Currently browsing category

S60/V60/V70

2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design with Driver Support Pkg and Navi system w/premium sound
Price as tested: CDN$58865

Performance: Audi has RS, BMW has M and Mercedes has AMG. On the other hand, Swedish sensibility equals Polestar as their performance arm. Our R-Design happens to receive the Polestar treatment, as its sweet T6 engine receives 35 ponies boost and 29 lb/ft of torque improvement over the regular T6. That means 325 stallion and 354 lb/ft of torque of Swedish turbocharged personality. As we have always smitten from Swedish turbocharged philosophy, which means it has zero turbo lag while retains world-class refinement which always mean its a proper Volvo. That said, this turbocharged 6-cylinder 3.0 liter 24-valve engine delivers plenty of kick from the low rpm, thanks to the turbocharged pressure while the middle and upper range benefit from variable valve timing. The result is R-Design takes off the line with authority, even if it has to carry a porky Swedish 3877 lb of sensible luxury along its wrist. While its 6-speed manumatic retains its usual composure of deliver a smooth and crisp shift points, its lack of a proper paddle shifters on the steering is a huge oversight especially consider R-Design is the performance aspect of Volvo. Despite that, the electronic throttle is light without feeling overly sensitive. All in all, it remains silky and elegance as of what we all expect from a sporty Volvo.

Handling: As all the previous S60 reviews have denoted, we are a huge fans of this platform. With R-Design, it has taken its dynamic aspects into a new height. With R-Design, it got stiffen shocks and springs to back-up its goodies, as well as its lowered 1.5 inches. Which, in the meantime, its already a class-beater with unique Swedish accent. Along with improved rebound damping, T6 also received adjustable dampers called 4C System. While the early system wasn’t exactly spectacular, Volvo has refined the latest version in this S60. The sport chassis really have made S60 dance through corners like no other Volvo ever came before, possibly except for last 850 T5-R. Both understeer and body motions are well-tempted. On the other hand, its 4C would be best to leave it on “auto” as a default as its already good enough to make it a proper sports sedan, while having steering sets to highest effort as it provides the best feel and feedback in all the 3 settings. When its Haldex AWD mated with Volvo’s DSTC ESC, its able to combined sportiness with a sense of safe and security one expects from Volvo. That’s despite the fact that Haldex is a front-wheel-drive configuration before it detects slippage before it starts to take action. However, its sensitivity is both quick and linear, it would make any driver unnoticed in its process. Torque vectoring, which is another feature, which enable the slippage on the outside wheel by sending the power from the inside wheel. That makes for less understeer, which equals less steering input when pushed through a corner to provide a more balanced driving experience. Thanks to Polestar with all the upgrades, it has transformed S60 from a really good sports sedan into a great sports sedan. How sweet it is? :D

Brakes: With large 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, this R-Design stops like its on a dime. The stopping distance is short, while pedal is firm and easily modulated. Its easily the best brake pedal feel I have ever tested in Volvo in my recent memory. ABS acts accordingly is another bonus.

Interior: The cabin of S60 has always been nicely done. Along with Volvo’s ergonomics, which are user-friendly and initutive, right from its climate control to stereo layout. The use of plastic and leather materials in the cabin have to be considered as some of the best among its peers. Both the leather sports seats have got to be the world’s most comfortable seats ever designed by human beings. Its comfortable and hug you in all the right places, while leaving everyone feeling fresh even after a long trip. The driving position is spot-on, instrumentation gauges are clear and analog.

The rear seats are equally spacious for two outboard passengers while leaving center one to be a squeeze.

As for luggage space, anyone needs to have a dignity would need to reconsider putting their baggages deep into the trunk. However, the nicely padded trunk hinges and decently carpeted have done exceptionally well for such an upmarket luxury car.

