But you don't have to. The full amount of torque kicks in by 2,000 engine revolutions per minute, reached a moment after you hit the gas. But, like most turbo engines, the XC's was a bit weak the first instant of acceleration because it takes a blink to get spinning fast enough to boost the power. Generally, no problem. But trying to dash across traffic from a stop sign created an anxious second.
Shifts are sweet.
Upshifts, especially full-throttle, were as quick and seamless as anything else on the road. Downshifts were almost as good. A manual-shift mode allowed the driver to hold the car in a chosen gear, handy when you need, say, third gear only for the best combination of responsive acceleration and engine braking appropriate for the rolling, curving countryside here. In slick weather it allows starts from a standstill in a higher gear, such as second, to minimize wheel spin and to hold the car in a chosen gear so it doesn't shift abruptly on ice and skid. The automatics on the three XC test vehicles behaved terrifically.