2021 Volvo XC60 vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Volvo XC60, a product of Volvo's rebirth under Geely Holding Group, showcased a blend of Swedish elegance and modern engineering. Built on the SPA platform, the XC60 shared its architecture with other 60-series and 90-series vehicles, offering a cohesive design language across Volvo's lineup. The XC60's exterior featured a tailored two-box design with short overhangs, an upright grille with Volvo's iron mark logo, and distinctive Thor's hammer LED headlights. The paint quality, chrome, and trim were meticulously executed, and the large alloy wheels added a fashionable touch. Inside, the XC60's cabin exuded Scandinavian style with clean lines, authentic materials, and a serene atmosphere. The 9-inch portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen, elegant HVAC vents, and harmonious textures and colors elevated the interior to near-luxury status.

The 2021 Ford Edge, refreshed in 2019, maintained a clean and modern exterior design that integrated well with Ford's current look. The Edge Titanium models featured extra chrome accents, while the Edge ST trim boasted a blacked-out grille, standard 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The interior, however, showed signs of aging, with a design that had been awkwardly tweaked over the years to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models offered leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching. Despite its age, the Edge's interior remained functional and competitive in its segment.

The 2021 Volvo XC60 offered a range of powertrains, all based on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The T5 models, available with FWD or AWD, produced 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 models, with AWD only, delivered 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque thanks to a turbocharger and supercharger. The T8 models, plug-in hybrids, combined a gasoline engine with an 87-hp electric motor, resulting in 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The T8 Polestar Engineered variant pushed these figures to 415 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The XC60 T8 PHEV could drive up to 19 miles on electric power alone and achieved an impressive 57 MPGe in electric-only mode. The XC60's AWD system and torque vectoring provided excellent handling, while the cabin remained quiet and the suspension smooth. Fuel economy ranged from 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway/25 mpg combined for the T5 FWD to 27 mpg combined for the T8 PHEV.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Edge ST performance model offered a more powerful EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6, delivering 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST also had an option package with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge's towing capacities ranged from 3,958 pounds for the base FWD four-cylinder model to 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered Edge ST. While the Edge ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, it fell short in comparison but still offered a sporty driving experience. The turbo-four engine in non-ST models was noted to be somewhat sluggish.

The 2021 Volvo XC60 excelled in providing comfort and functionality. The front seats were highly adjustable and praised for their comfort, especially in winter conditions. The heating system, heated seats, and defrosters performed exceptionally well in sub-freezing temperatures. The cabin featured smart storage solutions in the center console, dashboard, and door panels, with additional storage in the second row. The XC60 offered 21.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and up to 63.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Each XC60 model was rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. The Edge provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Higher trim levels featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The center console, despite the rotary shift knob designed to free up space, remained narrow, with an out-of-the-way storage nook below that could be difficult to reach.

The 2021 Volvo XC60's infotainment system, Sensus, featured a tablet-style touchpad interface with swipe, pinch, and pull gestures familiar to iPad users. The portrait-oriented screen was divided into function quadrants, making it intuitive for some but requiring a learning curve. The system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a WiFi hotspot with a three-month trial. The Volvo On Call app added vehicle-specific functionality. The Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system in the test model was exceptional.

The 2021 Ford Edge was equipped with the latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen and standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were also standard. The Edge ST models included a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. Sync 4's simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts were user-friendly.

The 2021 Volvo XC60 continued Volvo's legacy of safety, earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and five-star ratings from the NHTSA for the T5/T5 AWD and T6 AWD models. Standard safety features included LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, collision avoidance, and various mitigation systems. Volvo's semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system was available, integrating adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. The XC60's top speed was limited to 112 mph for safety.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS Top Safety Pick, with top ratings in most crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, along with Evasive Steering Assist, was standard on all but the base SE trim.