Conclusion: “60-series” is definitely a homerun for Volvo. We had a blast on both XC60, S60 and V60 in T6 guise. S60′s T5 gave us a hint on Volvo’s formula on affordable luxury sports sedan, then our long-term T6 AWD gave us nice memory through the mileage. Latest R-Design is how Volvo keeps evolving its winner formula. :)

After the depature of S60/V70R in 2009, many would have thought whether Volvo will come out with a spicy version of its bread-and-butter. Although R-Design isn’t as racy as its predecessor, its certainly a compensation for what we have missed in those twins. Polester is able to turn the best Volvo ever, into an even better one. Its tranformation from a really good sports sedan into a great sports sedan have proven Swedish is still able to turn out some of the best sports sedans in the world. :)

R-Design is about 6 grand more than similarly-equipped standard T6 AWD, does it worth it? For my money, it worths every single pennies. :D

Competitions:
Acura TL SH-AWD
Audi A4 Quattro
BMW 335i X-Drive
Cadillac CTS-4
Mercedes C350 4-Matic
Infiniti G37XS

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

2012 Volvo V60 T6 AWD

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo V60 T6 AWD with 4C Chassis
Price as tested: CDN$52600 (Estimated)

Performance: Volvo station wagons have always been the definition of form-follows-function. With Volvo’s latest move from boxy to swoopy in their latest V60. Will V60 become the victim of form-over-function? We will be finding out after this test drive.

Along with its S60 silibings, V60 has been sourced with a wide variety of engines. Our particular V60 comes with the usual array of Swedish turbocharged personality in straight-6 format, while lesser models come with both 4 and 5-cylinders as well as turbodiesels. The “T6″ designation is pretty clear about what this engine means. A turbocharged straight-6 24-valve DOHC with all sorts of advanced technologies, right from the variable valve timing to throttle-by-wire. Nonetheless, Swedish carmakers have been famous for producing exceptional low-pressure turbo engines for years. T6 is no exception. In fact, its 325 lb/ft of torque has moved V60 off-the-get-go extremely nicely. On the other hand, 300 Swedish stallion has made V60 a willing revver right up the rev range. That’s very impressive consider 1714kg of Swedish level of weight has to carry through its sleek body. Mesh the light electronic throttle, V60 takes off without breaking a sweat. All have done without the annoying turbo lag. The turbo spools up quickly and efficiently without fuse. Mated with this sweet T6 is Volvo’s 6-speed Geartronic, the name for this Swedish carmaker’s manumatic gearbox. While the gear ratios are properly done, which match perfectly with T6′s willing character. Volvo’s hefty manumatic remains a no-no on our books. We would like to see a swifter and less bulky reaction to the manumatic. Given V60′s sporty character, Volvo should offer paddle shifters even as an option. Otherwise, its a very refined and smooth powertrain combination.

Handling: The last time we were smitten by Volvo wagon’s dynamic abilities was early 90s 850 Turbo and T5-R sportswagons. The V70R produced right after 850 Turbo had been rather underwhelming if a bit too benign for our taste. Enter the new V60 T6. Volvo has done plenty of homework when its time to replace V70. While the V70 has plenty of power, its chassis dynamics never back up its neat turbo engines.

The V60 has addressed V70′s dynamic weaknesses. While the outgoing V70 felt somewhat loose and overdamping when pushed, V60 comes back with fluidty and confidence on the same corners. It all begins with a wonderfully stiff and solid chassis, which we already praised much in the S60 sedan. Volvo’s latest revision of its 4C adjustable damper system has addressed its sore. The previous iteration of 4C has poor compromise between handling and ride. With the new 4C, its “sport” setting really transforms V60 from its “comfort” setting’s full-lined luxury car into a real sportswagon. All have done without losing the suspension suppleness and firm ride quality. The ride quality is firm and supple while comfortably compliant enough to absorb all the bumps and roughness. The steering provides nice feel and feedback, with much better response than previous Volvo set-up. Rounding out V60′s active safety package is the nicely set-up AWD when mated with electronic stability control, its really hard to get it out of line even when pushed aggressively through hairpins. There are minimal body rolls while safe understeer is expected.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, V60 has stopped commandably without fuss. The stopping distance is short, while pedal feels crisp and linear. The brake pedal always feels alive without any fades, even after a couple of harsh stops. ABS doesn’t drop in unnecessarily is an added bonus.

