T he Volvo is the plushest cab in the line-up. Wooden
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trim isn't to everyone's liking but it's done subtly here and combines with the leather seats to lend a feel of luxury—this is definitely a governor's wagon.
The flat cab floor gives loads of room for changing and this increases once the passenger seat has been folded back.
With all this room you're quite happy to leave your luggage there. That's not to say it's deficient on the storage front, which is just about acceptable. Wood and leather trim give an air of luxury: this is about as far from a gaffer's motor as you can get, with some thoughtful design touches. The XL's curving aerodynamic shape means there's not much space in the top of the cab, and the front lockers are rather shallow, though the header rail doesn't intrude too much. The under-bunk drawer has a volume of just 54 litres but the rest of the space is accessible from the outside. A fridge will go here, as long as you don't mind getting at it from outside the cab.
The eye-level lockers have ingenious nets that hold items securely but accessibly, and there's a useful cupholder by the driver's seat.
The lower-bunk didn't score too highly with Mr Khan in terms of the filling and feel of the mattress, but our tester reported the best night's sleep he'd had in months.
The peace at MIRA probably played its part but the mattress was obviously OK and the curtains did a good job of keeping out the light. A heavier driver might find things less comfortable, however.
The bunk controls run to a light, the radio and the heater. These switches are located towards the middle of the lower bunk which means the driver can reach them from either end but has to sit up if he wants to operate the heater in the middle of the night. The roof hatch is electrically operated, but not from the bunk.
The bunks could be better but the overall quality and finish of the Volvo makes it a worthy contender.