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Swedish carmaker Volvo has pulled the wraps off of one of its most important cars yet, the S60 compact executive saloon. To established luxury marques the compact saloon segment is their bread and butter, the space that brings back the numbers, and the S60 is no exception. While their SUVs will continue to be sales leaders, the S60 is expected to follow not very far behind; To call this an important car for Volvo, would be an understatement.
Where the first-generation S60 led the styling direction for the brand (first debuting the ubiquitous ‘Volvo shoulder’ that has adorned every car since), the new S60 is one of the last cars in the range to be brought up to speed with Volvo’s new design language (the last of them all, being the V40 hatch). We’re happy to report that the long gestation period has paid off, with the S60 carrying familiar design signatures that we’ve gotten used to since they trickled down from the XC90, into the S90 and V90, and then into the XC60 and V60.
“The active chassis and selectable driving modes deliver excellent control and an engaged platform that makes this a drivers’ car.” — Henrik Green, Head of Research & Development, Volvo Cars
Built off of the widely-shared and infinitely-customisable SPA (Scaleable Product Architecture) platform, the S60 is expected to benefit from a variety of Volvo innovations that have been tied in with it. The S60 will receive goodies like the Intellisafe suite of advanced driver assistance systems like autonomous emergency braking, PilotAssist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, either as standard or as options.
The S60 will go on sale with a four petrol engines, two of which feature plug-in hybrid technology. The range-topper will be the T8 TwinEngine PHEV, which offers no less than 303kW and 640Nm, with power going to all four wheels with the help of an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Being a plug-in hybrid, the S60 T8 will also offer a full-electric driving range, on a full charge, of up to 45km.
There’ll also be a T5 entry-level model, which uses a 2.0-litre four-pot that’s been turbocharged to put out 183kW and 350Nm, whereas the same mill with the addition of a supercharger (twincharged, effectively) will be used in the T6. Where the T5 will be front-wheel drive, the T6 will be all-wheel drive. And they’ll all use the same 8-speed auto.
The cabin of the new S60 is nothing we haven’t seen from Volvo before. A width-emphasising dash, upright Sensus infotainment screen, and a 12.-inch digital instrument display will all trickle down from its bigger siblings, with a lot of the interior architecture shared with the V60 estate and XC60 SUV. An operable panoramic sunroof should be available on several model grades, along with the optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
To digress slightly on that Bowers & Wilkins stereo: According to Volvo, in the development hierarchy for their new cars, the sound engineers from B&W are given greater reign than its own designers and engineers, and come second only to the safety teams. As such, B&W will only compromise for things like crash structures and airbags, while interior designers, electrical engineers and so on will have to make way for the sound guys.
Needless to say, we’re sure the system will be excellent.
Volvo Australia has yet to provide a timeline detailing the arrival of the S60 to our shores. However, the S60 will go on sale in the UK next year, with all S60’s globally to be built at the new Charleston, South Carolina assembly plant where the car was unveiled. While Volvo says that this will be the sole assembly facility for the S60, we reckon an eventual assembly rollout to facilities in Malaysia and China will be in the pipeline.
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