Interior: In the past, Volvo wagons have always been about function with a bit of form. Its boxy, quirky, stylish and very practical. The main reason is due to Volvo’s classical boxy styling. Volvo decided to take a bold step by giving V60 form before function. That means V60 has lost some of its practicality in flavor of style. While the luggage area remains nicely done, with classy padding and plenty of storage space. The swoopy style has taken over its versatility side. If you compare the volume of S60′s trunk versus V60′s hatch, former has 380 liters while latter has 430 liters, both without folding the rear seats. What makes V60 superior than S60 is the ease of loading, while sedan has to break some of your dignity before getting anything out of its swallow trunk. When the 40/20/40 rear seats fold down completely, V60 is able to swallow up to 1241 liters of junk at the back. However, its amount of luggage space is less than those of its German rivals. Its also far less than the V70 which V60 intended to replace.

Considering the following numbers, with the rear seats unfolded, for V60′s intended competitions:
A4 Avant: 490 liters
3-Series Touring: 460 liters
Mercedes C-Class Estate: 485 liters
VW Passat Variant: 603 liters

In comparison, outgoing V70 had 540 liters.

Consider class-leading utility has always been what Volvo wagon faithful have been looking for years. That’s the main reason why they kept trading in for another when the next model coming up. V60 might have lost some Volvo loyalists to some of its rivals in the long haul.

The rest of the inside is similar to those of S60. That means nice use of plastic and leather materials. Those leather seats are both comfy, relaxing and supportive without feeling confining. As per Volvo tradition, those has to be considered some of the best seats in the auto business. The auto climate control and stereo are typical Swedish initutive if a bit quirky to use. The aluminum trim on the center console has added a bit of sportiness to the black on black interior. Instrumentation gauges are clear and analog, while everything is nicely executed in the cabin.

Conclusion: I always have a soft spot for those boxy yet quirky Volvo station wagons since I was a kid. While the Audi Avant represents the best of German sensibilities with Bauhaus school of design styling language, Volvo wagons are about being boxy and quirky, with a sense of Scandinvia humors while delivering through its performance prowess. The 745GLT and 855 Turbo are the perfect examples. The latest V60 T6 has delivered both performance and dynamic abilities, which are able to live up to 855 Turbo’s tradition. However, it has taken form over function when it comes to utmost practicality which defined the Volvo wagon tradition. Perhaps one really has to sacifice some squared space for drop dead gorgeous looks……:)

Competitions:
Audi A4 Avant
BMW 3-Series Touring
Mercedes C-Class Estate
VW Passat Variant

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Volvo V60 T6 AWD
=====================================
Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3.5/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Short test: 2012 Volvo S60 T5

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T5 with Driver Support Pkg, Premium Pkg, Premium Sound, Metallic Paint and Navigation
Price as tested: CDN$51605

For those who have found T6 AWD a bit out of their price range, Volvo starts to offer a more affordable T5 in FWD guise. We have always been impressed with Volvo’s latest effort on producing a sports sedan, which is finally worthy as a successor to their 850 Turbo about a decade ago.

With the T5, its 250 Swedish forced induction stallion and 266 lb/ft of torque are more than capable of moving this heavymetal around. The main reason is this 5-cylinder turbocharged engine provides silky smooth delivery of performance right from the get-going to middle of the rev range, while providing decent engine note and NVH to justify its luxury car status. Despite its 30 less horses and 59 less lb/ft than its T6 counterparts. It doesn’t feel like lacking. In fact, this engine has aplenty for most situations. It has plenty of low-end torque for traffic light acceleration while enough middle grunt for highway passing move. The smooth delivery of power without the annoying turbo lag. It really does shown how capable Swedish carmakers are able to engineered with forced induction powertrains. The combination of efficiency and effectiveness of light-pressure turbocharging is extremely impressive in T5 case.

Even without the benefit of AWD, S60 remains a very capable car in FWD form. The suspension calibration is world-class especially with optional 4C chassis system. The steering provides reassurring feel and feedback, while the ride is more relaxing, which is more in-tuned with its Swedish personality than many of those more aggressively tuned German peers. As for its 4C, it remains as calm and comfortable as any full-lined luxury car. Press the “sport” button, it quickly transform S60 from a full-lined luxury car into a sports sedan. The “advanced” is better leave for track purpose, which is rare judging by S60′s family car status. The most comfortable setting has to be in “comfort” which we think its most suitable for its character, while leaving the “sport” when your family isn’t around.

