Car Reviews 2012 Volvo S60 Ts Awd
The Volvo S60 series is an unconventional but established elite of the luxury sedan category. This is a category normally dominated by cars with six-cylinder engines, normally aspirated. However, the S60 packs a turbocharged engine in its chassis. The new S60 comes with two choices of engine, an inline-6 and an inline 5.
There have been several generations of the S60 and the latest shows a gradual improvement over the previous generations. The technology that sets the 2012 S60 apart from the previous versions and its competitors is the new Pedestrian Detection system. This is the future of driving and comes with adaptive lane control and automatic lane keeping which is now standard in most Volvo cars. The Pedestrian Detection system is part of the company’s attempt to make it safer for the driver and pedestrian on the road. It works as a net around the car controlled by an artificial intelligent system to make the car self-aware, allowing it to predict and avoid accidents, compensate for lack of driver attention and communicate with road systems and other vehicles on the road.
In terms of styling, the S60 does not disappoint either. It is fairly large for a mid-size sedan so legroom for both the driver and passenger are comfortable. Inside, it is aesthetically pleasing with smooth Scandinavian looks and ambiance. The seats are orthopedically and ergonomically designed for ultimate comfort.
As for engine performance, the S60 performs significantly better than its competitors. Even with the T5 engine, the car gets a 5 cylinder turbocharged performance that delivers over 260lb of torque and 250 hp. It accelerates from 0 to 60mph in 6.8 seconds, much faster that other cars in this category like the Buick Regal Turbo. Furthermore, it’s fuel economy is surprisingly good at roughly 20-30 miles per gallon. Vibration and noise from the 5 cylinder engine can be pronounced on certain occasions especially when driving at low speeds. This is likely to be caused by the gear ratios for most modern cars which are defaulted to the highest ratios possible. A simple re-programming of the transmission should fix this issue. The noise issue absolutely disappears on the highway as the S60 chomps up the road silently. Even at high speeds, the engine hardly makes a noise leaving the driver utterly relaxed and calm.
All in all, the 2012 S60 TS AWD is a solid option in the mid-luxury sedan sector.
