Thule, the Swedish manufacturer of roof boxes, does far more than simple grey boxes; it’s seemingly got the market wrapped up with add-on storage of every conceivable size for every conceivable vehicle. Want a basket for your SUV? No problem. A ski box for a saloon car? All good. Or how about a simple, massive box for an estate car that’s practical and easy to fit? Of course, which brings us nicely to this, the Force XT Alpine.
Part of the Force XT range, the Alpine brings together some clever thinking on Thule’s part, with sleek Swedish design. The range starts with the S (for small) and moves through the self-explanatory M, L and XL. Then, to confuse matters, there’s the Sport and the Alpine.
Both the S and the Sport will take 300 litres of family holiday detritus, but the Sport packages that into a longer, lower and wider box. If style rules, the extra £40 over the £375 the S costs might be money well spent.
At the other end, the Alpine on test here has a 420-litre capacity, which falls a little short of the L (450 litres) and XL (500 litres), but, again, it’s longer, lower, wider and sleeker than the more traditional boxes.
You’ll need roof bars to attach the box, too, something provided on the Volvo V60 I was testing the box on, but Thule will sell you some for virtually every car. Then it’s just a case of taking the roof box out of the enormous cardboard box it arrives in and lifting it onto the vehicle.
The Thule Force XT Alpine roof box weighs in at 19.4kg, making it possible for a single person to manipulate onto a car, but making use of a second person is a far more sensible option. With an extra pair of hands, it’s almost child’s play attaching the Force XT box to the Volvo.
Thule’s PowerClick system is the reason it’s so simple. All you need to do is line up the ‘jaws’ that poke out underneath the box with your roof bars and then turn a knob clockwise, watching the jaws clamp themselves to the bar, until it clicks. That means it’s locked in place, with virtually no effort required. It’s genuinely brilliant.
It’s also easy to manoeuvre the box forwards or back, which is handy when you’ve not bothered measuring anything and realise it’s too far back for the tailgate to open. Happily, that took less than a minute to resolve.
Once in place, hinges on both sides of the box allow for easy access, regardless of where it’s mounted. I went for a stylish off-centre look, but locating the box in the centre of the car will mean you can get into the contents from either side. Those who shouldn’t be looking are kept out thanks to sturdy-looking locks on each side, which all operate using the same key. Prising and pulling at the edges away from the locks didn’t achieve enough bend or flex to access anything inside, so casual thieves will be kept at bay.
Out on the open road, there’s almost no wind noise. A low rumble can be heard, but there was never any whistling, even at higher speeds in stormy conditions. Not a drop of water ever got into the box, despite the terrible weather. The box blocked the car’s aerial, but there was no interference on the radio, and DAB stations seemed as strong as ever.
Summer’s coming up, so it’s peak time for preparing for the holidays. Opting for a Thule roof box to upgrade the luggage capacity of your car might be an expensive option, especially as this Alpine version costs £530 direct from the manufacturers
, but the simplicity of use, elegance of design, and quality of construction means it’s the sensible choice.
He is the founder of Huff Media, publisher of Professional Pickup, Professional Van, Average Janes, Average Joes, and CALIBRE. His work focuses primarily on light commercial vehicles, pickups, and real-world vehicle use, with much of his time spent on manufacturer launches, industry events, and long-term vehicle testing.