On the one hand, S60 has some of the best seats in the business. On the other hand, it has one of the most annoying trunk layout ever. The rest of the interior is typical Swedish sensibilities, with initutiveness we rarely seen from its German counterparts.

Since S60′s first inception in 2001, it has always been our favourite Volvo. With the introduction of the 2nd generation, Volvo is able to keep the goods while addressing its weakness when it comes to dynamic abilities. Volvo has finally able to rectify its poor compromise in previous S60R’s 4C adjustable damping system. It has worked equally well in our T5 FWD as good as T6 AWD. Hopefully, Volvo’s new management would see the light and give us the new S60R.

Likes:
Swedish turbocharged personality
Comfortable seats
Potent I-5 engine
Handling and ride

Dislikes:
Interior ergonomics
Trunk layout

Competitions:
Acura TSX
Infiniti G25
Lexus IS250
VW Passat

Long-term wrap up: 2012 Volvo S60 T6

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD with BSIS, Park Assist Camera, 4C Chassis and Navigation system
Price as tested: CDN$50625
Mileage since picked up: 7300km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

The last Volvo which truly put the smiles on my face was the 1995 850 T5-R. Since then, Volvo started to become boring when it comes to driving experience while styling is getting bold. That’s ironic because Volvo’s styling language has been getting impressive with right proportions without losing the boxiness used to stood for this Swedish brand.

This 2nd iteration of Volvo’s mainstay S60 has proven this Gotheberg-based carmaker starts to produce fun car all over again. While it doesn’t have the razor sharpness of its more aggressively-tuned German rivals, its merits are good enough to challenge them, on back-top twisties. Volvo 4C system is able to dial out 99% of the body rolls while keeping the handling checking at hands, its one of the better adjustable damping systems we have ever tested.

There are few things which annoyed out of me. The first thing is Volvo’s trademarked floating center console, which dated back to 2004 S40/V50. While it looks cool and cyber, with all the HVAC and stereo controls all placed on top with large knobs. The storage space behind the console is small yet inconvenience. Volvo’s blind-spot warning system has irriating warning sound. This kind of noise would encourage anyone to turn it off. If you are getting an S60, please go with the aluminum trim, for god’s sake. Its faux wood trim feels and looks so faux, it would give any faux item poor repuation. Lastly, as with all Volvo sedan’s trunk. Its both swallow with tall liftover and narrow side sills. It forced anyone who have seriously checked out the trunk to take its wagon silibing. But there is no V60 in sight for our shore.

However, 305hp with Haldex AWD certainly won’t annoyed out of me. Instead, its one entertaining powertrain combination. Its both refined and smooth cruiser, without feeling disconnected through its steering feel and feedback. When you are behind the wheel seating on one of the world’s best seats in the business, it keeps reminding me Volvo still has guts to produce some fun when it comes to luxury sports sedan.

The bottom line? I just wish Volvo will produce a performance variant of the S60, in the form of an S60R. Pretty damn sure S60R will be good enough as a reincarnation to the 850 T5-R. In yellow please. :D

Likes:
Swedish turbocharged personality
Nimble handling
Unique character
Ergonomic interior

Dislikes:
Faux wood trim
Lack of interior storage space
Swallow trunk
BSIS warning sound

Competitions:
Audi S4
BMW 335i X-Drive
Mercedes C350 4-Matic

Long-term update: 2012 Volvo S60 T6

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD with BSIS, Park Assist Camera, 4C Chassis and Navigation system
Price as tested: CDN$50625
Mileage since picked up: 4500km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

As we entered late September, we already had our first rain and windstorm. It already proven to be a great time to test S60′s combination of Haldex AWD and DSTC dynamic stability control systems. These two systems work together extremely well during poor weather. While the AWD acts as a second line of defence to its stability control, which means former starts to stepping into the equation while latter has reached its thresold. It works exceptionally whenever driver hits a patholes on highway speed in such a dire weather. The sure-footness chassis fitness mated to a steering, which provide confidence feel and feedback. Altogether make S60 a very safe and sound family sedan. When added to S60′s 4C chassis control, its able to put together a package which is both safe and fun in a stylish package. When the weather starts to get sunny, S60 is beckon to be driven with sporty road manners. It acts as both a proper family sedan with luxurious appointment, or a sports sedan with unique Swedish personality.

