Volvo has always decisively picked the right muscles to flex, especially when it came to their sedans. Most prospective Indian buyers would veer more towards luxury and technology when picking a European sedan, and that’s what they could expect from Volvo’s competitors. However, the company has stayed true to its promise of delivering safety as the paramount feature in their automobiles, which has made the brand synonymous with this promise.
The Volvo S60 will be arriving in March 2021 and brings with it this long-fulfilled promise, but also, a few preferential features that nudge the sedan ahead of its competition – albeit, depending on what you look for in a car. We had early access to the car and the first thing that struck us was the good looks. This may be the company’s smallest sedan but doesn’t fall short on winning you with its looks. With a fair number of contemporaries in this era, the S60’s design could be an essential deciding factor for prospective buyers. The ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED headlights look pretty good on either side of the Volvo grille and badge, while the body gracefully slopes towards the front and back, giving it a graceful appeal.
On the inside, the cabin is luxuriously adorned with modest touches and premium elements employed throughout. There’s ample leather, wood, and high-quality metal used throughout. The T8 Inscription variant adds more zing to the cabin with a crystal gear selector. On the whole, the interior doesn’t discount any of Volvo’s desirable styling.
The infotainment system in the Volvo S60 is represented by a 9-inch touchscreen that is placed in a portrait mode. It offers support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is powered by Volvo’s Sensus Connect and has a physical Home Button, giving it a familiar iPad-like feel. However, you are completely at the mercy of this interface for features such as air-conditioning and music playback, since physical buttons for the same are absent. The icons aren’t particularly large and visible so making the adjustments when you’re driving could be challenging while focussing on the road.
The driver’s cockpit is pretty snug, with digital instrument control and a soft dash above it that feels premium and is great to touch. The minimalism has nearly eliminated the need for buttons across the dash, which looks like the way for things to come in the future. The seats are comfortable and there’s ample legroom for rear passengers to enjoy. It also provides sufficient room for baggage, which often ends up being a prime necessity for family sedans.
The Volvo S60 is a comfortable car to drive around. It is steady and well-balanced with satisfactory suspension, especially at higher speeds. It may seem sluggish around the corners but for the most part, it does well in city traffic. Clearly, this one isn’t a racehorse, so you could expect it to go from 0-100 kmph in a little over 9 seconds and it maxes out at 180 kmph. The 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder petrol engine produces 190 horsepower and 300Nm torque. You can enjoy driving the S60 in Comfort Mode, Eco Mode, or the more charismatic Dynamic Mode. Volvo’s focus on safety is reflected in the NCAP 5-Star rating that has been bestowed upon the S60. You get adaptive cruise control, sonar-based and radar-based emergency braking and avoidance that helps you steer away from possible obstacles, lane-assist, and semi-automatic Pilot Assist. This is enough to give you the confidence to take to the streets secure and confident of your family’s safety.
If you’ve had your eyes on the S90, then the Volvo S60 brings a fair share of it to the table with a few trims here and there. But if what meets the eye matters more than the other senses, then the S60 is a fruit that lands pretty darn close to its family tree, albeit, at a lower price too.
Note – The Volvo S60 will be launched in March of this year. The estimated price would be in the range of 52 – 56 laccs.
