- Competes with: Buick LaCrosse, Acura TL, Lexus ES 350
- Looks like: Volvo has officially abandoned its boxy image
- Drivetrain: 300 hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder; six-speed automatic transmission
- Hits dealerships: Late 2010
Volvo continues to reshape its lineup in major ways with the all-new S60 sedan. While it looks outrageously unique for a Volvo, the car will pack standard safety features never before seen on a production vehicle. That’s so Volvo.
It will be equipped with Volvo’s City Safety pedestrian avoidance system, which actually stops the S60 from speeds up to 22 mph if it detects a pedestrian in the road. The system first alerts the driver of an issue with a warning alarm and flashing light on a head-up display; the car’s brakes are also pre-charged for better stopping ability. If the driver doesn’t react and an impact is imminent, the car will apply full braking power to bring it to a stop. This feature will be standard on all 2011 Volvo S60s.
While systems like that often turn off driving purists, Volvo is adding a more advanced form of stability control — Advanced Stability Control — that can detect skidding “tendency” at an earlier stage than current systems. The S60 will also have a feature called Corner Traction Control to allow the car to handle curvy roads with little understeer.
What about the car’s guts? Oh, it’s just a more powerful version of the company’s turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder; it’s also used in the XC60 crossover. In the S60, it will produce 300 horsepower and 325 pounds-feet of torque. The company says its zero-to-60-mph time will be 6.2 seconds. This will be the only engine available at launch late in 2010, and all T6 models will have all-wheel drive standard. It’s likely a lower-powered, front-wheel-drive model may also be offered.
Unlike the XC60, though, Volvo designers have made sure the navigation and multimedia systems are well integrated into the car. Instead of the XC60’s remote control setup, the S60 allows drivers to control all features via steering-wheel-mounted controls.
The S60 will debut at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, but we’re unsure if it will make it stateside for the 2010 New York auto show in April.
There are many more photos below.
