My 2012 XC60 SeaShell Metallic / Anthracite - more photos

[drat19]

OK folks...
I already posted a dealer photo last night over on the "Closing in..." thread I had going; here are a few more that I took this morning that might be helpful to everyone...

Views of the vehicle:



Some shots of the WeatherTech Extreme Floor Liners that I installed in the front:



Some shots of the Volvo Reversible/Folding Cargo mat:

[Spoilsmacker]

I really like the color combination!

[drat19]

I really like the color combination!

Thanks...as I've documented in other threads, seems like the only way to get a SeaShell with Anthracite is to special-order...every dealer I spoke to only orders SeaShells for stock with the beige interior.

[coachrick]

Good job! When I took the XC in for rear brake pads, I scoped out a red R-series with two-tone interior...I think they could call it 'Write me a ticket'-red !

Noticed the rear hatch moves much faster than our '10...nice improvement. Interesting how different the front looks without fog lights...not sure which I prefer.

Ours came with Scorpion Zero tires...same for you? We switch out to Scorpion A/T at 18K miles(construction nails)...much more of an off-road tread, a good bit noisier. Some folks notice the more aggressive tread design and comment. I'll find a 'quieter' compromise, should we not trade before new tires are due.

Thought I would mention...there might be a two-week period in January that allows us to leave the moonroof shade open...otherwise, it gets really hot when the sun hits it. Glad we have the privacy glass in the rear windows!

I'm sure you'll notice...water likes to 'hide' under the liftgate spoiler and dribble down the rear window AFTER you have dried the car(again!). I just try to remember to check it after driving or letting it sit for a while. Otherwise, the embarrassment could be overwhelming!!!

Where'd you drive for lunch? Have fun!

[drat19]

Good job! When I took the XC in for rear brake pads, I scoped out a red R-series with two-tone interior...I think they could call it 'Write me a ticket'-red !

Noticed the rear hatch moves much faster than our '10...nice improvement. Interesting how different the front looks without fog lights...not sure which I prefer.

Ours came with Scorpion Zero tires...same for you? We switch out to Scorpion A/T at 18K miles(construction nails)...much more of an off-road tread, a good bit noisier. Some folks notice the more aggressive tread design and comment. I'll find a 'quieter' compromise, should we not trade before new tires are due.

Thought I would mention...there might be a two-week period in January that allows us to leave the moonroof shade open...otherwise, it gets really hot when the sun hits it. Glad we have the privacy glass in the rear windows!

I'm sure you'll notice...water likes to 'hide' under the liftgate spoiler and dribble down the rear window AFTER you have dried the car(again!). I just try to remember to check it after driving or letting it sit for a while. Otherwise, the embarrassment could be overwhelming!!!

Where'd you drive for lunch? Have fun!

HA! No drive for lunch today...although I did take time out to go outside to my driveway and customize 'My Car" to my wants. And I had to clean all the bug residue off my front end from last night's drive home to prevent long-term damage after just one day...we'll see how long THAT level of OCD lasts...LOL.

My XC60's stock tires surprised me...I thought I had read that it would come stocked with Pirellis, but instead it's stocked with Michelin Latitude Tour HP 235/60R18's. I was not a fan of the stock Michelin Pilot HX MXM4's that were delivered on my now-traded '06 Acura TL (road noise), so we'll have to see how these Michelins behave. I replaced those stock Michelins on my Acura with Bridgestone Turanza Serenity's, which are a FANTASTIC premium tire, IMHO...great wet and dry performance (not for off-road), and QUIET as the name suggests.

Looks like I'll have to replenish my stock of Stoner's Invisible Glass for frequent window treatments.

[Mephisto]

Didn't hear they were switching tire brands.

[coachrick]

Didn't hear they were switching tire brands.

I'm pretty sure our '11 C70 has the same Mich MXM4 tire as our '08 had.(No excessive road noise for us) I've only noticed Pirellis on the XC(but I haven't really been checking). Hopefully, I'm a good 20K miles from needing tires on the XC. 'Might' have to trade for a new one by then!!!

[qwaszxxx]

Nice, congrats! That is a nice color combo. I'm surprised they are as rare as they are given how good it looks. Enjoy!

[drat19]

Nice, congrats! That is a nice color combo. I'm surprised they are as rare as they are given how good it looks. Enjoy!

