Volvo S60

If someone told me twenty years ago that I would like a D segment Volvo, and above all with a diesel engine, I wouldn’t have been polite to him at all! But, time takes its toll… And not only time but also the thing called “technological development”.

In terms of that passage of time, it is clear that some attitudes change with age and situation. The man simply has to accept reality and face the harsh truth that he gets old, but at the same time, the world, including science, engineering and technology is rapidly advancing. Something is changing constantly, developing, improving, enhancing… All this leads to major changes in our lives, starting from the accelerated pace of living to the evolution of some personal views.

So, I have “evolved” as well, and started to like Volvo more, and more…

The Evolution of Comprehension
When the new S60 appeared last year I said: “That’s it!” I secretly admitted to myself that I was beginning to like what was designed by Steve Mattin, and has been seen in the XC60 and C30. This is quite different and “fresher” than what we got used to considering Volvo. The new S60 looks more aggressive than the old model, and in my opinion, much nicer… Viewed from the side, it looks more like a coupe than a four-door sedan. To be malicious, I could say it is reminiscent of the founder of this class, the Mercedes CLS with this sloping roofline, relatively small glass surfaces and high flanks. However, I will accept it as a current trend, considering that all other well established manufacturers did not fail to offer their own “variation on a coupe-sedan theme”…

In addition, the S60 is not too big, or too small. It is almost the same size as the Audi A4 (4628 x 2097 x 1484), and only slightly larger than the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class. Nevertheless, it looks attractive and dynamic. This is impression of athletic appearance is additionally enhanced by a combination of sharp and rounded forms and lines, low front and raised rear, attractive light clusters, trapezoidal grille, and in this case an additional styling kit that comes with Summum trim package, with gray protective plates under the vehicle, molding and sills, chrome exhaust pipes, rear spoiler, 18-inch wheels, etc…

All this seems quite balanced, not Swedish “cold”… Beg your pardon, since the Volvo is Chinese! On the contrary, the car seems quite severe and attractive at the same time, and yet, in some sense, decent and calculated.

Staying True to Itself
However, the interior does not leave that impression. Volvo remained true to itself there and its “classical” conception of rationality. Regardless of that the salesmen claim that the S60’s interior is all new, there weren’t any big “fashion” movements. Simplicity and functionality are key features.

In reality, some remark considering ergonomics is impossible to find. And look… Well, it’s a Volvo! It looks the way it looks – traditionally… Some like that style, and some don’t. I personally think that some changes could be made, although it maybe would not be a Volvo.

Volvo took care very well not to lose consistency when it comes to quality and comfort of the S60.

I seated myself behind the steering wheel easily, and found a good position as well. I memorized the position with another two. I was unpleasantly surprised by the fact that passenger seat was not power adjustable, but at least it was heated, which is very comfortable in these cold, winter days.

In addition, the seats are well profiled and support body very well. Two rear seats are also profiled, but not heated, and no matter how fancy the black leather is, seating on them in winter days is not a pleasant experience.

All in all, quality materials and excellent finish are some things that we are accustomed to when it comes to Volvo. There is enough space, but the trunk could be larger than 380 liters, since the previous model had 50 l larger unit!

Much More Dynamic
As I already mentioned the old S60, I must point out that the tested model only has its name. Everything has changed and improved. This Volvo is totally driver oriented, and especially “sports-minded” one.

The platform is the same used by the XC60 and larger S80, but the Ford Mondeo as well. Many suspension components are made of aluminum, but what you can immediately notice while driving is its stiffness. Volvo’s engineers have set the suspension in almost racing manner. The driving dynamics is exceptional. The car behaves well on curves, while maintain a good grip and precision at any time.

The steering wheel is more direct than one in the previous model, which has never been “a fan” of curves and fast drive. But, now the situation has completely changed... for the better, of course! The S60 absorbs bumps very well, without much noise and bouncing. OK, we should not forget that there are 225/45 R18 tires, which must be felt, but the sportiness and comfort are very well incorporated together.