On our final update, we will wrap things up which include one very annoying trait.

Long-term update: 2012 Volvo S60 T6

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD with BSIS, Park Assist Camera, 4C Chassis and Navigation system
Price as tested: CDN$50625
Mileage since picked up: 3230km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

In the good ole’ days, whenever there is a Volvo sedan introduced. There will always be a wagon equivalent debut alongside. While this case still applies to the rest of the world, it won’t applied to Canadian market with the latest S60. XC60 crossover is the closet item to V60 wagon on our shore, at least until Volvo realized they will lost a bunch of loyalists.

In terms of luggage space, S60 continues the fact that Volvo trunk has to designed like a letter box. The opening is narrow while space is swallow, even if it has padded trunk hinges to avoid crashing into the groceries. For those who have got used to the versatile space of a traditional Volvo boxy wagon, S60′s luggage space has left something to be desired. In fact, this is a way to force their potential customers into XC60 with fatter gross margin.

As for interior space, mid-size Volvo has always been pretty impressive. There are more than enough rear head and legrooms, with some of the best seats in the planet. The use of plastic and leather materials are, as expected, one of the best in the business. Interior design is cohenive without losing Swedish’s form-follows-function. The controls for both climate control and navigation are initutive, with large knobs on the center console.

As we are entering a rainy Canadian fall, it will be a testament to how well its AWD performs under those conditions.

Long-term update: 2012 Volvo S60 T6

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD with BSIS, Park Assist Camera, 4C Chassis and Navigation system
Price as tested: CDN$50625
Mileage since picked up: 1300km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

The new S60 is a very important car for Volvo. Its Volvo’s most significant product launch in the last decade. Why this car is so important to Volvo? Its the final collaboration between Volvo and Ford Premier Auto Group. Another reason is the first all-new Volvo introduced under the new ownership of Geely in China.

In the automotive arena, everything else is about product. Before the introduction of the new S60, the last Volvo which has let us smitten was the XC60 crossover. The main reason is both of these Volvo are able to provide the driving pleasure, which has lost in their products, since the inception of the 850 Turbo. Although one might thought it doesn’t have the sharp reflexes of its stiff German rivals, S60 is able to combine the Swedish thought on relaxed handling with superb ride quality. The combination of a nice AWD system with 300hp, add up a world-class chassis have wrapped up S60 T6 pretty well. All have done without losing the distinctive Swedish character.

On our next update. S60′s versatility.

Long-term intros: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 & Honda Civic EX-L

Vehicle: 2012 Honda Civic EX-L sedan
Price as tested: CDN$24390
Mileage since picked up: 40km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

Honda Civic has always been Canada’s favourite car. It has been Canada’s best-selling car for the last 13 years. While the latest iteration doesn’t receive a host of nifty new technologies as one expects from Honda. It continues its winning formula by offering a decent combination of power, handling, comfort and feature amenities. On our EX-L tester, it receives plenty of luxurious features only found in more expensive cars, right from auto climate control to leather seats. But does the new Civic deliver the same kind of quality and reliability as what it should be? Will its fuel economy continue to impress the crowd? We will have the answer in the next few months.

Vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD with BSIS, Park Assist Camera, 4C Chassis and Navigation system
Price as tested: CDN$50625
Mileage since picked up: 25km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

If “6″ is a lucky number, its no wonder this Swedish carmaker’s “60-series” is our favourite Volvo. We have been impressed with both current and previous iteration of S60, as well as its crossover silibing: XC60. The introduction of a T6 AWD has finally put S60 into the heart dominated by German heavyweights. With 300hp and 325 lb/ft of torque delivers through its T6 powersource, its able to pit this T6 versus stiff competitions from both Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Not only does Volvo has enough poise and grace to challenge those of S4, 335i and C350, it provides aplentry of kits when it comes to safety and comfort. The question remains to be seen is whether S60 has got the quality and reliability to take on those rivals.

