The new Volvo S60
"We kept the toy and threw away the box"
By Michael Binstock
Acorn Automotive Editor

It was almost three years ago when Volvo’s chief designer, Peter Horbury, an exuberant Englishman, exclaimed to the world’s motoring press that, at last, "Volvo has kept the toy and thrown away the box." He was referring to the introduction of the revolutionary C70 coupe. Until then Volvo had been known for safe, dull, boxy and boring cars.

It has taken just 36 months for Volvo to completely redesign themselves and the revolution has culminated with the introduction of the S60, a sophisticated sedan with cutting-edge technology, a coupe profile and a sporty soul, built with Volvo’s legendary safety engineering.

Although the Swede’s are just getting used to Volvo being part of the Ford Empire it was amazing to see the reaction from them, driving this totally new car on the roads of Stockholm. The S60 turns heads everywhere it goes, whether it’s the parking lot of Drottningholm Castle in Stockholm, or Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks.

Based on Volvo’s P2 platform, used by the S80 and the Cross Country, the S60 uses both high torsional stiffness and refined suspension tuning to deliver a dramatically improved ride quality with exceptional handling. Volvo has improved its workhorse 5-cylinder engines, that have been around for some years, by adding a turbocharger to the automatic or manual 5-speed transmissions and providing state-of-the-art braking and traction control systems. The S60 is definitely a fine European sedan with a performance pedigree.

My initial reaction, sitting behind the wheel, gave me an impression of a true sports sedan with clear instruments and logical controls, comfortable orthopedic seats and other driver creature comforts. In Europe they also get a built in hands-free telephone, an option that Volvo hopes to offer here in the near future. And the S60 delivers more. The coupe profile belies the S60’s spacious interior with comfortable seating for five. The smooth, aerodynamic shape and exceptional build quality make the interior a quiet, refined environment. This is the best-looking Volvo I have seen. Imagine a five seat, four door coupe!

Volvo hasn’t forgotten their commitment to safety with a standard Side Impact Protection System with side airbags and Inflatable Curtain, Whiplash protection seating, seat belts with pyrotechnic pre-tensioners in all seating positions, dual-stage front airbags, plus Volvo’s safety cage construction.

"My mandate was to design a car that will appeal to younger people, those who wouldn’t normally consider a Volvo. In short, design a Volvo sedan that is inspired by a sports car and drives like one," comments Volvo’s Chief of Design, Peter Horbury.

"I wanted to bring forward recognizable symbols of our past, design elements that define Volvo. The grille is derived from performance turbos of our past. The strong ‘V’ hood line is lifted from our 122 series and the strong shoulder line from our 140 series. But I also wanted something bolder. I brought in the C70 Coupe roof line and, with clever packing, created a rather comfortable rear seat for tall passengers," states the S60 designer Giza Loczi. "It’s a true Volvo sedan with the heart and soul of a coupe."

First impressions are important and after a day at Volvo’s Gothenberg safety center, seeing just how much time and effort the engineers and designers put into the safety of their cars I finally had the chance of driving the different models within the S60 range.

It is interesting to see on a media ride and drive what vehicle the majority of the press goes for first. With the S60, Volvo has come up with a rocketship in the T5. With its high-pressure turbo-charged engine mated to a slick five-speed transmission this is the most aggressive Volvo I have ever driven. From the "Space Ball" shifter and a high-tech interior, to a 247 horsepower motor, I was able to accelerate a Volvo to over 135 mph on the test track that Volvo had provided in the Swedish countryside. It is a pity that our market does not accept the manual transmission like they do in Europe. This is a car that is both fun and safe and very fast. With only 10% of cars sold in the U.S. having stick shifts, compared to 60% in Europe, the T5 will be few and far between but if your dealer has one take it for a test drive and be amazed.

The S60 has one of the best stereo systems that I have ever heard inside a car, period. With an in-dash CD changer and Dolby ProLogic sound the 13 speaker sound system is impressive. Unlike other cars there is room for the CD boxes and I was able to plug in the cell-phone without having cords dangle in front of the controls and the phone constantly sliding onto the floor, a complaint I have with other luxury imports.

The base S60 is the normally aspirated 2.4 liter manual with a price just over $27,000, but expect that most cars sold will be the 2.4 liter turbo with either the "Geartronic" or regular automatic transmission. With the premium package you can expect to pay around $34,000. The T5 package adds another $3,000 to the price.

Deliveries of the Volvo S60 have just started and our local dealers will be able to show you the car and let you drive it. It is well worth the experience.