Owning It: Volvo V60 D5 Geartronic Essential Part 2 (2011)

In the first instalment of my ownership experience with Volvo’s V60 D5 Geartronic Essential, I briefly touched on how Volvo has in recent years spent a lot of time, money and energy to reinvent themselves, in the process not only modernising all its various enterprises, but also going back to its roots, identifying and focusing on traditional Scandinavian values and strengths when making decisions instead of global trends. From this process came several catchy new slogans, the main message being that there’s more to life than a Volvo, which is why you drive one – that their cars are, in fact, designed around you.

I’m happy to report that, after almost a month of driving only the V60, my affection towards it has only deepened. I’ve picked up no major problems with my V60 and am very happy that I’ve been able to stabilise its fuel consumption as well – it’s come down dramatically to average between 8.3-litres/100km and 8.7-litres/100km. On the open road, cruising between 110km/h and 130km/h seems to lead to the best consumption (between 5.1-litres/100km and 6.0-litres/100km), but it’s when you’re stuck in urban traffic that it gets significantly heavier, hence the high average. That said, the excellent boot space has come in very handy with all the family’s Christmas shopping.

What I love most about the V60, however, is that its design remains eye-catching – some cars are good to look at but become quite bland and boring after a while. Not so with the V60, and I smile whenever I see another V60 – or even an S60 – on the road or in the parking lot. I smile because I know in my heart of hearts that these owners feel the same way I do: ecstatic. Hopefully by the end of this report you’ll understand why driving a Volvo is such a special experience. In the initial report I promised to share some other Volvo experiences with you in an attempt to show how well the car integrates with different lifestyle aspects.

The route map for the 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race

One such lifestyle, which isn’t as big in South Africa as in certain European countries especially, is sailing. While I have heard of the Volvo Ocean Race prior to this year, it’s not featured prominently in my mind as something that should really be associated with the brand. However, thanks to Volvo Car South Africa, who allowed me the once-in-a-lifetime (and money-can’t-buy) opportunity to experience the Volvo Ocean Race first-hand, the race has now made a gigantic impact on my life.

Considered the Mount Everest of ocean racing, the Volvo Ocean Race – or VOR, for short – started in 1973 already, known then as the Whitbread Round the World Race. It’s now owned completely by Volvo (with an independent holding company called Volvo Ocean Race) and is widely regarded as the toughest race of its kind globally. It’s also the longest professional sporting event in the world, as it’s a nine-month marathon of the seas that passes through four oceans and five continents for a total distance of 39 270 nautical miles – equivalent to 72 728.04 kilometres, or driving from Cape Town to Cairo and back (as the crow flies) five times.

The race started from the port of Alicante in Spain on October 29^th this year, with the first leg taking the six crews to Cape Town, where we caught up with the teams (Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Télefonica, Team Sanya, Groupama and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand) from December 8^th to 11^th, when the second leg to Abu Dhabi officially started. During the Cape Town stopover, we had the opportunity to learn everything there was to know about the VOR, its teams and the immense challenges they face out on the ocean. I could probably write a book about the race and especially the dramatic first leg, but I won’t just yet. (If you are interested, the Volvo Ocean Race website has fantastic content about the race, including video footage directly from the boats).

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's yacht Azzam, skippered by Britain's Ian Walker, returns to Alicante, Spain after the mast broke in rough weather on the first day of racing on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. (Photo Credit: Paul Todd/Volvo Ocean Race)

Team Sanya in the Mediterranean port of Motril assessing the state of their boat after hull damage forced them to suspend racing on Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. (Credit: Team Sanya/Volvo Ocean Race)

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, skippered by Ken Read from the USA, had suffered a broken mast on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. The rig onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro failed at around 15:00 UTC in the southern Atlantic Ocean, about 2,150 nautical miles from Cape Town. (Credit: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race)

During our stay, four of my colleagues and I had the opportunity to join one of the teams (CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand) from the ProAm Race in Cape Town – a big surprise to us, of course, but probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The ProAm race doesn’t count towards the teams’ scoring in the race (the get points for finishing each leg as well as for the In-Port Race), but gives selected members of the media and VIP guests of Volvo and the different race sponsors a first-hand experience of what it’s like on these yachts. And first hand it is, because half of the crew stays behind, with the guests taking their place on the boat. One of my colleagues summed the experience up brilliantly when he stated that he’s never worked so hard in his life (we were on the boat for slightly more than an hour, mind you). We all agree however that it was a beyond awesome experience. Included below are three video clips that should give you more insight into the VOR:

Stealth mode and piracy in the Volvo Ocean Race explained:

The Volvo Ocean Race Cape Town In-Port Race 2011/2012:

The Volvo Ocean Race Leg 2 Restart, Cape Town to Abu Dhabi:

The point of this exercise however was not purely to have members of the media experience the race in a hands-on manner (yes, that was part of it, of course, and we’re all still closely monitoring the race two weeks later). The main purpose of this weekend in Cape Town was to showcase what Volvo is about: each sphere of manufacturing in which the company is active – from Volvo Car to Volvo Penta, Volvo Bus, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Aero – was represented in the Volvo Pavilion for us and the general public to experience though guided tours and virtual reality. This gives you as customer – and potential buyer – a holistic view of the company, what it does, how it does it, and why it does it the way it does. It was ultimately a very successful exercise as I, for one, now have a much clearer understanding of the brand and each of its subsidiaries, but more importantly, how each of these aspects affects my life.

The Volvo Concept Universe

Reworked and refined - the Volvo Concept You

The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid - no news yet as to whether we'll ever get to drive it in South Africa...

From the Concept Universe and V60 Plug-in Hybrid that was on display to the C30 Electric (which we got to drive as well – see Brent Ellis’s review here), not to mention a Skype conference with one of Volvo Car’s designers in Sweden, it’s become clear to me that Volvos are not just designed to be good-looking cars that compete with whatever else is available out there. Yes, that definitely plays a part in the process, but the two main focus areas in Volvo design is staying true to its own heritage and putting the customer first. Every detail in every car is designed specifically to make your life as customer easier and your driving experience more enjoyable.

Seeing and understanding a car company, and hearing about it from the company itself in such a holistic way, is a privilege. For me as a journalist, it provides the backdrop I need to evaluate every car the company makes, giving me a clearer insight into what they tried to achieve with the car. It’s easy to criticise a car for what we as consumers perceive it to be (or not to be, as is often the case), but when you have a deeper understanding of why a company does things in a specific way, you can also appreciate a car more for not being like everything else available. In the case of Volvo, I now know that their cars are designed around me – it’s a slogan that has become a reality. I also now know that there’s more to life and to Volvo, which is why for the month that remains, I will revel in the fact that I drive one.

The Volvo V60 "Ocean Race" special edition - sadly not available in South Africa

For more information on the Volvo Ocean Race, visit www.volvooceanrace.com

To view VOR videos directly from YouTube, click here.