Well based on the feedback on the forums, they HAVE been seen, but from what I can tell for their stock allocations the dealers play it safe and order with the beige interior on it. Interestingly, when I placed my order and left my deposit, my dealer (the sales manager at the dealership) and I chatted and we talked about the fact that I knew that my worst case, if my economic situation changed before delivery and I might have had to back out of the deal, would be that I would have forfeited my deposit. My dealer said that, if that had happened, he would have worked with me on mitigating that if he could, because he was extremely confident that the configuration I ordered was very attractive and that he would have little trouble selling it if he got "stuck" with it.

So like you say QWAS, if it's so attractive, why not order that combo for stock? Maybe some of the dealers who lurk on this board might chime in on that?

[qwaszxxx]

Well based on the feedback on the forums, they HAVE been seen, but from what I can tell for their stock allocations the dealers play it safe and order with the beige interior on it. Interestingly, when I placed my order and left my deposit, my dealer (the sales manager at the dealership) and I chatted and we talked about the fact that I knew that my worst case, if my economic situation changed before delivery and I might have had to back out of the deal, would be that I would have forfeited my deposit. My dealer said that, if that had happened, he would have worked with me on mitigating that if he could, because he was extremely confident that the configuration I ordered was very attractive and that he would have little trouble selling it if he got "stuck" with it.

So like you say QWAS, if it's so attractive, why not order that combo for stock? Maybe some of the dealers who lurk on this board might chime in on that?

Haha yeah, I'm sure it would have sold in a heartbeat. I would have loved that color for our car on order, but its not offered on the R. How long did your car take from port to dealer btw? Ours got off the boat on the 3rd, and still nothing! Madness I tell you, madness!

[GrecianVolvo]

So like you say QWAS, if it's so attractive, why not order that combo for stock? Maybe some of the dealers who lurk on this board might chime in on that?

As you know, I do not work at a Volvo retailer but I used to for at least 13.5 years (and ordered 99% of the cars for either store I worked for); therefore, I will give you the reasons:

Certain colors "go better" (as far as the majority of the demographics are concerned) with certain interiors. Having said that, most "gold" colors are preferable with a lighter interior. Black can go either way. Whites, typically, go with a light interior as well. Blue colors, the same way. Darker Greys (and Silvers) almost all the time with the black interiors although, in the South (where the weather is hotter) people do order silver or grey cars with dark interiors. Dark reds are, usually, ordered with a light interior whereas bright reds with the darker interior.

A few years back, when inventory levels were plentiful, most sales managers had the luxury to "experiment" or be "daring", meaning ordering some cars "out of the norm". Today, inventory levels are very, very low. A sales manager has to be either a little more conservative or really use his/her skills and knowledge and maximize the small inventory he/she gets from the manufacturer. A few years back, if a sales manager went out on a limb on about 5% to 10% of his allocation, that did not have very negative repercussions. Today, if you mess up 10% of your smaller allocation, you are going to pay dearly. Less sales, more dealer trades, more lost sales.

With that, please do not deduce that Seashell/Anthracite is not a nice combination. I would, personally, order it in a heartbeat. However, if 10 people were asked what interior would they prefer on a Seashell XC60, I can assure you that at least 7 or 8 would choose beige. Your sales manager liked it because it was a combination that was not common, it appealed to him in the sense that he realized he should step out of the box a bit, so he told you what he told you.

[drat19]

As you know, I do not work at a Volvo retailer but I used to work at a Volvo retailer for did so for at least 13.5 years (and ordered 99% of the cars for either store I worked for); therefore, I will give you the reasons:

Certain colors "go better" (as far as the majority of the demographics are concerned) with certain interiors. Having said that, most "gold" colors are preferable with a lighter interior. Black can go either way. Whites, typically, go with a light interior as well. Blue colors, the same way. Darker Greys (and Silvers) almost all the time with the black interiors although, in the South (where the weather is hotter) people do order silver or grey cars with dark interiors. Dark reds are, usually, ordered with a light interior whereas bright reds with the darker interior.

A few years back, when inventory levels were plentiful, most sales managers had the luxury to "experiment" or be "daring", meaning ordering some cars "out of the norm". Today, inventory levels are very, very low. A sales manager has to either be a little more conservative or really use his/her skills and knowledge and maximize the small inventory he/she gets from the manufacturer. A few years back, if a sales manager went out on a limb on about 5% to 10% of his allocation, that did not have very negative repercussions. Today, if you mess up 10% of your smaller allocation, you are going to pay dearly. Less sales, more dealer trades, more lost sales.

