Volvo S60 T6 AWD

Coming up with ever new launches, Volvo Cars gradually wants to widen its presence in the luxury car segment in India. After the launch of Volvo XC60 which has received tremendous response, here is Volvo’s latest offering, the Volvo S60 which it launched a few weeks ago. The S60 is available in D5 Diesel and T6 Petrol variants. The Volvo S60 is a four-door luxury sedan that was first introduced in the year 2000 and is currently in its second generation. The earlier generation S60 had a dull look, boxy appearance and nothing as compared to the current S60. The new S60 looks more like a sports coupe than a Sedan.

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We drove the Sports version of the S60 which has 304 Bhp and an All Wheel Drive (AWD) T6 six-cylinder petrol and tried to find out if the Volvo S60 T6 is better than its closest German rivals the BMW 330i and the Audi A4 3.2.

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Exterior Design

The original Volvo S60 was developed way back when Ford Motor Company owned Volvo Cars and the S60 is based on the same EUCD platform as the Ford Mondeo, the Volvo S80 and the XC60 are. The front of the S60 is largely taken over by a heavy nose job. The front reminds you somewhat of the XC60, the family grill with a chrome lining and the diagonal Volvo monogram coupled with rounded Xenon projector headlamps with the typically Volvo white fog lamps placed just next to the headlamps all raked up in the steeping bonnet.

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The front bumper is low slung with bit of chrome inserts. The front end of the Volvo S60 is nicely designed keeping in mind the much needed aerodynamics that this superfast car needs. When viewed from the front the S60 looks very aggressive and sporty. The sides of the S60 are equally pretty. Sleek front fenders mated to the aerodynamic bodyline and the large glass area that flows back towards the boot with a very coupe like low slung roof-line that ultimately gels in the short boot. There is a chiseled out shoulder line that flows across the sides of the S60 giving it a very contemporary look sideways. The wing mirrors are also aerodynamically shaped.

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Getting to the rear, this is the best angle to view the S60. The short boot makes the S60 appear at its sportiest best. LED tail lamps are flushed in the body and have a rather different glow in them. The boot has the V O L V O badge in chrome that is prominently placed at the centre of the boot lid just above the rear number plate along with a tail lip spoiler to set things really sporty. Twin silencers adorn the S60 and are rather of much practical use than just ornamental. The rear bumper like the front one is low slung and has been intelligently designed having a paint less portion on the lower half that is most prone to hit or scrape the road and pot holes. The Volvo S60 drives on 215/50 17 incher tires that are mounted on a five-spoke alloy wheels.

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We initially thought that the 215 profile tires would be a bit lean for a car this size and power but we were totally proven wrong during our drive as the Continentals did their job superbly. The fit and finish on the S60 is at par with its German rivals and all Volvos for India are CBU (Fully Imported) which means we are getting the best of the best in terms of quality of metal and paint. The aggressive sporty stance and the coupe like roof line coupled with a short boot make the S60 a sure head turner.

Interiors

Hop inside the Volvo S60 and you notice that you don’t need a key to unlock the door; the keyless entry ensures that you can unlock the S60 doors by just gripping the door handle provided you have the car remote in your pocket. Doors open wide making entry and egress comfortable. The dashboard is made of the soft rubbery material that all the cars in this segment have. The Speedo cluster has a silver border with neatly laid out digits and is calibrated to 260kmph while the RPM meter has the 8k RPM as its limit. All the much needed tell tale warning indicators are in LCD glow. The centre console has an MID display which reads out the different menu settings and also doubles up as the screen for the reverse camera. Below the LCD display is the centre AC vent followed by the two-zone climate control unit and the music system head unit. The centre console is planted in a good deal of brushed metal surrounds and metal inserts run around the floating console which is again typical of all Volvos lately. You have buttons to choose the drive mode (Comfort, Sport or Advanced) just below the music system and the phone dialer. The automatic shifter is good to grip but we would have liked something sportier for a car of this caliber. The brushed metal theme continues around the gear shifter and the metal garnish inserts are the flavor for the day in the S60. The steering has dual-tone leather with lots of brushed metal on it to enhance the sporty feel. Paddle shifters are sorely missed which should have been on the S60 by default at least on the T6 version. The steering is mounted with the audio control and the cruise control buttons. The steering has manual adjust for height and reach setting. Front seats are fully electrically adjustable and are one of the most comfortable seats seen on a car in this segment. Two-tone leather upholstery looks good and makes the cabin bright. Uniquely-shaped head rests and the basic design of the front seat hugs the back and offers best support and comfort. The driver seating is comfortable and the visibility is perfect. Moving on to the rear seats, the height is a bit low but is extra comfortable in terms of cushioning and shape. Two passengers can have a very comfortable drive while a third can also squeeze in with ease. The rear headrests fold down via the remote button on the centre console when needed mostly while reversing. Rear AC vents are mounted on the B-pillar and do a fine job. There are the bottle holders in the door pads and lots of storage space to stock up the nitty-gritty.