Over the next few months, we will update our nicks and picks on each of these vehicles. :)

2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD

Vehicle: 2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD with Driver Support Pkg and 4-C Chassis
Price as tested: CDN$51940

Performance: Volvo has always claimed they have build the sportiest car ever, unfortunately, they never lived up to the billings since the good ole days when 850 T5-R and V70R AWD were sporty beats. Will the new S60 lived up to their promise by building a credible sports sedan? We will find out after this test drive.

The S60 will only come with one powerhouse during initial launch. As with Swedish tradition, all great powertrains have to be turbocharged. T6, as with Volvo’s naming traditon of their excellent turbocharged engine, provide exceptional refinement and rev smoothly right from the low-end to the top of the rev range. This straight-6 DOHC 24-valve twin-scroll turbocharged engine delivers a whopping 300 horses. And more importantly, 325 lb/ft of torque at driver’s right foot. That’s enough to move S60′s heavy 1711kg of Swedish Ikea like of luxury with authority. What is really impressed me is the lack of those annoying turbo lag usually associates with lesser turbocharged engines. The turbo spools up quickly and efficiently whenever driver nails the responsive throttle. Mated with this powertrain is Volvo’s 2nd generation Geartronic. The improved gear ratios provide decent off-the-line launch through 1st and 2nd gears, on the other hand, 5th and 6th are tall enough for relaxed highway cruising. What it misses is the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Given Volvo’s claim on S60 as the sportiest Volvo ever made, the lack of paddle shifters is an oversight given its sporting intentions. Another pity is Volvo’s automatic gearbox has always been in a protective nature, which won’t allow enthuisastic driver to rev pass redline before any up and downshifting.

Handling: While no one has ever doubt Volvo’s ability to engineered a stiff and solid foundation called vehicle platform, it has always been Volvo’s suspension and chassis philosophy which left driving enthuisasts cold. With the new S60, Volvo has claimed the steering has 10% quicker steering ratio for better response and feedback. In terms of steering feel, Volvo has always done a relatively decent job on providing confidence-inspiring driver feel and feedback. Both the response to driver input and information have always been what it should be. Does the 10% quicker steering ratio has made S60 a far sportier car to drive than its predecessor? In terms of responsiveness and precision, it has done more than what Volvo’s demographics asked to do. As with whether its able to do what new S60′s target audience, who have get used to German trio (namely A4, 3-Series and C-Class)’s superb dynamic driving feel. There is more to the story. Volvo is able to improved the 4C driver control system to provide a better compromise between ride and handling. However, we still prefer to leave everything in “Advance” instead of “Comfort” and “Sport because this mode is able to combine what other modes lack. That’s the sublime compromise between sporty handling and comfortable ride. While the body rolls have been well controlled and DSTC, their naming for electronic stability control, have remain benign as per Volvo tradition. The AWD traction mated with its ready and willing DSTC has been able to provide a sure-footness and confidence-inspiring ride that are perfect for Volvo’s traditional client base. However, its level of dynamic abilities still trail behind those of German’s razor sharpness and delicated precision when pushed through the twisties.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the new S60 has stopped as well as its driving abilities. That means the stopping distance is short, while the pedal provides decent enough feedback. The brake doesn’t exhibit any fades after a couple of hard stops. Pedal always feels linear and confidence-inspiring. The same goes for ABS, which only steps in necessarily, which is a very good thing.

Interior: As with all recent Volvo sedans, the access to the luggage area have always been left be asking “Have Volvo engineers tried to put customers to their crossovers?”. While the S60 has properly padded trunk hinges, which protect all those groceries from crashing with those damn hinges. The trunk is the perfect example of a letter box. Which means the side sills are cramped, thanks to Volvo’s swoopy and stylish tailights. The liftover is high, the space between the top of the trunk to the lower sills are narrow. If you want to access to all the luggages deep inside the trunk, you better dig deep inside to get them out. For large item, you should be fine. If you happen to put all those small shopping bags (as per Volvo’s environmental friendly policy!), good luck.

