Twilight New Moon’s Car Star: The Volvo XC60

One might think that a vampiric nightcrawler would be prone to drive something a little less practical than a Volvo–the Gemballa Mirage GT Matte Edition would fit the bill quite nicely. Hell, if you can turn into a bat, you shouldn’t need a car to begin with.

However, when the anticipated Twilight sequel hits theaters on the 20th, star vampire Edward Cullen will be behind the wheel of a modified Savile Grey Volvo XC60–a slight change from the S60R (now out of production) that the character drove in the book.

Advertising manager Linda Gangeri explained the significance of the ride: “His character is a nurturer and he has to be understated, because he’s living in a human world and is in love with a human. At the same time, he wants something that is good-looking and fast.”

Indeed the XC60 delivers on all accounts. While maintaining Volvo’s legendary safety-first mindset, the XC60 T6 (the model to be sold in the U.S.) brings sporty style and dynamic driving to the equation. The compact crossover features a 3.0-liter turbochaged V6 that spits out 281 horses, a six speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. It sits higher than class-mates, providing extra clearance when leaving pavement.

XC60 safety features include City Safety, which detects potential impacts through a series of cameras and sensors and can automatically brake at low speeds if the driver doesn’t; traction and stability control; anti-lock brakes and driver warning systems.

The XC60 will arrive in North America next March with a starting price of around $38,000. Volvo is anticipating riding the popularity of the Twilight series toward a hipper image and boosted sales. While the specific XC60 featured in the movie isn’t in production, we may see it further down the road. [via Inside Line and Car Connection]