Volvo XC60 tops the popular poll as Auto Trader’s Best Car for Long Distances

When the open road calls, the Volvo XC60 is the top choice for Britain’s motorists. The premium mid-size SUV has added to its impressive honours collection with the title of Best Car for Long Distances in the Auto Trader New Car Awards.

The award was determined by the opinions of more than 63,000 UK motorists, with XC60 drivers rating their car highest in the key qualities required when making a long journey.

For a weekend getaway, family holidays or for business people pounding the motorways, the XC60 excels when it comes to space and convenience. Its clever packaging ensures the cabin provides plenty of room for everyone on board, plus flexible boot space that ranges from 505 litres with all the seats in place to a cavernous 1,432 litres with the rear seats folded.

The design of the seats and the precision ergonomics of the controls around the driver all contribute to journey comfort, reducing fatigue and providing a commanding view of the road ahead. The two-zone climate control with its CleanZone air-quality system and the integrated front seat heaters help maintain a comfortable cabin environment, while the Sensus multimedia and connectivity system gives access to a wide range of entertainment options and information and navigation for easy journey planning.

Volvo’s industry-leading focus on safety adds to the peace of mind when it comes to travelling longer distances. As well as advanced hazard-detection and collision-avoidance technology, the XC60 comes as standard with Driver Alert Control, which detects from steering inputs when the driver may be growing tired or losing concentration.

For business motorists in particular, costs are an important consideration. Here, the newly introduced XC60 D4 model with front-wheel drive is a strong proposition. The highly efficient diesel engine provides relaxed, flexible performance that’s ideal for long-distance driving, with the benefit of low fuel consumption (42.2 to 47.9mpg WLTP Combined cycle) and CO₂emissions from just 129g/km, meaning a 33% benefit-in-kind rate for company car taxation.

Erin Baker, Auto Trader’s Editorial Director, said: “The Volvo XC60 scored top in how comfortable it is to drive, which is of course vital when driving long distances. It was also recognised for its space, power and safety, and owners praised the car for the smoothness of ride and its very nice interior.”

Jon Wakefield, Volvo Car UK Managing Director, commented: “Once again, it’s the opinions of drivers that have secured another great award for Volvo, in this case for giving people all the qualities they look for when it comes to making long journeys. Owners appreciate and value the XC60’s high levels of comfort, safety, space and practicality, and its ability to put away the miles with ease and complete reliability.”

Auto Trader, which operates the UK’s largest website for new car purchases, interviewed car owners representing a broad cross section of the UK population. They were asked to rate their cars across a wide range of criteria, from reliability and performance to appearance and running costs. They were also asked about their overall satisfaction with their car and how likely they would be to recommend it to others.