The most unfortunate fact about the current generation of S60 is the lack of a proper wagon silibing for Stateside. :( That’s because Volvo is usually the first word that comes to mind when it comes to European utilitarian wagon since the 245. With Volvo wagon owners having one of the highest loyalty rate in the business, Volvo’s decision for not bringing the beautiful V60 Stateside will bite them in the ass in not-to-distant future. Pity.

The rest of the S60′s interior has been very well layout. It all thanks to Volvo’s sensible logic of designing an initutive interior which put human ergonomics in mind. The superb auto climate control layout, which designed with the positions for different parts of the human body with large knobs, have always been judged as one of the most user-friendly design in the industry. Then add the stereo and navigational system, which are easy to figure out which breaking a sweat. All those user-friendly design is the one single area where Volvo designers have an upper edge over those German ones.

With the extra dimensions, S60 has improved rear legroom for passengers to free up their legs. The headroom is more than adequate given its swoopy C-pillars.

Conclusion: The new S60 is certainly worth the wait. Despite of my criticisms on the lack of paddle shifters on the steering wheel, as well as the designers could do a much better job with the luggage area. The S60 is certainly live up to its billing as the sportiest Volvo ever produced. While it won’t set anyone’s heart on fire, especially those who are currently own, a German sports sedan, on fire. But it will appeal to those who are looking for something sporting but has Swedish flair build into the entire package.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD
=====================================
Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5

Special feature: A farewell to Volvo V70

When it comes to building traditional station wagon with utility in mind, those who are seeking to buy European would definitely have Volvo in mind. That’s similar to what you have to buy a Subaru when buying a traditional Japanese station wagon with AWD.

Everything else from Volvo’s 245, 745 and 765 have always been the definition of what an utility vehicle stands for. While they aren’t as stylish as Audi Avant, Volvo’s boxy wagons have always been practical, highly utility, handles decently with good enough powertrains to match their unique character. 850 T5-R sportswagon used to be the first wagon to enter BTCC in the early 90s with great result. As with 850 T5-R, 850R and V70R AWD; Volvo wagons are as good as it gets.

When Volvo invested heavily into the XC70 Cross Country, which is basically a jacked-up V70, in North America. They have put less resources into traditional wagon like V50 and V70. We have seen the hugely successful XC60 and XC90 crossovers, which are extremely practical thanks to Volvo’s expertise on buidling utility wagons. In 2011, Volvo will be dropping V70 in flavor of XC60 and XC70 due to “customer demand”. Although the incoming V60 based on all-new S60 will be more stylish and less practical given its rounder looks, its pretty much unsure whether Volvo will bring it across the ocean.

We can pretty much count how many station wagons left in the market right now. Impreza has changed from wagon to hatchback. Outback has replaced Legacy wagon. 5-Series Touring won’t be coming over in flavor of the pointless X6 and 5-GT. Mercedes has firmly believed GLK can taken the place of the C-Class wagon, although E-Class wagon will be debuting soon. Audi remains commit to their Avant even with limited engine choices. Good luck if you can find some Passat wagon in VW showroom. Even Saab isn’t sure whether 9-3X will replaced 9-3 SportCombi when this quirky Swedish brand reestablish itself by the end of this year.

Perhaps most consumers don’t even know those crossovers are basically a guessied-up wagons……….

2003 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD

Short review of Volvo S60 2.5T AWD
==========================

This has to be the most balanced package of all the S60, until rocketship R arrives. This engine application works in harmony manners thanks to decent low-end torque and never run out of breath on top end. Steering provides decent feel although it lacks the sharpness of some of its German rivals. The ride/handling balance is sublime, given the car a very comfortable ride around town. In terms of comfort, nothing beats Volvo’s superb seats. Some of the drawbacks are the rather boring norm interior with all black on center console, faux wood trim on a car costing $51k Canadian and trunk is too swallow.

Overall ratings: 3.75/5