By Kevin Miller

11.07.2008

Every November, the Puget Sound Auto Dealers Association puts on the Seattle Auto Show. The show is largely a retail event, with mostly dealer-showroom vehicles on display, mostly dealer sales staff on hand to answer questions, and very little that a high-falootin’ auto writer like me hasn’t already seen. All the same, that many cars in one place is certain to draw me in. So I found myself driving through heavy Seattle rain on a Thursday afternoon to get to the show.

Happily the Volvo stand was just inside the front door. And among the handful of Volvo vehicles on display was an XC60 T6. The XC60 won’t hit showrooms until sometime in late winter or early spring of 2009, but when it does it should be a serious contender in its class of mid-sized, 5-seat crossovers. The XC60 on display had very soft two-tone leather upholstery, class-leading interior plastics, and a real oak “floating console” which was incredibly artful. The 281 HP T6 should move the XC60 nicely. It was a pleasant surprise to see that vehicle on Volvo’s stand in Seattle, but Volvo needs to drum up customer excitement however they can. The XC60 is a good way to do that. Continue Reading →