First look: Volvo unveils production S60

HERE are the first images of Volvo’s all-new S60, which appears almost identical to the sleek medium sedan concept that wowed crowds at the Detroit motor show in January.

Due to make its world public debut at the Geneva motor show in March, the new S60 will enter production at the Volvo Cars plant in Ghent, Belgium, in mid-2010, before going on sale in Australia in the final quarter of next year.

As we’ve revealed previously, Volvo’s most significant new model to appear in 2010 will come as standard in Australia with Volvo’s world-first pedestrian detection collision prevention system, which uses radar and camera technology to detect objects on a crash course with the vehicle.

Although the S60 concept’s glass interior and suicide doors do not grace the production version, its fundamental ‘four-door coupe’ silhouette and flamboyant body sculpting continues to make the Swedish brand’s vital new medium sedan one of the most dramatic designs ever seen from Volvo.

Styled by former Volvo design director Steve Mattin, the S60 looks more like the curvaceous XC60 SUV than the company’s more squared-off S80 flagship, and is also the first S60 to compete directly with its mid-size German rivals in terms of exterior dimensions.

While the current S60 is sized halfway between competitors like BMW’s 3 Series and 5 Series (and the S40/V50 twins are somewhere between the 1 and 3 Series in size), its successor will be virtually identical in size to the current 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-class and Audi A4.



“The all-new Volvo S60 is sculpted to move you,” said Volvo Cars president and CEO, Stephen Odell.

“It looks and drives like no other Volvo before and the car’s technology will help you to be safer and more confident behind the wheel.

“Customers in this segment want emotional appeal, sporty design and dynamic driving properties. The S60 has it all. We are convinced that it will be one of the strongest contenders around.”While a V60-badged wagon version of the S60 four-door is also likely to emerge, positioned between the V50 and V70 wagons, the S60 is likely to arrive with the latest version of Volvo’s five-cylinder turbo-diesel.

Australian specifications are yet to be finalised, but expect Volvo’s advanced 1.6-litre Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDi) engine to join the S60 line-up at a later stage.

Aided by an idle-stop city-driving function in the S60 concept, the new GTDi engine developed 134kW of power while averaging fuel consumption of 5.0L/100km and emitting 119 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Five-cylinder and (turbocharged) six-cylinder petrol engines should also be on offer, with all-wheel drive again likely to be available on premium models.