Volvo V60

I have to bow down and openly admit that until recently, I was scared silly by the very thought that some of the legendary brands strongly related to the countries where they were born could become property of the recently established companies from the Middle and Far East. I was so disgusted by such thoughts that people began to ask me if I was a racist?! Oh, no, I m not a racist, of course, and I m not some rigid traditionalist either, and again, Indian Jaguar, Malaysian Lotus (for some time), and Chinese Rover – it does not go hand in hand!

In fact, I have to bow down once again and humbly admit that borders and boundaries are pretty relative in the world of politics and big business. All those east-west-north-south combinations are understood only by the stock market wizards, who handle a few billions of some high-valued currency every morning drinking (pretty neurotic though) coffee. Now, I have to humbly admit my fallacies and why I have been west biased. The truth is that the West developed a lot of things and ruined some of them afterwards, while the East, waiting for the opportunity, leaned on the wisdom created through the millennia of its history. It is perfectly clear to me that these few sentences represent a completely superficial observation of global capital movements, but they definitely verify misconceptions and prejudices which we must get rid of as soon as possible. The history of global automotive industry which is creating itself right now forces us to do so.

Golden Retriever
Finally, I got there where I was heading for, to address a traditional product from Northern Europe. Sweden, Swedish steel, safety, a doctor, a lawyer, a housewife with three children and a Golden Retriever = Volvo. Putting safety above all, Volvo did not deal with the sporting dynamics; it did not even try to be trendy, nor pandered to such customers. And it failed... Almost! It was sucked by one of the „global vacuum cleaners“, which got rid of Volvo for „symbolic“1.8 billion dollars in compensation. Volvo has been formally owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group since the last summer, but what this has to do with the V60? Nothing, for the time being…

S60 and its wagon version have been developed under the former management, but the new one will have to deal with sales. And now, there is one question that remains unanswered. How could it be possible that S60 was born at the end of the Ford s reign – a nice, genuine, and technologically advanced model?

V60 is perhaps even more beautiful, and it is an injustice to call it a „wagon“.

Swedes say clearly: Who needs a “boot” can have V70 or XC70 – this model is a “quasi-wagon” because such styling suits the car well, provides good aerodynamics and increased versatility. In fact, it has given the Volvo what it always lacked – sporty dynamism that Volvo needed to stand shoulder to shoulder with BMW Series 3, Audi A4 and Mercedes C Class. And there it belongs – to the premium D segment.

The people say themselves: “This is the most dynamic Volvo ever”. Well, it is. They gave it much more than just mere look – two optional suspension settings, then new electronic stability system, traction control and 4X4 drivetrain. In general, the important thing is that in relation “comfort vs. driving dynamics”, Volvo is taking an important shift towards the dynamics, with minimum compromise in comfort and without any compromise in safety.

A little more soul
Emotions were released regarding exterior, but Volvo finally put some soul in the interior as well. It is warm, pleasant, comfortable… It is practical as well to great extent with the exception of traditionally small audio system controls which look good, but require too much attention. Everything else is fine. Space offer is excellent, and after spending 1000 kilometers in the S60 or V60, I can confirm that the back seats are in “executive” manner. Although not impressive considering “liters”, the luggage compartment is easily accessible. Folding rear seats (40/20/40) are very handy, including lowering rear head rests that can be regulated with the push of a button.

Seating position is excellent from the driver s point of you regarding ergonomics, but what about the visibility? Well, you have to take into account all electronic innovations which are better to be translated instead of using all those abbreviation characters. If you pay some more for additional options, the V60 becomes a moving “video production with cameras that look at all sides”. Front, left-right, rear… The car will spot pedestrians by itself and stop if the speed is up to 35 km/h. First, the car will alert driver to the vehicle ahead, and if he doesn t start breaking, the V60 will automatically activate the brakes. The same applies to the standing object in front of the vehicle. Adaptive cruise control maintains the distance efficiently, even at high speeds on the highway. Warnings about side traffic and lane departure do not come into question.

GTDi means “gasoline”
Engine offers are on the new list too. The range from 115 to 306 hp is impressive with a bit complicated markings. There are 4, 5 and 6 cylinder options, so you can help yourself… A lot of cylinders and big displacement sound nice but the new generation of gasoline engines under the labels T3 and T4 seem very promising after driving experience around Verona. Now we have a lot of power (150 or 180 hp) from the small, 1.6 l displacement gasoline engine thanks to direct fuel injection system and turbocharger. That is what we have been waiting for – small engines with high power output. It is not just on paper but also in reality… The engine is impressive, combined with the automatic transmission. And make no mistake, it is marked “GTDi”. Of course, there are diesels as well, where two-liter D3 with 163 hp may represent an optimal powertrain option.

I cannot wait
In fact, I cannot wait to have the V60 for a longer test (and I hope that it will be before the facelift), because someone called the V60 a “BMW killer”. I cannot wait to either convince or dissuade myself that the V60 is really that great as it performed around Shakespeare s Verona. Beautiful, dynamic, accurate, credible… Direct handling, hard-trimmed, convincing brakes… T4 is engine of the future – small but powerful, smooth and elastic.

There are some objections at the first glance as the manual transmission has too long gear lever, but generally, the whole package is excellent, even too good to be true, including the starting price of 29,000 euros, which is not small but with strong arguments.

Until then, something else will be bothering me. Even if the V60 is really what it seems to be, how will the potential customers find out that, considering an anemic and lethargic performance in the market? It would be good if the East pushes where it should be pushed and places Volvo where it belongs. Primarily, the customer must be explained about what he buys and after that convinced to buy the same brand next time. New Volvo “bosses” have a serious, but not impossible job to do. Of course, that s in case they did not buy the company just to pick up the tremendous technology and numerous patents, but to make the famous company to continue living with dignity…