Volvo S60 breaks cover

Volvo's all-new S60 luxury sedan has broken cover ahead its Geneva motor show debut and will be available in Australia by year's end.

Comprising four- five- and six-cylinder engines, from high performance 224kW turbo petrol engines to ultra-low emission 85kW compact diesel motors using an average of 4.3L/100km, Volvo has high hopes for its new mid-sized luxury sedan.

As well as more interior room, the new S60 brings with it a number of world firsts to the table, features such as a pedestrian detection and avoidance system and what Volvo claims is the first sedan to be fitted with Advanced Stability Control.

One of the most obvious changes however, is the design.

Larger front headlights, a coupe-like roofline and a more modern aesthetic provide the car with more visual appeal than its predecessor and Volvo hopes that the S60, also boasting advanced technologies and improved specification, can sell 90,000 units annually.

"The S60 has been sculpted to move you," says Volvo Cars' Design Director Peter Horbury.

"Every single line in its design is there to transport you both physically and emotionally. Its profile radiates so much coupe feeling that the rear doors come as something of a pleasant surprise when you examine the car close-up," adds Horbury.

Exhibiting a similar style to the S60 concept study shown at the 2009 Detroit motor show, the production version is larger than an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series, yet is smaller than an Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series. Its closest rival then would ostensibly be the Audi A5 Sportback, or perhaps the upcoming Saab 9-5.

Volvo is talking up its Advanced Stability Control, a feature it claims has never been deployed on a sedan before. It comprises a new roll angle sensor which can "identify any skidding tendency at a very early stage" and initiate dynamic stability and traction control "earlier and with greater precision".

The European car maker is also upbeat about the car's handling dynamics, declaring the driving experience to be unlike any before it.

"This project has been about pure passion for the task of driving Volvo's chassis development expertise to its very pinnacle. We've crossed into territory where we've never been before," explains Stefan Sällqvist, chassis development leader at Volvo.

Interestingly, two chassis types have been developed, one for the US and China (comfort, with softer suspension) and one for Europe and Australia (dynamic, with harder suspension), despite Volvo Cars chief Stephen Odell stating that all drivers want the same thing.

"Irrespective of whether the customers are in the USA, Europe or elsewhere in the world, they all prioritise the same characteristics. Now we are giving them an entirely new S60 that has a unique appeal to even the most discerning of buyers," says Odell.

There will also be an optional sport chassis for those drivers with keen apexing skills plus an advanced, self-adjusting FOUR-C active chassis will also be available.

Making use of a modified Haldex all-wheel drive system, the all-paw Ovlov also features Corner Traction Control that dabs brakes of the inside wheels for "tighter cornering".

"The spotlight was on giving the concept of comfort a whole new dimension. The dynamic chassis has an alert, quick-responding architecture that puts the focus on the driving experience, yet without diluting the impression of a comfortable ride," explains Sällqvist.

Another talking point includes the pedestrian detection system, which can indentify pedestrians and initiate full brakes automatically, should the driver not react in time. Volvo reckons this system will avoid contact with pedestrians at speeds of up 35km/h with no driver intervention.

Several engines will be available with the new Volvo S60, including the range-topping T6, a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo petrol engine capable of generating 224kW/440Nm. The S60 has a top speed of 250km/h and can hit 100km/h in 6.5 seconds with this engine.

Volvo will also offer the new 2.0-litre GTDi engine (2.0T), a high-output turbocharged petrol engine generating 149kW/300Nm that keeps fuel consumption low (7.9L/100km).

Volvo will also add a second 2.0-litre GTDi (T5) engine to the S60 range later in 2010, outputting 176kW/320Nm. It will replace the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo petrol.

Two compact versions of the GTDi engines, displacing 1.6-litres, will also be introduced at a later date, outputting 110kW/240Nm (T4) and 132kW/240Nm (T3) respectively.

Diesel power hasn't been forgotten either, with a pair of five-cylinder engines being offered initially. The 2.0-litre five (D3) bangs out 118kW/400Nm and uses just 5.2L/100km, while the 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel (D5) makes 151kW/420Nm with economy of 5.9L/100km.

Of course an ultra-low emission DRIVe version of the S60 will also hit the scene "during the course of the first year of production". This 1.6-litre turbodiesel develops 85kW/270Nm and uses a claimed 4.3 litres of diesel for every 100km travelled. Very frugal. It also emits less than 115 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
All models are offered with either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, however the S60 DRIVe will paired solely with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Volvo will show off the new model at the Geneva motor show in March 2010, taking care to highlight the updated interior which "takes Volvo Cars to a new dimension in terms of exclusive quality" according to its press statement.

"The interior has a more extrovert attitude than before, but without losing any of its practical Scandinavian roots," explains Peter Horbury. "The all-new S60 brings us up to a whole new level when it comes to the integral experience of colour, form, material and technology."

In terms of technology, a new infotainment system (combining audio, navigation, and telephony systems) is manipulated via steering wheel controls and displayed on a five- or seven-inch colour screen.

"We are one of the few manufacturers to give the driver access to all infotainment functions via controls in the steering wheel," says Volvo's Tomas Ahlborg.
Audio quality has been boosted in the all-new Volvo S60, with the addition of a 12-speaker Audyssey Laboratories MultEQ surround sound system.

"Our most advanced system, Premium Sound, has a class-D digital 5x130W amplifier with circuits from Sweden's Anaview, Dolby Digital in combination with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround, the award-winning MultEQ from Audyssey Laboratories and 12 loudspeakers. All this creates an audio experience of absolute world class," says Tomas Ahlborg.

Volvo's new S60 will be manufactured in Ghent, Belgium, and European cars will begin arriving mid year, with Australian deliveries expected late 2010.
There's only one question that remains: where is the high performance S60R?

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