We drove an S60 R-Design, an all-wheel-drive (AWD) version with a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline-4 that sends 316 horsepower to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. First impressions: This car looks great, a handsome redesign that’s still immediately recognizable as an S60. Also, it’s a solid, quiet and roomy car, with plenty of headroom despite the huge panoramic sunroof. Back-seat room is equally impressive, with a 6-foot-tall person able to sit behind a driver of the same height. Moreover, the electric-assist power steering has a natural feel, and the well-controlled body motions help this midsize Volvo sedan remain composed on twisty pavement. In those situations, the sharpened throttle and transmission responses of the selectable Dynamic driving mode are appreciated. The T6 engine makes great power with minimal turbo lag, and no torque steer is felt through the S60’s steering wheel during brisk acceleration. The 8-speed automatic, from Aisin-Warner, shifts smoothly and unobtrusively, and highway cruising in this new Volvo is both comfortable and relaxed.

CARE BY VOLVO SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE Two new S60 models are available via Care by Volvo, a 24-month cellphone-like plan in which an all-inclusive monthly payment takes care of everything from maintenance and insurance to 24/7 customer care. Subscribers can even change cars and sign up for a new 24-month subscription as early as 12 months into the agreement. THE T8 HYBRID POWERTRAIN When you order the T8 powertrain, you get a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 313 horsepower, along with a rear-mounted electric motor that has 87 horsepower. That makes for an especially quick S60, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that’s as fast as it is efficient.

Inside the new 2019 Volvo S60 the look is pure Scandinavian. Which is to say handsomely uncluttered. A large 9-inch Sensus screen plays a big role; swipe the vertically oriented screen one way and you’ll see 19 vehicle functions, everything from ESC Sport mode and Active Bending Lights to cruise control and Road Sign Information. Swipe it the other way and you’ll see 22 Applications that range from stereo settings and Bluetooth to Spotify and Pandora. While Sensus helps de-clutter the S60’s dash, it also forces the driver to look away from the road far too often. On a positive note, the Sensus chipset has been upgraded for faster boot times, quicker rearview camera responses, and improved navigation recalculations.

With its low hood and short rear deck, the 2019 Volvo S60 looks like a modern sedan shaped in the wind tunnel, but it’s a handsome design that’s still very much a Volvo. Notable details include attractive sculpting on the hood and sides of the car, along with T-shaped LED “Thor’s Hammer” front driving lights. In back, dual chromed exhausts are on duty beneath LED taillights that emphasize the width of the new S60. If there’s any doubt this car is a Volvo, a big badge in the middle of the diagonally bisected grille leaves no doubt. Also, in a neat trick, Volvo stylists have made it look as if the grille floats inside the S60’s front opening.

The S60 is available in three trim levels, each equipped with the Sensus Connect touch-screen interface. The Momentum, with the 250-horsepower engine, includes City Safety with Steering Support, a system that works to mitigate or prevent accidents at intersections and with pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. Also standard on the Momentum are a panoramic sunroof and 18-inch wheels.The S60 Inscription, also with the 250-horsepower 2.0-liter, builds on that with bright chrome window trim and driftwood inlays, together with 4-zone climate control and power front seats that offer lumbar support and power-cushion extensions.Moving up to the S60 R-Design, the front-drive version gets the 250-horsepower engine while the AWD model gets the T8 powertrain that features the supercharged and turbocharged 313-horsepower engine and the 87-horsepower electric rear motor. This S60 PHEV also boasts gloss-black window trim, mirror caps and grille, as well as Nappa leather sport seats, an R-Design steering wheel wrapped in perforated leather, and shift paddles.

The Advanced Package is most significant. At $ 2,500, it includes cornering headlights, high-pressure headlight washers, a head-up display, LED fog lights, a 360-degree parking camera and Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous driving system that “supports the driver with steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 80 mph.” There’s also a $ 2,050 Premium Package that includes automatic-dimming exterior mirrors, a compass in the rearview mirror, front and rear park assist, a blind-spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, retractable side mirrors and a hands-free trunk lid. Also worthy of consideration: the 2019 Volvo S60’s $ 2,500 Multimedia Package. Besides a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a navigation system, it includes a 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with a subwoofer mounted behind the dash to free up valuable storage space. Enthusiast drivers may also consider the $ 200 Sport Chassis option, which enhances the S60’s cornering prowess with retuned shock absorbers and a 20-mm-lower ride height.

The T5 engine, available only in the front-wheel-drive (FWD) S60, is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder producing 250 horsepower. The T6 powertrain, available only in all-wheel-drive (AWD) S60s, features a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline-4 with 316 horsepower. With both T5 and T6 powertrains, there are four standard Drive Mode settings: Comfort, Dynamic, Eco and Individual. The T8 powertrain is exclusively PHEV, blending a 313-horsepower version of the turbocharged and supercharged gasoline engine with an 87-horsepower electric motor mounted between the rear wheels. T8 Drive Modes include Pure, Power, Hybrid, All-Wheel Drive and Individual, the last allowing the driver to select multiple settings. In Pure mode, the T8 reaches freeway speeds with ease and has an all-electric range of 21 miles, but if you press too hard on the accelerator, the gasoline engine will kick on. Of note, the 2019 T8’s lithium-ion battery is located in the center spine of the S60’s chassis. T52.0-liter turbocharged inline-4250 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 rpmEPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/36 mpg T62.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged inline-4316 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm295 lb-ft of torque @ 2,200 rpmEPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/32 mpgT8 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged inline-4, 10.4-kilowatt electric motor313 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm, 87 horsepower (Combined: 400)295 lb-ft of torque @ 2,200 rpm, 177 lb-ft (Combined: 472)EPA city/highway fuel economy: 31 mpg (combined city/highway mpg)

