Volvos are tastefully designed, thought-and-go and more attractive than competing cars in Germany or Japan. Like the car manufacturer’s larger models, the S60 sedan has a sure Swedish environment that makes it special, unlike an Acura, for example. From its interior design to the driving experience, this car is an adorable little thing.
The last Volvo I tried a plug-in hybrid XC90 T8. A very heavy vehicle, this style is a family-sized takeaway order of less than two tons and a part. By comparison, the S60 T5 weighs 1336 pounds less. Since those two cars have similar cabins, seats and technologies, my brain automatically assumes that this four doors will behave like a large war tank, however, this expectation is completely unfounded.
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The direction of the S60 is sharp and direct with a torque direction of 0. Of course, an additional road feel would be excellent, but the refinement and solidity of this thick rudder are difficult to dispute. Yes, the pipe is firm, but it’s also much larger than the XC90. The impacts are felt, but never moving, and the chassis is as well lubricated as a wheel bearing filled with new grease, without granulation or vibration, even when driving on crumbling surfaces. Considering the giant 19-inch wheels of my tester wrapped in Pirelli 235/40 P-Zero tires for all seasons, the chassis configuration becomes even more impressive. Vehicles with rollers as large as giants often drive hard, as do many of the Swedish manufacturer’s products.
As with other Volvos, a 2.0-litre workhorse is the workhorse guilty of carrying this S60. It is an almost incredibly quiet powertrain with a turbine-like smoothness from idling to the red line. But unlike the other flavors of this engine, the edition used in the T5 models only has a turbocharger that blows air into its lungs. As a result, it lacks the quick hit provided through turbo and supercharged variants.
Yes, this S60 will possibly take a while, however, once the air circulates in this fan, it has no challenge to move with authority and can succeed at 60 mph in about 6.3 seconds if you keep the throttle buried. An eight-speed automatic transmission works with 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in this car to deliver this more than enough performance. This gearbox is almost focused, the gears are temporarily replaced and almost smoothly, however, I notice some uncomfortable gears, although they are rare.
The solid functionality and attractive dynamics are two feathers in this car’s proverbial cap, as is fuel economy. My T5 tester is configured through the EPA at 23 miles consistently with the gallon in the city and 34 miles on the road. Combined, it produces 27 mpg, however, in maximum rural engines, I reached a claim of 33.5, which is, frankly, fair enough for a luxury sedan.
But what is even more impressive than the actual admission of this car is its interior. True to its shape, the S60’s interior is beautifully designed, with leather, contrasting seams and high-end materials. The dashboard is very horizontal but also contains the visual spice. It is adorned with textured aluminum, a border that is also used wisely on the desk-style lid to wind the center console.
R-Design models feature Nappa leather-trimmed seats with fabric upholstery. The front hubs offer daytime help and the rear seat is almost as comfortable, remarkably spacious, even for taller people.
The trunk of the S60 is also very large, with a claimed area of 13.8 cubic feet when supplied with a spare tire. That’s more than you get from rivals like the Audi A4, Genesis G70 or Mercedes-Benz C-Class. An open lid and a low lifting height make it less difficult to load the shipment into this sedan.
There’s not much to complain about in this car, so I have to make sandwiches. As with the XC90, sliding sunscreen is a curious omission. Basically, they don’t make it bigger to cover the entire width of the side windows to combat glare. It is so for a company that is based on breaks, I mean, on safety. Why, Volvo? For what?
The Sensus Connect navigation information and entertainment formula and its 9-inch vertical touch screen are a vital component of the interior of the car. When it comes to multimedia responses, it’s not my favorite offering, not one of the worst in the industry. Even after experimenting with it in many cars and advertising cars over the years, I still find its user interface a little confusing and the functionality is lagging behind. To improve this situation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are popular devices. A Wi-Fi hotspot is also included.
The S60’s Bowers-Wilkins premium audio formula is a wonderful choice as long as you don’t have to pay an additional $3200. With 15 speakers and 1100 watts of power, it is loud, transparent and can even make the satellite radio sound decent. Transformed through smaller formulas, SiriusXM has all the constancy of a wax cylinder phonograph.
As for other tech, R-Design models come standard with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, they also have lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, road-departure mitigation and a smattering of other useful aids. The optional $2,500 Advanced Package brings features like a clear and crisp head-up display, an ever-useful 360-degree camera system and Pilot Assist, Volvo’s name for adaptive cruise control with lane centering, to the table. That last item works OK: At higher speeds this hands-on-the-wheel aid seems more stable, but oddly, on two-lane roads it will sometimes tug at the steering wheel a bit, bouncing the car from one line to the other. Generally, I think Honda Sensing and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist are a little more consistent than what Volvo offers.
You can buy an entry-level S60 T5 Momentum front-wheel drive for approximately $37,000, adding a $995 shipping fee. With features like 19-inch tires, metal paint, automatic parking and a few other things besides the additions discussed above, this example of R-Design costs $10 less than $52,000, an unexplained non-digit reason, at least by 21st century standards. I mean, you can spend more than that on a Lincoln MKZ, which probably wouldn’t be worth it. Of course, if you buy in this segment, you will do well with the Audi A4 and the bmw Series 3, two ubiquitous rivals. Yes, they’re as common as green lawns in the suburbs, but there’s an explanation for why they’re so popular: it’s because they’re really good.
With a charming look, sumptuous interiors and decently attractive dynamics, there’s not much to complain about here. Volvo has effectively distilled the basic excellence of its largest cars into a more manageable, affordable and, more importantly, lighter package.
This was originally published in Roadshow.
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