The S60 that got into my hands had “D5” label… This meant that it had five-cylinder, inline, turbo-diesel engine with 2,4 l displacement. In the cold winter mornings, all 205 “ponies” (at 4,000 rpm) do not sound so “cheerfully” at first. However, rough “whinny” takes just a moment, and soon it turns into a joyful “neigh”, when the cavalry is ready to force the 2,020 kg heave Volvo with 420 Nm (at 1500-3500 rpm) into a light trot.

In the cold winter morning, pressing a button, all 205 "horse" (at 4,000 rpm), as if at first did not sound cheerfully. However, roughly "whinny" takes only a moment, and soon turned into a joyful "neigh", when the cavalry is ready to 2,020 kg heavy Volvo with 420 Nm (at 1500-3250 rpm), cimne in a light trot, or maybe gallop, with the maximum speed of 230 km/h. More interesting is that the S60 reaches 100 km/h in 7,8 seconds! In addition, its six-speed automatic transmission behaves like a good partner to the engine and do not spoil the impression of good driving dynamics.

Even the fuel consumption is just fine considering the displacement and power of the engine. “Books” say 6.3 liters per 100 kilometers in the combined cycle, but I personally was not able to “settle down” below nine! I could’t help myself! If nothing else, at least CO2 emission was not much higher than 166 g/km…

A Good Friend
In “the package” with the S60 came Ingemar. This particular gentleman is actually a doll, an inflatable doll but not of the kind known to everybody (the female part of our personnel immediately noticed some flaws!), but an extremely tolerant when it comes to hiting and trampling. In fact, I dubbed this brave Scandinavian Ingemar, ready to stand in front of the Volvo and let me to check out some interesting safety systems.

With that “Billy the Python” expression on the face (those who have watched the Serbian cult film “Marathon Family” know what I’m talking about) I rushed up to him… However, the S60 warned me first with the warning red light on the head-up display, then came the sound, and finally the car was braking and stoping in front of Ingemar all by itself. Bravo! Pedestrian detection system and automatic stop function perfectly… However, it works only up to 35 km/h, because when I met my now “former friend” again I drove faster, so he got a strange path over the roof!

What was comforting was that the Volvo warned me about the pedestrian on the road in front of me and was slowing down by itself, as well as I was not practicing on living beings. We should also mention that the system does not detect anything that is less than 80 cm tall, and that means kids, people in wheelchairs and the like. It recognizes only the usual “forms”, so you should always be careful!

The new Volvo S60’s City Safety system warns the driver of the danger of front impact. The car stops if necessary, but again, it is provided if the speed is less than 30 km/h. This is very convenient, especially when you want to change the driving lane and someone suddenly stops. It is accompanied with the BLIS system that warns of so called “blind spot”.

In addition to all this, the S60 alerts the driver to change lanes, of course, if the system is turned on with the button on the central console, and if the driving lanes are properly marked, which is not the common case in Serbia!

But I liked radar cruise control most of all the “safety arsenal” that this car possesed. In fact, it is ACC system (Adaptive Cruise Control), where the driver sets a given speed of 40 km/h and above, determine the distance to where he wants to follow the vehicle in front of him, and after that he just have to turn the steering wheel. The S60 monitors the speed, slows down and accelerates as necessary. It even stops when the vehicle ahead stops. To put the vehicle in motion you just have tu push the button located on the steering wheel. However, one should be careful in estimating the specified speed and distance, because physics is a very exact science!

Summary
Talking about quality and safety provided by a Volvo is pretty boring. Everybody knows that… A lot of people consider these cars monotonous and boring as well. However, the new S60 is extremely fun and dynamic car, without neglecting all those things mentioned above, regarding traditional values. It successfully brings together some seemingly incompatible things and concepts. It is ordinary and extraordinary… Sleek and sporty, conservative and progressive. All that at the same time!

It is a real pleasure to drive… Even more to have it! What sets you apart from the possibility to have it is a sum of 39,860 euros, plus 1,720 for the active safety sistems, plus 750 for the attractive Vibrant Copper metallic orange color… So, pretty much, but it is worth every cent!