Boosted six, silky Swedish style
Volvo engineers specified a three-litre straight-six turbo engine to deliver 300 horsepower to all four wheels. Driven gently, the standard 6-speed automatic shifts almost invisibly, takes off in second, and uses the generous low-end torque to pull things along with minimal effort.
Opened up, a mellow, low-end hum escalates into an anxious high-revving yelp. Gears shift cleanly and smoothly near redline, and the S60 rips along with serious, grin-eliciting urgency. It all seems delightfully inappropriate in a car stuffed so heavily with airbags, crash structures and accident-avoidance radar gizmos.
The S60’s new ‘T6’ mill also feels naturally athletic and exhibits virtually no boost lag. The electronic throttle tuning, turbocharger system and gear ratios seem matched nicely to one another, their efforts combining to deliver a completely linear and natural sensation of endless full-throttle thrust.
Additionally, the powerplant fires up eagerly even in extreme cold, heats up in a jiff, and runs liquid-smooth, even from its first frigid breaths at 25 below.
One couldn’t ask for much more from the S60’s powertrain—except, maybe, for a manual transmission. Subaru and BMW will still take your cash if you’re after a turbocharged AWD sport sedan with a stick. Just sayin.
Winter-ready, and then some
The stability control system is appropriately lenient, and happy to let drivers have a little fun with some tail-sliding shenanigans until things start to get hairy.
All-weather visibility is handled by steerable xenon headlights with a washer system. The projectors dart about to keep illumination where it’s needed on dark, winding roads—and they dispense clean, white light that helps keep the retinas fresh for longer into late-night road trips. Big, LED-equipped taillamps and a rear fog-light keep other motorists abreast of your existence in snowstorms, too.
Volvo engineers specified a three-litre straight-six turbo engine to deliver 300 horsepower to all four wheels. Driven gently, the standard 6-speed automatic shifts almost invisibly, takes off in second, and uses the generous low-end torque to pull things along with minimal effort.
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| Volvo engineers specified a three-litre straight-six turbo engine to deliver 300 horsepower to all four wheels. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Opened up, a mellow, low-end hum escalates into an anxious high-revving yelp. Gears shift cleanly and smoothly near redline, and the S60 rips along with serious, grin-eliciting urgency. It all seems delightfully inappropriate in a car stuffed so heavily with airbags, crash structures and accident-avoidance radar gizmos.
The S60’s new ‘T6’ mill also feels naturally athletic and exhibits virtually no boost lag. The electronic throttle tuning, turbocharger system and gear ratios seem matched nicely to one another, their efforts combining to deliver a completely linear and natural sensation of endless full-throttle thrust.
Additionally, the powerplant fires up eagerly even in extreme cold, heats up in a jiff, and runs liquid-smooth, even from its first frigid breaths at 25 below.
One couldn’t ask for much more from the S60’s powertrain—except, maybe, for a manual transmission. Subaru and BMW will still take your cash if you’re after a turbocharged AWD sport sedan with a stick. Just sayin.
Winter-ready, and then some
The stability control system is appropriately lenient, and happy to let drivers have a little fun with some tail-sliding shenanigans until things start to get hairy.
All-weather visibility is handled by steerable xenon headlights with a washer system. The projectors dart about to keep illumination where it’s needed on dark, winding roads—and they dispense clean, white light that helps keep the retinas fresh for longer into late-night road trips. Big, LED-equipped taillamps and a rear fog-light keep other motorists abreast of your existence in snowstorms, too.
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| All-weather visibility is handled by steerable xenon headlights with a washer system. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |