New Volvo S60
The new Volvo S60 marks yet another change in the Swedish brand, with a much more dynamic look, but more importantly a much more dynamic driving experience.
While Volvo has a long established reputation for safety, being a real drivers car is a distinction Volvo has never managed to develop, hence the S60, which Volvo says is the most dynamic Volvo built so far, and after a first drive I’m more than inclined to believe it.
The first S60’s are on sale now, with a turbodiesel all wheel drive 2.4 litre S60 D5 AWD priced at NZ$71,990 and a turbocharged petrol all wheel drive 3.0 litre S60 T6 AWD at NZ$79,990. Both models are fitted with 6-speed automatic gearboxes.
A front wheel drive S60 T5 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol model will be added in March 2011, priced at NZ$63,990, and it will be available with the dual clutch 6-speed ‘Powershift’ gearbox developed by Ford and Getrag before ownership of Volvo changed.
Along with the new car, there is a new nomenclature for cars in the range. Now the number after the letter designation (as in D5) reflects not the number of cylinders, but the general power level of the cars. As an example the D5 engine 420Nm of torque, while the D3 engine (sold overseas) has the same number of cylinders but produces a lower amount of power and torque.
Currently the most powerful model in the range is the T6, with 224kW and 440Nm of torque, leaving plenty of leeway for higher performance models.
As you would expect, safety is still an important aspect of the S60, with a new generation of Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) system that includes Advanced Stability Control. There are also two extra safety options that go even further, with Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake, and Volvo’s City Safety, which was first seen on the Volvo XC60. Previously the braking system was able to assist with 50 percent braking, but the new system can bring the car to a complete halt, making it possible to drive in stop-start traffic without pressing the brake pedal – which admittedly takes a lot of faith in the system to carry out.
Certainly the demonstrations on the car’s launch illustrated just how well the technology works, but Volvo is at pains to point out that the safety systems are not intended to replace the driver’s input, but add an extra layer of safety. For instance, the Pedestrian Detection system, which uses a camera mounted at the top of the windscreen and a radar unit in the front grille will not work at night or perfectly in very bad weather.
Other safety features include Driver Alert Control (DAC) to alert drivers who have become tired or distracted, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) which helps detect vehicles in the rear blind spots on both sides of the car, Lane Departure Warning (which alerts drivers if the vehicle runs across the lane markers without the indicator being activated), active Bi-Xenon lights that ‘see around corners’ and numerous secondary safety features including seat-mounted side airbags, improved inflatable curtains and Volvo’s whiplash protection system (WHIPS).
In addition, Volvo’s optional FOUR-C active suspension has been modified and improved for the S60, while all-wheel drive is standard in T6 and D5 models.
On the launch there was a general consensus that the FOUR-C active suspension system could well be a case of overkill, as the spring and damping balance in the cars, which all had the standard Dynamic suspension setting, was a very good mix of ride quality and road holding. Large bumps in the road were absorbed without the suspension slamming up and down, and the S60 is certainly a car that can cover a lot of distance in very little time. If desired, a comfort suspension setting can be specified as a no-cost option, but the Dynamic tune seems to be the best way to go.
Regardless of whether being propelled by diesel or petrol both models of the S60 comprehensively blow away any perception of the latest generation of Volvo’s being a stodgy drive.
