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Old 10th May 2011, 01:23   #46
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Wow! What a car. I will be a fool to buy this car and then sit at the back and get chauffeured around. It looks every bit the sports car and seems to behave like one. Throwing it into a twisty on a ghat section at 180 without batting an eyelid... Aah! That's what I call automotive orgasm. I just love this car, who cares about the cramped back or it's drinking habits.

But then no spare tires did you say? Ummm... that causes the first frown to appear on my forehead. It may work in the Scandinavian countries but is a problem in a place like india. Talking about other nuances like the safety features coming alive on each restart even if you switched it off the last time is probably borne out of the western, safety first concern towards life. All features off is probably considered more of a one off whimsy of a driver for a short duration rather than a regular requirement. Similarly with zero pollution scandinavian outlands it is probably unthinkable to them that someone would want to be on permanent recirculation mode.

Oh! By the way, a fantabulous review of a great driver's car. Deserves nothing less than a 5-star rating.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post

Tyre repair kit has a can, what is that?
'Guess just so that when it's beyond one's capabilities to repair that tire with the supplied kit, in the midst of a highway in the hot summer sun at least one can hold the can, literally.

Last edited by Zappo : 10th May 2011 at 01:30.
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Old 10th May 2011, 08:33   #47
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Hi,
A transverse I6 is unusual enough, and this comes with an AWD. Details on the drivetrain (and a comparison with the Yeti) would be welcome. Anyone?

Regards
Sutripta
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Old 10th May 2011, 09:13   #48
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

GTO. Excellent review as usual What is it with all the car manufacturers who don't seem to give a damn for our road conditions? How do they expect us to enjoy the car if it keeps scraping all the undulations on the road? Do they want us to buy the car and keep driving only in our house driveways?
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Old 10th May 2011, 09:58   #49
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by androdev View Post
I must admit that electric lumbar support really sucks.
I love the one in the Laura.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo View Post
Potent package from Volvo. Should be a hoot to drive. THIS is 1 car i would love to go up against in a drag versus my A4 3.0 TDI. Yes on 97 octane the Volvo is supposed to b quicker registering a 5.7 odd secs to 100 compared to the Audi's 6.1secs.
True that. But I continue to insist that a high-revving petrol is a lot more fun than a 4000 - 5000 rpm diesel . Even if the diesel is quicker!

And that delicious engine note at high rpms...

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Originally Posted by luky_13 View Post
One off topic suggestion: A better Team-Bhp number plate would definitely do more justice to the effort you guys put in. White background, rounded over the edges with www dot Team-Bhp dot com embossed as in those high security number plates.
Will consider.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricky_63 View Post
@GTO What do you make of the S60 D5 or the XC60 D5, those are the ones that I am looking at.
Have not driven the S60 D5. Our report on the XC60 is here. Even the XC60's rear seats were rather cramped (for a vehicle so big!!). Volvo needs to learn how to package its cars better.

Quote:
Originally Posted by veyron_head View Post
That steering wheel exactly looks like a miniature version of the one I saw in my chennai-bangalore volvo bus this morning. do they maintain the same design across all their cars?
LOL! I dunno, though can tell you that the car & bus divisions are now owned by different companies (and thus, completely independent).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post
What is the "i" symbol on the key fob for?
To check the status of your car. Among other things, it can tell you if:

- Your S60 is locked or not
- An intruder is inside the car (S60 has a heartbeat sensor)
- It's been broken into

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajman28 View Post
What about the auto brake thing mentioned in the review? Can you switch that off too?
Yes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by avishar View Post
A small request,its just for fun,would love to see some "behind the scenes" pics of your test rides,picking up the car,taking notes,pics of the other moderators.
We always shoot some pics of the team while reviewing the car. Will shortlist and share them sometime soon.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zappo View Post
Similarly with zero pollution scandinavian outlands it is probably unthinkable to them that someone would want to be on permanent recirculation mode.
Valid point, Zappo.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sutripta View Post
A transverse I6 is unusual enough, and this comes with an AWD.
I believe so. Volvo kept on talking about the uniqueness of this setup, and how it offers better handling. Should it, Sutripta? Is it a contributor to the dynamics?

Quote:
Originally Posted by thesilentone View Post
How do they expect us to enjoy the car if it keeps scraping all the undulations on the road?
Have to credit Mercedes here. Their cars just don't scrape. In fact, you can compare pictures of the Indian and international variants; the desi cars seem to be on high heels!
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Old 10th May 2011, 10:54   #50
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Great review GTO and team.

