2018 Wheels Car of the Year winner revealed!

FOR THE first time in Wheels Car of the Year history, an SUV has claimed the award two years on the trot – this time a premium-medium contender from Volvo, with the wonderfully well-rounded XC60.

This 2018 victory for the Volvo XC60 marks a turning point in the fortunes of the Swedish brand. Volvo has managed to secure a final-stage berth three times during this century’s Car of the Year testing – the V70 wagon in 2000, the S40/V40 in 2004, and the current XC90 in 2014 – but the class-leading XC60 represents the first time a Volvo has achieved total cohesion in design and execution.

VIDEO: Behind the scenes at Car of the Year 2018

“No matter where you look, the Volvo XC60 feels like a premium product”, said Editor Alex Inwood. “In an era defined by superficiality, the XC60 is exactly the product we expect from an engineering-led brand like Volvo. It sets a new global benchmark for medium SUVs and is a deserving winner of the Wheels Car of the Year award.”

The XC60’s podium-topping victory marks the first time a Swedish brand has claimed a COTY title. In fact, none of the three 2018 finalists (Alfa Romeo, Skoda and Volvo) had ever won the award, making it an exciting race to the finish. But it was the XC60’s sophistication and its unwavering consistency that thrust it clear of the competition.

“And the result is a terrific family SUV – at once both safe, stylish, good value and fun to drive – as well as a deserving Car of the Year winner. Finally, the billions of dollars the Chinese have invested in Sweden’s proud and often-pioneering 90-year-old marque have come to fruition.”

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