Volvo XC60 VS Honda ZR-V

Families will appreciate the XC60's cabin. Both rows of seating are roomy for the class and the front seats are supportive and comfortable with multiple adjustments available.

However, there is an electric toggle dial that controls the lumbar-, side-, and under-thigh supports as well as the massage function, but flipping between modes can be a bit confusing at first.

I enjoy having the practical two-position memory function on both front seats, as I’ve been travelling a lot with my husband and the heat/ventilation features on the front seats have been great during a recent run of strange weather.

The back seats are well-cushioned and the bench is wide with three adults being able to sit without too many grumbles. 

I have plenty of room for my 168cm height and my seven-year old is able to get in and out without any trouble thanks to the higher ground clearance.

Our absolute favourite feature is built-in child booster cushions in the outboard seats. They have two height positions to accommodate different heights/weights and it’s been wonderful for my son to have the autonomy of buckling himself in. But also just awesome for my husband and I because it’s one less thing to think about! 

Storage throughout the car is good for the class with the front enjoying a mid-sized middle console, large glove box, two cupholders and two large drink bottle holders. The extra-large storage bins in the front doors are also very handy. 

In the rear, you have two retractable cupholders in the fold-down armrest, two map pockets and two drink bottle holders in each door.

The other amenities are great with the individual climate control and four sets of directional air vents – ideally located on the back of the centre console and on the B-pillars. 

Charging options are solid with both rows enjoying two USB-C ports and the front also getting a 12-volt outlet and wireless charging pad. The boot has a 12-volt socket, too.

Onto the other technology, the 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and relatively easy to get around once you spend some time with it. Along with the Google subscription, you also get wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster shows the navigation map and the head-up display incorporates directions, which is great.

The cluster itself isn’t customisable, though, and I like fiddling with things like that to personalise the driving experience.

Another practical feature is a secondary key fob which can be programmed to control the maximum speed the car can travel and the audio volume.

I'm sure this would be handy for parents of any P-platers out there who often borrow the family car.

The key fobs are easily distinguishable. too. The spare for our test vehicle is a bright orange colour, so there are no 'whoops, I grabbed the wrong key' arguments, either.

The boot space is a great size at 483L offering plenty of room for holiday luggage. The back seat has a 60/40 split and a ski-port to open up storage options.

The loading space is level and there is a temporary spare tyre underneath the floor. You can adjust the height of the car using the air suspension and I love a powered tailgate.

Advantage: X-Trail. Families seeking space in a larger-than-usual mid-sized SUV need look no further.

Before we go on, remember, our photos show the Ti but the base ST-L that matches the ZR-V LX’s price point features an 8.0-inch (rather than 12.3-inch) central screen, more-traditional analogue instrumentation cluster with a 7.0-inch TFT screen, non-leather seat trim and conventional, rather than camera, interior mirror.

Regardless, you’re also likely to notice how large and airy the X-Trail interior is, with easy access to all five seats thanks to very wide-opening doors, revealing an interior offering heaps of legroom, headroom and shoulder room.

Nissan – just like Honda – got its interior right, with most of the important stuff thoughtfully executed – superb build quality, broad yet comfy front seats, ample ventilation, an excellent driving position with good all-around vision and completely logical control and button layout/access.

There's also more storage than you would know what to do with. Big bottle holders in the doors is another boon.

Remember when the X-Trail’s dash used to have chilled/cupholders, a centrally-located analogue instrument binnacle and two storage cubbies on either side, all to give it a rugged and utilitarian 4x4 feel?

That’s all gone now, with our Ti being the most opulent in the series’ 23-year (and four iteration) history.

More high points? Attractive and yet hardy, the long, low instrument panel features premium finishes, backed up by a chunky little steering wheel, an informative and multi-configurable digital instrument cluster, bi-level centre console bisecting the front seats for a cosier feel, and a big central touchscreen that’s simple to figure out and operate.

Out back, the quite flat yet supportive rear seats are remarkable for being slide-able as well as reclinable, while – as with the Honda – occupants are treated to rear air outlets, USB-A and USB-C port access, a centre folding armrest with cupholders and even more bottle storage in the doors.

Plus – predictably – the deep side windows lend a lot of light and vision out, adding yet another dimension of family friendliness. The substantially larger CR-V would have been a better fit for this showdown.

That all said, it’s not as if Honda was sitting on its hands when creating the ZR-V’s interior.

Strangely enough, it’s not as tight inside as its smaller length and wheelbase measurements suggest – especially if you’re a human and not, say, a tumble dryer trying to be shoved in the back. More on that later.

Up front, the ZR-V is typical modern Honda, with a simple – say might even say sparse – dashboard layout that, with plenty of soft-feel surfaces and strip of honeycomb trim, manages to look classy as well as sensible.

The leather front seats are cushy and nicely bolstered, providing an absolutely superb and immersive driving position ahead of elegant and crystal-clear digitalised instrumentation.

Along with the thick-rimmed sports steering wheel with paddle shifters (for regen-braking effort), it feels inclusive in here, like you’re about to drive a low-slung sports sedan. Thin A-pillars provide better-than-usual forward vision, too.

However, over-the-shoulder vision is poor due to the slim side and back glasshouse, and the black trim does make it seem smaller inside than it actually is, while having no factory sunroof availability – even as an option – is an oversight. That would at least shower the cabin with more light.

On the other hand, a high-set digital speed readout renders the absent head-up display almost superfluous, the cupholders, smartphone charger pad and under-console shelf are thoughtfully placed, the climate control is beautifully intuitive to operate and the tactility of the toggle and switchgear controls are right up there with luxury car alternatives.

Likewise, the back-seat area is also inviting, with ample room for even taller adults, proving the ZR-V’s rear isn’t cramped, just cosy due to the well-padded seating and high window line.

And the backrest has a 40/20/40 split, meaning the centre bit can be folded down for additional longer-load-through accessibility from the back. Great for skis or broomsticks.

Note, though, that, unlike in the X-Trail, neither the base nor backrest slide or recline, respectively, it’s dark enough to be a gloomy Smiths album out back, the back doors can’t hold a bottle, there are no overhead grab handles, and what’s with that fiddly roof-mounted centre rear lap/sash seat belt location?

Further back, it’s a no-brainer... on paper.

The X-Trail trumps the ZR-V with 205 litres more cargo capacity at 575L versus 370L. But in reality, both offer a decently-sized opening to help make loading bulky things inside easy.

There are low flat floors with sufficient depth and width for plenty of gear and a few nooks and crannies for additional items.

Keep in mind that neither carry spare wheels. You get a can of goo and an air pump instead. Not good enough for many rural drivers.

And that X-Trail hybrid's boot space is 10L less than the five-seat petrol-only versions, but much bigger than the 465L offered up in the seven-seat variants (also petrol-only). And speaking of internal combustion processes…