All the aspects covered but i still had one question. You mentioned the Comfort and Sport mode. What does the Advanced mode do? OR did i miss it in the lengthy review.

I think if all the safety features are kept on in Indian Road conditions there would not be a need to play music. The beeps and sirens would play a wonderful tune

And what was Volvo thinking when it did not provide a spare wheel? What about the other competitors - Audi, BMW etc do they have the spare wheel as a standard? I think this would be a immediate deterrent for any prospective buyer in this segment.
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Old 10th May 2011, 10:59   #51
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

I read in some European journal that the development of this 6 cylinder engine was outsourced to Yamaha. This was important because, Yamaha managed to make a compact 6 cylinder that could be transversely mounted, like in the S60. The engine is so compact that it looks like a 4 pot at first glance. It's Yamaha pedigree could be the reason for its free-revving (redlining) ability.
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Old 10th May 2011, 11:22   #52
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Fantastic review!
Great to see a car maker start off on an aggressive note, instead of getting the fuel-economy variants first.
Turbo petrols are brilliant to drive. Just recalling the drive in a friend's old vRS still gives me goose bumps.
But whats the sense of not providing a spare tire in a car thats built for warp speed interstate travelling? Imagine getting a flat on one of our isolated highways in the night.
And yes, they also need to fit a meatier (and preferably all black) steering wheel.
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Old 10th May 2011, 11:30   #53
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Loved the car. It looks beautiful in the orange sort of colour.
"I love the stance of the car, even with just 215 width tyres. An S60 T6 AWD with 235 mm tyres will look fabulous:"
This pic is a nice shot.

Wonder how these guys put so much intelligence into car making. They have enough USPs for their car to be a front runner. Sad that their dealer network and low GC come in its way.
Hope it sells at around 50 cars a month
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Old 10th May 2011, 11:46   #54
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Great review GTO, as always !

I'm surprised you didn't use you favorite word for this cars design 'quirky'
IMO, this is probably the epitome of quirky-ness.

I hope other germans and japs learn from the safety features offered on the Volvo and give us some as standard features.

It might be a fast car, good package. But it's a shame that I doubt it would sell here.
Volvo really needs to invest in branding/marketing. The only image builder they had was during 3 idiots, besides that a few press campaigns is all they have.

Get a good brand ambassador, organize events, TVCs and use an innovative marketing approach to get the cars off the showroom floor !
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Old 10th May 2011, 11:47   #55
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by thesilentone View Post
GTO. Excellent review as usual What is it with all the car manufacturers who don't seem to give a damn for our road conditions? How do they expect us to enjoy the car if it keeps scraping all the undulations on the road? Do they want us to buy the car and keep driving only in our house driveways?
Personally I think its about time we start cribbing for better roads, rather than cars for our crappy roads.
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Old 10th May 2011, 12:25   #56
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

excellent review GTO as usual! I loved the blind spot sensors, extremely useful. Hope these neat inventions get incorporated in other cars as well.
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Old 10th May 2011, 13:34   #57
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Excellent review GTO!! If the 3/4 mirror becomes a standard it will be a great safety feature on all the cars, the number of safety features in this car is really astounding. Buts thats Volvo's way I guess.
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Old 10th May 2011, 14:21   #58
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Awesome review GTO!

Definitely this is the best looking Volvo.

Surprised to see no paddle shifter. Or am I missing it.
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Old 10th May 2011, 14:27   #59
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

I would NEVER buy a car without run flats and without a spare. Period !! They seriously need to get their act together on this one issue. I'm sure it'll be a deal breaker for many.

On a related note, how did this manage homologation without a spare? IIRC, the BMW also had a painful process getting through without a spare despite the run-flats.

How did this ever get past ARAI?

Any insights to this anyone?
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Old 10th May 2011, 17:34   #60
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re: Volvo S60 T6 (2nd-gen) : Test Drive & Review

Great review GTO. I really admire your attention to detail.

I got to drive this very car through a friend and i was blown away with the power. I had a stupid smile on my face for 3 days i think and bragged like crazy ! It was the first time i was driving such a powerful car and the acceleration was AMAZING..!

I totally agree with your comment on its speed masking capabilities. 150, 160 comes up in no time and you don't realise it till you look down at the speedo. Compared to the other cars i have driven, to me even the headlights (which you have not spoken very highly of) were wow, although now when i think back.. hmm.. ya maybe the high beam was too high !

Those 15-20 mins in this car were driving nirvana..!!
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