The Volvo S60 has been around since 2000 and we are now in the second generation of this vehicle. This car entered the market as a replacement of the S70. In 2011 Volvo released an estate version of this vehicle under the name V60. Both cars are similar in many ways except the S60 doesn’t offer the same amount of versatility. The current generation of S60 was released in 2010. This Swedish machine is rivalled mainly by the three luxury German marks, the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Under the hood of the Volvo S60 is a selection of four different engine types. All engines on offer are powered by diesel and offer different outputs of 120 bhp in the D2 engine, 150 bhp in the D3 and 190 bhp in the D4. The fourth engine offering is the D5 engine and it offers a maximum power of 225 bhp. The D4 engine that offers 190 bhp is also available with all-wheel drive. It’s unfortunate that no petrol versions are currently available to the Irish market as we believe they are very smooth.
The Volvo S60 handles the road well and it grips on tightly. Naturally the vehicle would be bouncy going over badly tarred roads or cobblestones, but most cars would be like that. It deals nicely with corners and does not suffer from body roll in any bad way. The steering is extremely responsive and this vehicle deals nicely with turns and twists on country roads. The S60 is a nice cruiser too.
The diesel engines are relatively quiet even when put under pressure. Wind noise does seep through and the likes of the 3 Series and Audi A4 are better padded in this regard.
Once again Volvo offers a very welcoming interior. Their interiors are full of quality and for some reason they feel more exciting than the interiors of the A4 and the 3 Series. However, the C-Class would have the nicest feel out of them. The infotainment system needs an update as the one in our test car reminds us of the first SYNC infotainment system from Ford. It’s embedded too deeply into the dash and it can be awkward to use. It did look great when it was first released though.
Once again Volvo has scored a full five stars in the Euro NCAP. In 2012 the V60 was tested and the report says that the same results apply to the S60. For adult occupancy it received 94%. It scored 82% for child occupancy, 64% for pedestrian safety and 100% for safety assistance aids. The vehicle has a huge amount of safety systems like, City Safety, Driver Support Package, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Queue Assist, Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, Driver Alert Control (DAC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW). The list of safety items goes on for quite a while and to top it all off it has adequate airbags surrounding the interior of the vehicle.
The S60 offers enough room for five adults. Head room and leg room to both the front and rear is ample. The boot offers a capacity of 380 litre which would be less than that of its main competitors.
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