Yahoo Autos The 2019 Volvo S60 Shrink-Wraps Volvo's Best Stuff into One Smart Package
The first thing to know about Volvo's all-new 2019 S60 sedan-or its V60 wagon and XC60 crossover counterparts-is that these "60 cluster" models get essentially the same stuff found in Volvo's larger "90 cluster" S90/V90/XC90 models. Nearly all of the flagship models' amenities, and even their styling motifs, have found their way into the 60-series cars. The mid-size Volvos even share all three of the larger models' powertrains: a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four in the T5, a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four in the T6, and the T6 engine with plug-in-hybrid hardware in the T8; the S60 additionally adds a T8 Polestar Engineered model with even more power. (The T5 is available only with front-wheel drive, while every other model comes standard with all-wheel drive.) The smaller cars' interiors may feature fewer square inches of wood or metal decorative inlays, and the various elements and cubbies are rendered to fit the space, but overall, the most significant difference between the 60s and the 90s is their size.
This should come as good news to anyone who might have expected the 2019 S60, V60, XC60, or V60 Cross Country to be significantly de-powered or de-contented commensurately to their lower prices, as is often the case in the auto industry. At Volvo, however-particularly since its transition from Ford ownership to China-based Geely-from a features standpoint the trickle-down effect is more like a waterfall, with even the subcompact XC40 SUV offering nearly all of the 90-series' goodies at least as options and quite often made standard.
But despite sharing so many parts and being built on the same Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), the 60s are not merely a lesser serving of the same meatball. After driving the XC60, the V60 wagon, and now the S60 sedan-which is the first Volvo built in the United States, assembled at the sprawling new Ridgeville, South Carolina, assembly plant-it is clear there are character differences that enthusiasts should welcome.
More Feature-Dense
The higher-spec S60 trim levels that we sampled in Santa Monica, California, not only share the luxury attributes of larger Volvos, but the smaller sedan's more compact dimensions bring occupants that much closer to the rich materials and well-finished components. Granted, space itself is a luxury, but cramming the same amenities found in a big car into a smaller one creates a more intense experience.
Volvo's standard Comfort or optional Contour seats, three-spoke steering wheel, tablet-style Sensus infotainment system, available 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and faceted metallic knobs all fill the S60's cabin a bit more richly than in its larger brethren. A metal band jutting out from the dashboard appears to hold the upper components together while providing a clever spot into which the accent trim nestles, which varies depending on whether one has ordered the base Momentum, the upscale Inscription, the sporty R-Design, or the rare T8 Polestar Engineered, the last of which features a blacked-out interior treatment with orange seatbelts.
All of the cars we sampled featured the uplevel Contour seats that we've experienced before in the 90-series models. When covered in full leather, the individual cushions are so firm one can bounce a quarter off of them, yet the longer you sit in them the more you appreciate how brilliantly comfortable they are. In the R-Design models, the seats have a mix of leather and fabric, which not only look cool but also makes the cushion slightly less firm. Now, if only Volvo could right the wrongs that still mark the Sensus interface, which still feels slow to respond to inputs and is sometimes logic-challenged.
Slicker Styling
Outside, the family resemblance to the larger Volvos is clear, although the S60's proportions and lower-slung stance give it a bit more attitude. Seen on the road, the S60 conveys more sportiness than the formal-looking S90-the front end appears longer, the roofline lower, the optional 19-inch wheels proportionally larger. The tumblehome of the roof as it drops down to the rear wheelarches is particularly dramatic, especially as defined by a tasteful pinch in the bodywork along the rear shoulders and the more angular taillamp graphics.
As with other new Volvos, the S60 offers customers multiple looks, ranging from the more conventional and elegant Momentum and Inscription models to the sportier R-Design model and the downright aggro T8 Polestar Engineered version. The Polestar Engineered model gets its own exterior styling cues and comes only in Black Stone, Osmium Gray, or Crystal White, with black trim applied everywhere from the front-bumper trim all the way to the tailpipes; the only splashes of color are the orange brake calipers and valve-stem covers, which match the black-and-orange interior elements. The Polestar model looks incredible, but the entire initial 20-car U.S. allotment was snatched up in just 39 minutes, and it was only made available through the Care by Volvo subscription program. (Volvo has said that, in future model years, availability of the Polestar Engineered model will increase, and it could become purchasable normally.)
The Speedy Swede
We drove both the T6 AWD R-Design, which is powered by the 316-hp supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, and the T8 Polestar Engineered model, which uses the standard T8 powertrain's two electric motors (good for a combined 87 horsepower) but tweaks the gas engine for an additional 15 ponies and 22 lb-ft of torque. Total output is an impressive 415 horsepower and 494 lb-ft of torque.
Not surprisingly, neither felt slow. The T6 got up to speed in a hurry, although a faint supercharger whine seemed more audible here than in Volvo's larger models. Volvo estimates that the T6 AWD can hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, although we'd say closer to 5.0 seconds is more likely. The T8 Polestar Engineered's instantly available electric assist rendered turbo lag moot and pressed us back into those sublime seats with genuine force. Volvo estimates that the Polestar Engineered car can hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, 0.1 second quicker than the standard T8. Volvo claims that the Polestar's software upgrades improve fuel economy as well as refine the behavior of the eight-speed automatic transmission.
The bigger surprise was the S60's ability to carve a clean, fast line along the roads in the Santa Monica mountains north of Malibu as well as on the faster but still challenging tarmac through the Topatopa Mountains into Ojai. Our sample T6 R-Design was equipped with the optional 19-inch wheels and summer tires as well as the $200 Sport Chassis option, which brings retuned dampers and a roughly half-inch drop in ride height, so it likely represents the high-water mark among non-Polestar S60s. The steering exhibited crisp turn-in and accurate response, the car's cornering aided by brake-based torque vectoring and the all-wheel-drive system's ability to send up to half of the engine's torque to the rear axle. Grip levels were remarkably high, with mild understeer apparent only in a couple of corners when we were really hustling.
With its lightweight forged 19-inch wheels and firmer Öhlins dampers, the Polestar Engineered S60 was even more responsive. The only overt dynamic shortcoming involved the Brembo brakes, which exhibited the linearity of a seismograph during a California earthquake. Volvo say it's aware of the issue in these pre-production models, blaming it on an ungraceful handoff between the regenerative braking system and the mechanical brakes. While it never felt as if the brakes would fail, they certainly threw us off our game in virtually any corner that required a bit of finesse in slowing the car, as well as in normal stops in city traffic.
Pricing and Availability
We regret that Volvo didn't bring along any S60s at anything close to the $36,795 base price of its 250-hp T5 FWD in Momentum trim, but if it's anything like the XC60 T5 we tested with which it shares a powertrain, it should be pretty darn livable, save for some considerable turbo lag. The gutsier T6 AWD starts at $41,295 and the plug-in-hybrid T8 AWD opens at $55,395, although the latter skips the base Momentum trim level, offering only the R-Design getup or, for a grand more, the sumptuous Inscription.
If only on account of its considerable sense of mass, but also the inescapable feeling that a whole lot of computers are helping execute our commands, we're not sure that either S60 we drove poses much of a threat to the Audi S4 or the Mercedes-AMG C43, at least from a driving-enjoyment standpoint. But driving enjoyment is just one aspect of what draws customers to sedans like this. In many other respects-comfort, amenities, and style, to name a few-the S60 is now a formidable competitor in a way that it wasn't before.
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