The front-drive Volvo S60 T5 Momentum starts at $ 35,800 (plus a destination charge of $ 995). An AWD Momentum with the 316-horsepower T6 powertrain begins at $ 40,300. Loaded with just about every option, the T5 Momentum approaches $ 50,000, while the T6 comes in a bit higher. The S60 T5 Inscription, with the 12.3-inch digital instruments and premium stereo, starts at $ 42,900 but can reach $ 57,000 when you add items such as Volvo’s Four-C active chassis. The Inscription also is available with the T6 ($ 47,400) and T8 powertrains ($ 55,400), and fully loaded examples of each top out near $ 50,000 (T6) and $ 65,000 (T8 PHEV), respectively.As for the sporty R-Design Volvo S60s, they start at $ 42,545 for the front-drive T5, $ 47,045 for the AWD T6, and $ 55,045 for the AWD T8 PHEV. The T5 R-Design can reach nearly $ 53,000 with all options, while T6s hit nearly $ 58,000 and T8s break $ 60,000.Before buying, always check the Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area are paying for their new Volvo S60.Note: Two 2019 Volvo S60 models are available through the new 24-month Care by Volvo app/subscription plan. The T6 AWD Momentum costs $ 775 a month, while the T6 AWD R-Design is $ 850. Those all-inclusive prices include 24/7 customer care and concierge services, plus insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance. Also notable: A high-performance Polestar version of the 2019 Volvo S60 T8 was available exclusively through Care by Volvo, but all 20 slated for the U.S. were sold in only 39 minutes. This potent T8 PHEV, with 415 combined horsepower, Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes, had a Care by Volvo subscription price of $ 1,100 per month. We suspect we’ll see more Polestar S60s in 2020.
































































Based on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), just like its bigger brothers from the Volvo 2018 lineup, the all-new S60 sedan introduces two major premieres.
AB Volvo is a world-leading Swedish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and financial services. But it did start out as a car manufacturer, founded by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson. The main purpose of the company was to produce the safest cars possible, following the death of Assar's wife in a car crash. The automaker was founded April 14, 1927 in the city of Gothenburg, as a spin-off from roller ball bearing maker SKF (Svenska Kullagerfabriken AB).
The name Volvo was originally registered in May 1915 as a separate company within SKF AB and as a registered trademark with the intention to be used for a special series of ball bearing, but this idea was only used for a short period of time and SKF decided to use "SKF" as the trademark for all its bearing products. Volvo AB began to function on the 10th of August 1926 when the SKF Sales Manager Assar Gabrielsson and Engineer Gustav Larson, started production of 10 prototypes and set up the car-manufacturing business Volvo AB within SKF group. Volvo AB was introduced at the Stockholm stock exchange in 1935 and SKF then decided to sell its shares in the company.
The first series produced Volvo automobile, called 'ÖV4' left the factory on 14 April 1927. Just 996 cars were produced between 1927-1929. 'ÖV4' was replaced by model PV651 in April 1929. Its success on the market helped Volvo buy out their engine manufacturer and thus become a serious car producer. By 1931, it was already returning its first dividend to shareholders.
After it reached a production milestone of 10,000 cars in May 1932, Volvo then targeted a new demographic segment, aiming to make their cars cheaper, a car “for the people”. This was going to be the PV 51 which came out in 1936 which was a smaller version of the PV36.
The PV444 was one of the most significant cars of the war era, the first true small car, a mixture of American flair and European size, it would become a resonant success and the best sold model throughout the 60s. The P1800 was Volvo's first sports car, made in the early 60s and it was so popular that it was featured in the hit TV series “The Saint” starring Roger Moore.
Safety and quality were still paramount for Volvo and that's why the 240 series which replaced the 140 had even more safety innovations in that department, like crumple zones, rear facing child seats and collapsible steering columns. Together with the smaller 340 models, they would make for most of the sales during the 70s and 80s for Volvo.
The 90s brought with them a totally new model, the 850, a front-wheel drive, executive car which won numerous awards for handling and safety features. By now, productions costs were mounting up and Volvo was one of the few independent producers out there, after a proposed deal with Renault fell through in 1993. This forced the company to seek new marketing strategies and that's how the sleeker S40 and V40 models were introduced in the factory's production line.
The new models brought a breath of fresh air, just like the C70 coupe and convertible, which are responsible for revitalizing the Volvo image while keeping in tune with the old tradition of safety and quality.
The buyout of Volvo Cars was announced on January 28, 1998. Until then, Volvo Cars was owned by AB Volvo (the commercial vehicles group). In the following year acquisition for Volvo Cars by American car maker Ford Motor Co. was completed at a price of $ 6.45 billion USD. Volvo used the funds from the sale of the automobile division to finance the purchase of Scania, another leading Swedish truck manufacturer, but the deal was stopped for competition reasons by the European Union. Instead Volvo acquired the commercial vehicles division of French Renault and the American truck manufacturer Mack Trucks (which was owned by Renault at the time). As part of the arangement to buy Renault Trucks, the former parent company, Renault, bought in turn 20 percent in shares in AB Volvo. Among the reasons why Volvo took the initiative to sell the automobile manufacturing was the increasing development costs for new car models, coupled with the fact that it was a relatively small producer. The strategy was instead to grow as a truck manufacturer where it had a stronger market position.
Volvo Automotive's motto is "Volvo for life" attributed to the reliability and safety of their cars. Volvo means "I roll" in Latin. Combined with their company symbol, (commonly mistaken for the male symbol) which actually stands for iron ore and according to the company, represents "Rolling Strength".
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