With that, please do not deduce that Seashell/Anthracite is not a nice combination. I would, personally, order it in a heartbeat. However, if 10 people were asked what interior would they prefer on a Seashell XC60, I can assure you that at least 7 or 8 would choose beige. Your sales manager liked it because it was a combination that was not common, it appealed to him in the sense that he realized he should step out of the box a bit, so he told you what he told you.

Thank you as always for the informed perspective, Yannis...always interesting/pertinent.

And as we discussed here previous to my order, SeaShell/Anthracite of course IS a nice combination - obviously *I* think so , others here seem to as well, and on the non-R with the off-black lower body cladding, that really brings the off-black interior together with it, to the eye. Furthermore, some of you may remember on other early threads I posted, my first color choice was Barents or Caspian Blue with a beige interior (I didn't want a "dark on dark" combo), but I couldn't get past that beige steering wheel, so I switched from the "dark on light" Blue/Beige to the "light on dark" SeaShell/Anthracite.

I would also point out (and not just because I ordered it!) that I think SeaShell is an underrated exterior color for a number of reasons: (1) It's on the "generic" list (i.e., doesn't have the "R-Design Asterisk" on the colors list), (2) photographs as some combination of beige or gray in the glossy and on-line brochures, and (3) the name "SeaShell" doesn't really tell you what it is. One of the salespeople at a different dealer called it "more of a champagne"...that's not a bad description. And photos/lighting confuse it a bit as well. It isn't until you see one in person that it's more obvious what the color looks like, and how attractive it turns out to be. I was lucky in that one of the dealerships I went to had a few in stock (on base 3.2's with beige interior, of course) and I got to see it and put it on my list, and eventually order.

[drat19]

Haha yeah, I'm sure it would have sold in a heartbeat. I would have loved that color for our car on order, but its not offered on the R. How long did your car take from port to dealer btw? Ours got off the boat on the 3rd, and still nothing! Madness I tell you, madness!

My car arrived in what has to be close to record time for a custom order, especially right at the start of a model year and delivery to a low-volume region (the "black hole of Volvo" Gulf Coast). Besides getting lucky on its place in the factory production queue (see signature - order/delivery date), it arrived at the Brunswick, GA port on 08Aug, went to "Delivered From" status at the port on 09Aug, had already gone thru Customs paperwork pre-clearance before it even arrived at port (on 05Aug), was the last vehicle to be loaded on its land transport before departure from port on 10Aug (i.e., there was a transport waiting with other vehicles already loaded onto it, and my vehicle happened to be the one that "closed it out for go"), and arrived at my dealer in Pensacola on 11Aug late afternoon. My dealer sales manager told me he was stunned at the turnaround and then delivery time for my XC60, and I honestly don't think he was feeding me "sales manager speak" on that statement, either...anecdotal evidence here on this board seems to confirm that ordered vehicles don't seem to usually deliver in that timeframe.

[oldbob1938]

My car was ordered on June 4th and ready for me on Aug 12th. I wasn't able to pick it up until the 15th. But, the boat trip was somewhat longer. The dealer had originally estimated 90 days from order to having it in my hands. I presume that was conservative to keep me from calling every few days. I'll post some pictures once I figure out how. At the moment, my permissions say I cannot post attachments, and according to the FAQ is need that permission. I read the instructions and I don't see the controls that I need to post pictures.

[drat19]

My car was ordered on June 4th and ready for me on Aug 12th. I wasn't able to pick it up until the 15th. But, the boat trip was somewhat longer. The dealer had originally estimated 90 days from order to having it in my hands. I presume that was conservative to keep me from calling every few days. I'll post some pictures once I figure out how. At the moment, my permissions say I cannot post attachments, and according to the FAQ is need that permission. I read the instructions and I don't see the controls that I need to post pictures.

I Emailed you the procedure for starting your own thread and posting those pics, Oldbob. Can't wait to see 'em!

[qwaszxxx]

My car was ordered on June 4th and ready for me on Aug 12th. I wasn't able to pick it up until the 15th. But, the boat trip was somewhat longer. The dealer had originally estimated 90 days from order to having it in my hands. I presume that was conservative to keep me from calling every few days.

