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Volvo has taken a breather from its SUV push to reveal its new S60 premium sports sedan.
Described as a true driver’s car by Volvo president and chief executive Håkan Samuelsson, the second-generation S60 is the Swedish brand’s first modern-day model to be sold without a diesel powertrain, with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) topping the range as part of its 2019 electrification target.
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The P in PHEV could easily stand for performance with the S 60 furnished with a choice of 254kW turbocharged T6 Twin Engine AWD powertrain and a 298kW supercharged T8 Twin Engine AWD.
Volvo's T5 and T6 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines will also be available at launch, coupled to the same eight-speed automatic transmission as the PHEVs.
A performance handling upgrade wearing the Polestar Engineered branding will be available exclusively for T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid and is a complete offer that swaps the car's wheels, brakes, suspension and engine control unit, boosting combined output to 310kW.
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The US-built S60 shares Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, active chassis, safety technology and infotainment system with the new V60 premium mid-size estate, launched earlier this year, as well as the top-of-the-line 90 Series cars and Wheels Car of the Year-winning XC60 SUV.
Samuelsson said this makes the new S60 one of the most engaging and safest sedans on the road.
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Front-end styling is also similar to its SUV namesake, and it features same rising window line, albeit with a sleeker fastback-styled silhouette.
The rear-end is more unique though, with part of the LED-strip tail-light display built into the bootlid, as though to highlight the stretched “VOLVO” branding.
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Inside, the dashboard adopts styling cues from the Volvo XC40, with a portrait touchscreen flanked by narrow, retro-styled air vents.
Volvo Cars Australia is yet to confirm when its Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series rival will arrive here, and which variants are due first.
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The S60 launch coincided with the opening of Volvo’s first US factory in Charleston, North Carolina, which is part of the Chinese-owned Swedish brand’s strategy to boost its American market share.
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