when properly equipped, it can tow up to 3,500 pounds. That’s certainly not enough power to haul a sailboat, but there are plenty of boats and campers that you can haul which are well below this weight limit.

The one area that U.S. News wasn’t impressed with in the 2021 Volvo XC60 was the drive. It’s not exactly the life of the party when it comes to cruising around town. Volvo chose to put the emphasis on safety, so that’s understandable. 

The XC60 isn’t the only quiet vehicle to make the list

The 2021 Volvo XC60 wasn’t the only luxury automaker to make the list, but in a shocking twist, there were only five SUVs out of 11 that were from a true luxury brand. These include the BMW X3, the Buick Enclave, the Lincoln Navigator, and the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

The other SUVs to make the list of having the quietest interiors aren’t luxury automakers. These include the Chevy Traverse, the Ford Expedition, the Honda CR-V, the Kia Telluride, the Mazda CX5, and the Volkswagen Atlas.

This can be somewhat surprising since the key to a quiet interior often includes luxury materials. It just goes to show that more affordable automakers are putting greater effort into their vehicles, and consumers and critics alike are taking note.

RELATED: Consumer Reports: The Quietest Compact SUVs

Related

Even the 2020 Kia Telluride Shock Absorbers Are Noteworthy