2015 Volvo S60 T6

Being auto enthusiasts, we tend to forget that certain markets like the FWD luxury sedan segment even exist. With machines like the Acura TLX, Lexus ES, Toyota Avalon, Cadillac XTS and even the Audi A6 all sold with front-wheel drive, it is actually a large market. With that in mind, the new 2015.5 (yes, the .5 is important) Volvo S60 is an important car for the Swedish brand. I have spent extensive time in the Audi, Lexus and Toyota models, and all three are great in their own right. Does the Volvo have what it takes to win over buyers in this crowded segment?

The Volvo has a new Drive-E engine that promises incredible power and fuel efficiency, stunning Swedish design, and some of the most advanced safety tech available on any car. I really like the XC60 I had a few weeks ago that came with the same engine and safety systems, but how does this translate into a sedan? You will have to read on to find out.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015.5 Volvo S60.

Like seemingly everything from Sweden, the Volvo S60 is rather attractive. Just like the XC60, it is covered in small details and lines that add up to an overall handsome look that should remain stylish for years. The classic Volvo nose has been sculpted and refined to make it more modern over the years, and the current curvature and slope looks great on the sedan. The headlamps feature that same attractive silver “wing” accent in the top of the housing. The nose looks a bit more aggressive with a black lower grille that features an upward cut in the center, and the chrome accent on the outside edges add a dash of class. The integrated LED running lamps are also a nice addition.

The profile is even more stunning thanks to a greater break from Volvo tradition. At first glance the S60 looks rather square, but if you let your eyes wander for a moment you will begin to see the more organic shapes integrated into the body. The sharp shoulder line that runs from the top of the headlight to the top of the taillight swells and undulates over the fenders. The sculpting line across the bottom is perfectly straight, but the cut gets deeper and taller towards the back creating interesting shadows and reflections, and the whole greenhouse is canted backwards slightly to give it a fast appearance. Of course there are those incredible-looking 19-inch alloys.

The rear is the least interesting portion of the new S60, but it still has a few noticeable details. From the direct rearward view you can see the slight uptick in the center of the trunk that looks like a small duckbill spoiler. There is an interesting thinning effect that happens visually in the bumper thanks to almost every rear line converging just slightly as they approach the center of the car. Of course, there are those now-common, but still good-looking, integrated trapezoidal exhaust tips.

The inside is typical Volvo as well. The same soft leather, waterfall center console with a storage bin hidden behind it, and plenty of smart ergonomic choices that made me love the XC60 are all present and accounted for. The sports seats are comfortable and well bolstered, and not once did I want for more support. Thanks to an optional add on, our seats were also heated. The interior color is a two-tone combination that Volvo calls Beechwood/Off-Black; I call it attractive and refreshing. Dash and door panels are trimmed in a silver that looks like brushed aluminum. The rear seats are well-sculpted as well, and while there are belts for three passengers, the rear feels a bit too narrow to really fit three with any level of comfort.

It is all about the details for me with this cabin. The seats are great feeling, but the stitching is interesting, and has great cuts and lines to make them stand out a bit more. The door panels have that great swoop look that combines the metal trim and the metal door handles together. Of course I still have that great looking frameless rearview mirror. It may seem like a crazy thing to obsess over a rearview mirror, but every person who got in the car commented on it. It just makes a bold statement, and I am not sure you can really appreciate how modern and crisp it looks by photos alone.

If you don’t appreciate the look of the interior, there is the sheer amount of technology crammed into this machine that can draw attention. For starters there is the infotainment. Our car has a seven-inch screen in the dash running what Volvo calls Sensus, and it comes with satellite radio, Bluetooth for both music and calls, navigation and more. There are also power retractable outside mirrors, active high beams, and a sunroof. On the safety front there is an entire laundry list of systems to keep you out of harm’s way: adaptive cruise control, collision warning with full auto brake, pedestrian and cycle detection with auto brake, distance alert, driver alert control, lane keep aid, road sign recognition, and City Safety low speed collision avoidance system. Along with this, our car came with the Blind Spot package that features the BLIS blind spot monitoring system, cross traffic alert, lane change merge aid and parking assist sensors front and rear.

