A naughty Volvo? Well, that’s how the new S60 is being marketed in the US – a distinct departure from Volvo’s traditional safety focused image. To compete in one of the automotive world’s toughest segments, Volvo has completely revamped the S60 so that it can go wheel-to-wheel with established leaders like the BMW 3 series and the Audi A4.
One look at the bright orange test car, and it was evident that Volvo has designed the S60 to stand out from the crowd. According to Volvo Cars’ Design Director, Peter Horbury, “The S60 has been sculpted to move you. Every single line in its design is there to transport you both physically and emotionally.” Now that’s a fair amount of marketing speak, however, one has to admit that the car generates a second glance from everyone on the road. The S60 has a coupe like silhouette that accentuates the car’s sporty ambitions. Its profile is striking and the rear doors come across as something of a pleasant surprise when you examine the car close-up. The C-pillar of the S60 extends all the way to the tail lamps, which is another interesting design element. The sculpted hood and the short overhangs, front and rear, further emphasize the sporty feel.
With its clean lines, and uncluttered dashboard, the interior of the S60 is a good representation of attractive, yet simple, Scandinavian design. The front seats are comfortable, and offer sufficient support when driving aggressively. Passengers at the rear benefit from a nearly 2.5-inch increase in wheelbase over the previous-generation S60. This increase has a direct impact on rear seat leg room, which is up by 2 inches.
So, the S60 looks great and the interiors are pretty stylish, however does the car drive as well as it looks? Our test car is the top spec S60 T6 that comes with a turbocharged 3 liter V6 that pumps out a healthy 300hp and 441Nm of torque. The engine’s power is delivered to the wheels via Volvo’s second-generation six-speed automatic transmission. The T6 comes standard with Volvo’s all-wheel-drive system. This engine and transmission package gives the S60 surprisingly good performance. There is virtually no turbo lag with pretty linear power delivery. The S60 quickly reaches 0-100km/h in 6 seconds, however, I can’t help wonder how much that time could improve if the gearshifts were even quicker. It is a competent gearbox, but not as slick as a quick shifting twin-clutch Audi transmission.
The handling of the S60 is another revelation. According to Volvo, the U.S. version of the S60 comes with the sporty ‘dynamic’ chassis as standard, while India will be offered with a ‘comfort’ chassis instead. The difference in ride and handling between the two chassis alternatives is essentially found in the dampers and the front and rear subframes. The Comfort variant has a somewhat softer setting to provide a smoother ride on poorer road surfaces. Having driven the US spec, I can vouch for the inherent capability of the chassis, which certainly allows you to exploit all the power available. The car feels poised at speed, and corners with no body roll. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the handling is near BMW like, which is high praise indeed. Credit for the T6’s impressive handling goes to Volvo’s corner traction control system, a new feature that uses torque vectoring so the car takes curves with agility and precision. When cornering, the cars inner driven wheel is braked at the same time as more power is transmitted to the outer wheel. This allows the driver to take the curve more aggressively while reducing any tendency to understeer. Steering feel is good, and the driver even has the option of choosing how stiff he or she wants the electronic power steering.
Though the S60 is a driver oriented vehicle, it hasn’t lost Volvo’s traditional focus on safety. Pedestrian detection with full auto brake is an impressive feature that I didn’t have the guts to test! According to Volvo, the system can detect pedestrians who walk out onto the road in front of the car, warn the driver, and even automatically apply full braking power if the driver doesn’t respond in time. Sounds good in theory, however on Indian roads with suicidal pedestrians the system would certainly be kept on its toes.
In conclusion, the S60 is a great package. With its refreshing looks and impressive dynamic abilities, the S60 is a true competitor to German stalwarts that rule the segment. In addition to the T6, the S60 is available in a number of engine configurations that are bound to increase the car’s appeal. India may not get the smaller 1,600c petrol engine, but the 2.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine is sure to be a big hit. So, whether you’re looking for a performance car or a practical entry-level luxury car, the S60 offers a real (and perhaps even more exclusive) alternative to German brigade. For me, it would have to be the T6 – after all, there’s no substitute for 300 good horses. As long as Volvo prices the vehicle attractively in India, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t do well.
