Volvo has always made cars with striking designs. These Scandinavians stand out in a crowd and why won’t they? Volvos are absolutely beautiful to look at and the S60 sedan is no different. The Volvo S60 got a mid-life makeover a couple of years ago to extend the appeal to a larger audience. We got our hands on the R-Design spec diesel in the fantastic Passion Red shade. Here are our impressions.
The Volvo S60 facelift gets a wider front grille with thick horizontal slats and a large Volvo log on the centre. It now gets large headlights with integrated cornering lights. There is a new front bumper with silver bits and the R-Design gets a honey comb mesh for the central air dam. The DRLs, which were earlier located next to the headlights are now mounted horizontally in the front bumper. The ORVMs are now finished in silver but they would have looked better in the body colour or in black. The coupe like styling towards the rear is very distinct and the beautiful signature boomerang tail lamps remain unchanged. There is prominent VOLVO lettering on the boot and there are dual exhausts and a diffuser in the rear bumper as well. The Volvo S60 R-Design comes with 18 inch diamond cut 5 spoke alloy wheels. Volvo offers some fantastic alloy wheel designs in its cars as compared to rivals who seem to have run out of good looking wheels.
The Volvo S60 comes with keyless entry. All you need to do is have the key in the pocket and pull the door handle for the car to unlock. The cabin of the S60 is very well appointed. Our R-Design test car sported all black interiors. The three spoke steering wheel feels very sporty and comes with the phone and audio controls mounted. There is also an R-Design badge on the third spoke as well. The steering gets manual rake and telescopic adjust. There are superbly chiselled paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. The trademark Volvo floating centre console is inclined towards the driver which is a good thing. However, it has too many buttons. We hope the touch screen technology seen on the XC90 SUV makes its way to the S60 in the future as well. After experiencing the XC90, this feels pretty outdated. A 7 inch screen is mounted on the centre of the dashboard for the infotainment system. The instrument cluster comprises of a TFT screen and that looks cool. You get three themes to choose from; Economy, Elegance and Performance. Our favourite is the Performance theme with red background and the tachometer taking centre stage along with a digital speedometer. The new short chubby gear knob feels nice to hold.
The Volvo S60 gets R-Design sports seats at the front. They are easily one of the best seats in the business. They are offer fantastic comfort and support along with bolstering that hugs you from both sides. Both seats get electrical adjust. The rear seats are comfortable for two and AC vents for rear passengers are mounted on the B pillars of the car. The high window line does make you feel a little claustrophobic at times. Leg room and under thigh support is good though. Additional goodies include an electric sunroof and a Harman Kardon sound system with a DVD player, USB, Bluetooth and navigation. The dual zone climate control is effective and cooled the cabin well on a hot Sunday morning. The Volvo S60 comes without a spare tyre but there is a tyre repair kit that consists of tyre sealant and a portable mini air compressor.
The Volvo S60 we tested came with a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder diesel engine and badged as the D4. This motor develops 163 bhp at 3500 rpm with 400 Nm of maximum torque. You don’t shoot off like a rocket from a standing start but the car has linear acceleration and the motor feels very refined for a four cylinder unit. Mid-range performance is strong but top end could have been better. A conventional six speed torque converter automatic gearbox does transmission duties with this motor. The shifts are smooth but not lighting quick as those seen in a dual clutch automatic transmission. Moving to sport mode and shifting gears with the paddles does make things more entertaining.
The S60 feels very planted on the road. For a car that is front wheel drive, it handles well. Body roll too is minimal while going into corners. Rear wheel drive would have definitely made the S60 more fun to drive for sure. There is noticeable torque steer too when you press the accelerator hard. Ride quality is impressive over smooth roads and the S60 simply glides ahead but hit a bad patch and the bumps are felt inside the cabin. This could be due to the low profile tyres. But one look at those sexy alloy wheels and all is forgiven.
The Volvo S60 comes with a whole bunch of safety features. These include dual front airbags, curtain airbags, whiplash protection for front seats, Electronic Brake Assist, front and rear parking sensors, Electronic Stability Control and City Safety. City Safety prevents you from colliding with the car in front if it suddenly stops. The Volvo will brake automatically in this kind of scenario. The City Safety feature works up to speeds of 50 kph.
The Volvo S60 is a very capable package to say the least. It looks fantastic and comes with a lot of character. It’s a head turner wherever it goes too. The build is solid and feels like the car can last a lifetime. The interior does look as if it has started to age but is very functional and is ergonomically sorted as well. The engine is refined and does everything right. The diesel is not performance oriented but for that you have T6 petrol and we can’t wait to get our hands on that one. And it’s loaded with safety kit. Volvo is also expanding its service network in India as well and that should not be a deal breaker. To sum it up, if you want to be different and look further than the three Germans, the Volvo S60 definitely makes a statement and is the car for your garage.
Volvo S60 R-Design photo gallery:
You Might Also Like