The T6 Drive-E badge comes with what has to be one of the most interesting and unique engines in production today. Open the hood and you are greeted with a very generic looking engine bay with a large rubber cover over the engine that wears nothing more than a simple Volvo badge. Under that chunk of flexible rubber lies a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has both a supercharger and a turbocharger to produce a rather peppy 302 horsepower. This is one of the most powerful production 2.0-liters on sale today. Torque comes in an equally impressive 295 pound-feet and it’s all available from just 2,100 rpm.

That power is routed through a Geartronic automatic transmission with eight-forward gears. Power is only sent to the front tires though, so torque steer can be an issue. The goal of using a wound-out turbo with an eight-speed auto is to hopefully increase fuel economy. Volvo claims that fuel economy is 35 mpg on the highway with 24 in the city. The combined rating is quoted at 28. During my time I mostly cruised the highways and back roads and I had a hard time breaking 30 mpg. That small engine may sip fuel when it’s off boost, but every time you dip into the pedal it seems to really want to wind out to give you the power. When I was finally done I was sitting right at that 28 mark, but I feel my driving was too highway focused to find that acceptable enough.

For being such a well-built and powerful car, I was less than enthused about the driving dynamics of the S60 when I first got behind the wheel. The steering was twitchy, overly light and it had no feeling. The car exhibited a fair bit of body roll and lean despite the “sport chassis” upgrade that comes with the 19-inch wheels; it was as if the car was tuned exactly the same as the XC60. I forgave the XC60 for some of its leaning tendencies by pure virtue of size and height. I don’t expect an SUV to handle like a sedan. In that same breath, I don’t expect my sedans to handle as ponderously as an SUV.

This story does get a little better. One day while showing the car to a friend we decided to really dive into all the various menus and settings that are available for the S60, and we found a way to change the assistance level of the power steering system. Once I had a greater level of feel and feedback from the wheel, I was much more confident pushing the car. It still exhibits more lean than I expected, but it’s better than the V-6 Avalon Limited I tested.

Thanks to that wild engine, when you are caning the machine the throttle is responsive, and that huge wall of torque available all over the rev range makes for a fun and engaging dance partner. I just wish the suspension was a bit tighter to make better use of it.

For being such a well-built and powerful car, I was less than enthused about the driving dynamics of the S60 when I first got behind the wheel. The steering was twitchy, overly light and it had no feeling. The car exhibited a fair bit of body roll and lean despite the “sport chassis” upgrade that comes with the 19-inch wheels; it was as if the car was tuned exactly the same as the XC60. I forgave the XC60 for some of its leaning tendencies by pure virtue of size and height. I don’t expect an SUV to handle like a sedan. In that same breath, I don’t expect my sedans to handle as ponderously as an SUV.

This story does get a little better. One day while showing the car to a friend we decided to really dive into all the various menus and settings that are available for the S60, and we found a way to change the assistance level of the power steering system. Once I had a greater level of feel and feedback from the wheel, I was much more confident pushing the car. It still exhibits more lean than I expected, but it’s better than the V-6 Avalon Limited I tested.

Thanks to that wild engine, when you are caning the machine the throttle is responsive, and that huge wall of torque available all over the rev range makes for a fun and engaging dance partner. I just wish the suspension was a bit tighter to make better use of it.

The cost of the Volvo S60 is what I would call reasonable for the class, but not exactly great value. The T6 Drive-E carries a base of $39,000. Our car came with the Platinum trim upgrade that added most of the crazy safety features, HID headlamps, upgraded stereo and some interior features like accent lighting. This carries a cost of $3,750 making it our most expensive option by a long shot. The 19-inch alloys with the “Sport Chassis” upgrade was $900, the BLIS blind-spot system was another $900, and then the metallic white paint added $550 with the heated seats tacking on an extra $500. After the $925 destination charge and all the options, this tester topped out with a final MSRP of $46,525.

Read more »