Indecision regarding trim levels: Inscription vs R-Design

[miguelduarte42]

Hi everyone,

I am currently debating which trim level to go for on a new XC60. Here are my thoughts on each. I would really appreciate some input from current owners!

Inscription: Love the blonde interior, feels light and airy. However, I am worried about seat staining and overall wear and tear of the leather. I've seen a few worrying comments both here and in other forums. How problematic is this?

R-Design: Love the exterior and the 21'' rims, but the interior does not feel as luxurious and light as in the blonde Inscription. However, it seems like the seat material will hold up longer in good conditions.

Another question I have: will the dealers allow you to order an Inscription with the 21'' R-Design wheels?

[Bernard F]

Read the post Blond Leather Interior below dated yesterday and this may help you decide.

[Jimrod]

I find the R-Design bolsters are a bit of an obstacle climbing in and out (S90) and as such I worry about wearing the edges out, the quality of the materials themselves feel very classy though.

[Haldex]

R Design seats are a bit hard at first- at least for me, coming from the plush V60 comfort seats- first few weeks of ownership the impression was that I was sitting ON the seats rather than IN them It took some time to get used to them, and I guess they start giving a bit after a few weeks- now I just find them perfect.

The rest of interior is up to one's taste- I love the charcoal alcantara seat inserts/headliner combo with the silver dash accents. One thing exclusive to R is satin (matte) silver grille surround/trim on the outside- I personally dislike chrome..

Make sure you test drive a car with 21-inch wheels first.. I found the ride extremely uncomfortable- at least on french roads I opted for 19s myself..

Cheers!

[VOLVOL0VER]

Originally Posted by Haldex

R Design seats are a bit hard at first- at least for me, coming from the plush V60 comfort seats- first few weeks of ownership the impression was that I was sitting ON the seats rather than IN them It took some time to get used to them, and I guess they start giving a bit after a few weeks- now I just find them perfect.

The rest of interior is up to one's taste- I love the charcoal alcantara seat inserts/headliner combo with the silver dash accents. One thing exclusive to R is satin (matte) silver grille surround/trim on the outside- I personally dislike chrome..

Make sure you test drive a car with 21-inch wheels first.. I found the ride extremely uncomfortable- at least on french roads I opted for 19s myself..

Cheers!

I agree...i also dislike.

My friend if you found the ride with 21 inch wheels uncomfortable on french roads... imagine on portuguese roads I also opted for 19s myself...even if i admit that the 21-inch wheels are gorgeous and aesthetically add a lot to the R-Design. 19 inch wheels are ok i like the design but are kinda small. Well it all comes to what do you want for your car...comfort or aesthetics.

Before i ordered mine (XC60) i drove an Inscription D5 AWD and a R-Design Pro D4 FWD. The Inscription one with 20 inch wheels and standard suspension and the R-Pro with 21 inch wheels and air suspension. Inscription had blonde leather and a more luxurious feeling for sure. More airy more "fresh" ambience more lightly atmosphere. But the dealer warned me... in time your jeans will be all over the place and you'll be constantly cleaning leather in order to prevent stains and discolouring. Eventually in a long term use blonde leather will show quicker wear and tear. R-Design interior is more sportive in my opinion and still luxurious but not in that fancy refinement touch Inscription has. And i love way more R-design exterior than the Inscription one.


When i first drove the Inscription even small potholes were noticeable inside the car. I said to myself... wait until you drive the R-Design with 21 inch wheels. For sure it will be hell inside. I spoke to the dealer 2 days after and he told me that a R-Design with 21"s was uncomfortable as hell on our roads even with the air suspension on. I could not even imagine without air suspension. 21 inch wheels on R-Design standard stiffer suspension? Yeaah right... So some days later i drove the R-Design and let me tell you... you could feel every bump every pothole inside the car. Naaah... not for me. So i ordered R-Design but with 19 inch wheels. As i said before...it all comes to what you want and what are you able to sacrifice... aesthetics or comfort.

[miguelduarte42]

Originally Posted by VOLVOL0VER

My friend if you found the ride with 21 inch wheels uncomfortable on french roads... imagine on portuguese roads I also opted for 19s myself...even if i admit that the 21-inch wheels are gorgeous and aesthetically add a lot to the R-Design. 19 inch wheels are ok i like the design but are kinda small. Well it all comes to what do you want for your car...comfort or aesthetics.

Before i ordered mine (XC60) i drove an Inscription D5 AWD and a R-Design Pro D4 FWD. The Inscription one with 20 inch wheels and standard suspension and the R-Pro with 21 inch wheels and air suspension. Inscription had blonde leather and a more luxurious feeling for sure. More airy more "fresh" ambience more lightly atmosphere. But the dealer warned me... in time your jeans will be all over the place and you'll be constantly cleaning leather in order to prevent stains and discolouring. Eventually in a long term use blonde leather will show quicker wear and tear. R-Design interior is more sportive in my opinion and still luxurious but not in that fancy refinement Inscription has. And i love way more R-design exterior than the Inscription one.


When i first drove the Inscription even small potholes were noticeable inside the car. I said to myself... wait until you drive the R-Design with 21 inch wheels. For sure it will be hell inside. I spoke to the dealer 2 days after and he told me that a R-Design with 21"s was uncomfortable as hell on our roads even with the air suspension on. I could not even imagine without air suspension. 21 inch wheels on R-Design standard stiffer suspension? Yeaah right... So some days later i drove the R-Design and let me tell you... you could feel every bump every pothole inside the car. Naaah... not for me. So i ordered R-Design but with 19 inch wheels. As i said before...it all comes to what you want and what are you able to sacrifice... aesthetics or comfort.

Hehe, I guess we both had the same journey! I ended up going for the 19-inch D4 FWD R-Design in crystal white. Also from Portugal

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by miguelduarte42

Hi everyone,

I am currently debating which trim level to go for on a new XC60. Here are my thoughts on each. I would really appreciate some input from current owners!

Inscription: Love the blonde interior, feels light and airy. However, I am worried about seat staining and overall wear and tear of the leather. I've seen a few worrying comments both here and in other forums. How problematic is this?

R-Design: Love the exterior and the 21'' rims, but the interior does not feel as luxurious and light as in the blonde Inscription. However, it seems like the seat material will hold up longer in good conditions.

Another question I have: will the dealers allow you to order an Inscription with the 21'' R-Design wheels?

The R Design dark interior and roof lining made me go for the inscription and blond interior and have not regretted it at all, and at the time you could not have a heated steering wheel with the R Design which ruled it out. The seats in the R Design suffer from scuffing due to the side bolsters. This is a common problem on any car not just the Volvo.

[BiggyG]

Not driven an R design, but I didn’t want one due to the suede inlays for the seats. They are half leather. You can go for the Nappa upgrade on the R design also.

[J30 YAP]

Originally Posted by BiggyG

Not driven an R design, but I didn’t want one due to the suede inlays for the seats. They are half leather. You can go for the Nappa upgrade on the R design also.

In the XC60 r design, you cannot upgrade anything. There is no other leather option, no other wheel options. You get 19” wheels for the standard r design and 21” for the pro. I tried it.

[Haldex]

J30 YAP is right. There used to be a full nappa option on the R when I ordered mine (in Sept), but it's not available anymore..

In any case, from what I've read from long-term R owners on sweedespeed, the alcantara-like seat inserts wear much better than leather. I find them much more comfortable- no sliding around, it's breathable and much more pleasant in hot/cold weather.. But to each his own