Yeah, your car was on the same boat as ours. Interesting in the disparity b/w delivery dates dispite the fact both dealers are in the LA area. Hopefully they get the car in today, we've got flights and hotels all booked to go pick it up tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

[CML]

Looks great drat. I have the exact same interior on order. Did you consider adding the wood insert on the center panel? I went back and forth, but decided it was too much of a risk not being able to see it. Now that I see it on the volvo website, I'm still not sure if it would look really nice, or a little out of place. Anyway, well done on your order choices. I'll definitely be getting the reversible/folding cargo mat too.

[coachrick]

Looks great drat. I have the exact same interior on order. Did you consider adding the wood insert on the center panel? I went back and forth, but decided it was too much of a risk not being able to see it. Now that I see it on the volvo website, I'm still not sure if it would look really nice, or a little out of place. Anyway, well done on your order choices. I'll definitely be getting the reversible/folding cargo mat too.

Interesting...we just traded our '08 C70 that had the light wood trim and miss it a little since we have just the brushed metal in the otherwise same color combo of the '11. However, after driving the XC60 for over two years, I don't notice the wood trim until someone points it out.

[CML]

I definitely would have ordered the lighter wood that came in the 2010 and 2011, but for 2012 the only option was the dark (walnut?) wood, which I was not as sure of.

[oldbob1938]

I definitely would have ordered the lighter wood that came in the 2010 and 2011, but for 2012 the only option was the dark (walnut?) wood, which I was not as sure of.

Me too!

[coachrick]

I definitely would have ordered the lighter wood that came in the 2010 and 2011, but for 2012 the only option was the dark (walnut?) wood, which I was not as sure of.

I guess I haven't seen the walnut, unless it was in the demo C70 with cacao interior...that night make sense OR might make it look like the inside of a wallet.(or walNUT, as the case may be)

[drat19]

Looks great drat. I have the exact same interior on order. Did you consider adding the wood insert on the center panel? I went back and forth, but decided it was too much of a risk not being able to see it. Now that I see it on the volvo website, I'm still not sure if it would look really nice, or a little out of place. Anyway, well done on your order choices. I'll definitely be getting the reversible/folding cargo mat too.

Didn't even consider the wood as that is not my personal preference, in either color. I'm definitely a brushed-aluminum person. To each's...

[drat19]

Update:
Here are before and after getting Mississippi-legal 3M Crystalline 40 tinting on the front driver and passenger windows. You can see that it's not quite as dark as the factory 20% on the rears, but that would be street illegal here, and this is pretty close and gets the job done, cooler-interior-wise.

Before:


After:

[coachrick]

[QUOTE=drat19;1756640]Update:
Here are before and after getting Mississippi-legal 3M Crystalline 40 tinting on the front driver and passenger windows. You can see that it's not quite as dark as the factory 20% on the rears, but that would be street illegal here, and this is pretty close and gets the job done, cooler-interior-wise.

Looks very nice! We could sure use the tint out here...104 AGAIN !!! Nothing below 100 expected for the next week + .

I drove our new C70 today and it has NO privacy glass. That thing heats up in a HURRY!

BTW, I wouldn't be surprised if you tinted the moon roof IF it's as hot as ours. I think I mentioned earlier that there are two days in February that we can leave the roof shade open!

[coachrick]

Didn't even consider the wood as that is not my personal preference, in either color. I'm definitely a brushed-aluminum person. To each's...

I forgot to toss my cap over the gearshift/console on a quick errand. Was smartly reminded when I grabbed the shift knob to take her out of park !

[drat19]

I forgot to toss my cap over the gearshift/console on a quick errand. Was smartly reminded when I grabbed the shift knob to take her out of park !

Gearshift knob is leather covered on mine...yours, no?

[coachrick]

Gearshift knob is leather covered on mine...yours, no?

Sorry, I was speaking of our C70...nice aluminum insert in the shift knob.(Gets REALLY hot after a few minutes in the Texas sun!)

[Kighter]

drat: love the tints. I need to get off my arse and get mine done...

coachrick: I have an aluminum knob on my TSX 6 speed. Like the C70, it's amazingly hot. I drive with a towel for a little while until it cools down sometimes.

On our XC60, the aluminum trim on the door is at the perfect height to touch the skin on my knee when I'm wearing shorts. It gets too hot to touch too.