Volvo safety involves listing a lengthy list of advanced kit. Everything from a host of preventive safety features to avoid an accident in the first place, to protective safety for the worst-case scenario, are all present. This includes adaptive cruise control with speed and distance control, collision warning and mitigation, lane-keeping aid, road sign information, hill-start assist, and the usual help of a reverse parking camera, parking assist front and rear, automatic lights, rain-sensing wipers and, finally, a full complement of airbags.
In terms of autonomy, Pilot Assist works and works well — one touch of a button is all it takes for the new Volvo S60, given well-marked roads and lighting — to drive itself using the set-up from the adaptive cruise control. It will accelerate, slow down and brake as needed, even tweaking its line with the lane-markings, allowing the driver to get a breather if needed. It works pretty much from crawl to highway speeds. This is capped off by their latest initiative: a 180 km/h speed limit. After all, safety comes first. Even before superfluous human desires.
The new Volvo S60 in this “T4” powertrain guise packs a transverse turbo-petrol, eight-speed automatic and front-wheel drive. The “B4204T31”-spec 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder motor makes 190 hp at 5,000 rpm and a usable 300 Nm of peak torque from just about 1,700 rpm. There’s enough potential on tap for everyday use in an urban environment and just as much for a quick drive out of town. It’s not particularly exciting — if you want to drive with a focus on enjoyment, a 330i makes more sense, but if you’re set on that Iron Mark grille, get on the line with Volvo and ask for the T6 or T8 TwinEngine. However, ignore the additional 60 or so horsepower difference and the T4 is more than enough.
The S60’s 2.0 four is rather gruff-sounding up the rev-range and said revs pick up and drop in a more relaxed manner, making for a fuller feel but also a little too much in-cabin noise. That said, the ride quality is excellent and it has a tight turning circle. The car soaks up bumps much better than before and the sound insulation, too, has seen a marked improvement. The strut front and unique transverse integral link axle at the rear make it not just more comfortable but a sure-footed, responsive and agile handler at all speeds. It’s the peace of mind that is the ace of the hand for me. The sheer driving confidence the S60 inspires is unbelievable and it makes for a more enjoyable drive every time you drive it. There are genuine rivals but each offer their own strengths and weaknesses at the end of the day. The new Volvo S60 T4 should be priced at around Rs 45 lakh when it is launched in March next year. Bookings will open next month. I’ll end with the age-old adage — there’s more to life than a Volvo. That’s why you drive one.
Need to Know – Volvo S60 T4 Inscription
Price: To be announced in March 2021
Engine: 1,969 cc, in-line four, turbo-petrol, direct-injection
Max Power: 190 hp @ 5,000 rpm
Max Torque: 300 Nm @ 1,680-4,000 rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Suspension: MacPherson strut front, transverse link rear
Throwback to the Rollin’ 60s
The Volvo S60 as first arrived in at the turn of the millennium as a replacement for the S70, which was the replacement for the 850. The compact executive car first featured a boxy design — obviously — that evolved into one with slight curves and a full-on swoopy-styled model a decade later.
First-gen (2001-2009)
Built on Volvo’s P2 platform, it had a compact grille, smooth lines and fewer edges. Volvo had only begun rounding out the edges. You could have any engine as long as it was a straight-five — petrol, turbo-petrol, LPG, or turbo-diesel.
Second-gen (2011-2018)
The new look. Built in Ghent in Belgium on the P3 platform, it packed a load of new safety technology and semi-autonomous driving capability with the likes of City Safety and Adaptive Cruise Control. A 367-hp Polestar version was also made.
Third-gen (2019-present)
New styling, more challengers. Produced in South Carolina in the US of A, there are new turbo-petrols and, for Europe, a bunch of B-badged mild-hybrid petrols and diesels from MY2021.