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As with all Volvos the safety equipment is loaded to the brim and the S60 is another fine example of how safe today’s cars can be. Like they say if it’s a Volvo, it has to be the safest. The Volvo S60 has all the typical Volvo safety features and lots more - whiplash protection system, side impact protection system, roll stability control, dynamic stability and traction control, inflatable curtain airbags, collision warning with brake support, active bi-xenon lights that turn in the direction of the steering, all around body shells that make the Volvo XC60 Diesel passenger compartment safest for rear occupants’. If you want more, then there is the Collision Warning System combined with the Auto Brake system on the option list. When this system is active the driver gets a warning via a red flash light that’s projected on the driver’s side of the windshield combined with an audible tone whenever a vehicle ahead of the S60 reduces its speed via a red flash light that’s projected on the driver’s side of the windshield combined with an audible alarm. Adaptive Cruise Control is also a very advanced system that works with the help of the laser that keeps checking the distance of the vehicle driving ahead and takes note of any change in the distance.

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Then there is the City Safety System that is the world’s first auto braking system where if the system is active and the Volvo S60 is running at less than 30kmph speed and the driver forgets to apply the brake and something comes in the way, the laser beams detects the obstacle and applies the brakes on its own. This is the world's first and patented safety technology developed by Volvo and was used for the first time on a Volvo car-Volvo XC60, and now the S60 inherits it. The latest addition to the Safety Gear is the BLIS (Blind Spot Info System) that has cameras placed under the wing mirrors that keep an eye on objects in the driver's blind spot for example if there is a vehicle in your blind spot, the triangular orange light flares up warning you that there is a vehicle that is not visible on the wing mirror and you need to be extra careful. With so many safety features, the Volvo S60 has got the five-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety ratings. With a long list of safety features that include many that are industry's first and are not seen on any other car, the Volvo S60 becomes the safest car on Indian roads currently not only in its segment but probably among all the cars currently sold in India.

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Keeping with the overall design of the S60 the short boot has an overall capacity of 380 liters which makes it a car with the smallest boot in its segment. Another grouse is the absence of the spare wheel very much likes the BMWs.

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The S60 has a very well appointed cabin with loads of equipments that include lot of safety features unheard in this segment. Overall, quality of materials used is top class with best in class seats.

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Engine – Drive – Suspension

The Volvo S60 T6 is powered by a 3 liter turbo-charged, inline-6 cylinder engine that has 304 BHP @ 5,600 rpm and has 440 Nm of torque at as low as 2,100 rpm. The S60 has a nice and light feel when driven at low or moderate speeds. The steering has a light feedback to it at low speeds, which comes very handy while driving in busy city roads and heavy traffic. The S60 shows its true colors on the highways, this is where it really comes up to its act. The six-cylinder Petrol engine is super smooth and has high levels of refinement. Release the brakes, press the accelerator pedal and get ready to as your head is going to be pushed back at the headrest as the S60 surges ahead in a very fast and rapid pace. Volvo claims the acceleration of the S60 to 6.2 seconds for reaching 100kmph mark and we don’t doubt that after experiencing its pick up. The power buildup is rapid and instant but in a very refined manner. The S60 has a very powerful mid range power band. The S60 has loads of power to offer and you can shoot out at any speed that you may be driving at. The S60 is not for the faint hearted and it takes some time to get used to the instant power punch that it offers.

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The engine and the 6 speed auto transmission work flawlessly. The engine is super silent at all RPMs and even at 140kmph it would be difficult to say that there is a 3.0 liter twin turbo petrol engine working under the hood. The 6 speed automatic transmission is very intelligent and shifts without being noticed. The shift quality remains smooth and quick, whether downshifting or up shifting.

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We managed to get 5 kmpl in the city driving conditions and about 7 kmpl on the highway sprints which are not bad for a car this powerful and which is in fact enthusiasts dream come true.

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The Volvo S60 comes with an active suspension that has three preset modes to it i.e. Comfort, Sport and Advanced. In the comfort mode the S60 suspension gives a neat and soft ride quality that filters out the pot holes and bad roads. Switch to Sports mode, the suspension is stiff and the handling feels a bit different, it is in this mode that the S60s torque-vectoring system comes to life and reduces the under steer and maintains a perfect balance between the front and the rear wheels on this All Wheel Drive. The Volvo S60 comes with the Haldex AWD that intelligently balances the power delivery between the front and the rear wheels. The S60 grips the road rather well and all the digital systems onboard take care of the behind the scenes and carefully monitors every activity to give a refined and balanced drive. The braking on the Volvo is quick and reassuring, thanks to all the extra goodies on the braking system as well.

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Verdict

The Volvo S60 T6 Petrol easily qualifies to be one of the best Drivers Car, it has loads of power 304Bhp, loads of torque 440Nm and has tons of safety equipment that are not found even on cars much higher in the segment. For those who want a fuel efficient S60 you have the S60 D5 that has a 5-cylinder Diesel engine and is high on fuel efficiency. The Volvo S60 T6 is priced at Rs43.35 lakhs on Road in Mumbai which makes it a good option for someone who is looking for performance and the meanest car.

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Volvo S60 T6 Specifications

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