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Old 22nd February 2012, 13:52   #1
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Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

They say there is nothing such as “Love at first sight”. But I will disagree to those who say it. I fell in love with the Volvo the first time I saw it in the UK a couple of years back. I prayed to god and asked him to please launch this gorgeous beauty on Indian shores. Alas my dream came true when I heard that the S60 is going to be sold in India.

I already own a Bimmer 530D highline and a merc c220. So my mom and dad were keen on getting another diesel car. But I had other thoughts. I went to the newly opened showroom in Pune on S.B. road. Admired the serene beauty in red. And I fell in in love all over again. That curves, those gorgeous alloys, the beautiful leather, those awesome headlamps, words cannot explain the state of my mind at that very moment. I felt god himself had carved it, so perfect.

The Volvo showroom in Pune had 4 cars on display, an xc60, an xc90, an S80 and S60 T6. Sadly they did not have petrol for test drive. Nevertheless I took all of the time inside the display model of the T6. Mom asked me to check out the s80 too but I didn’t even feel like looking at it. Then I asked for the test drive of the S60 and got one immediately. It was a diesel unfortunately. But anyways I just wanted to have a feel of the car so gave it a go. The ride quality was great and loved it every minute. Returned to the showroom, gave thumbs up to the guy and booked a T6 on the spot without thinking twice. Such was the grace of the beauty.

Luckily, the car I had booked, emba black was readily available in the dockyard of cochin. It took just 4 days to reach the car from cochin to pune and I got the delivery within a week. Hats off to Volvo for such quick response. They had decorated the car very well and had made necessary arrangements so that everything goes fine.

I fired up the engine. That was the first time I experienced a growling V6. Yes, I do have an inline 6 530D, but this experience was different altogether. It was nothing short of eargasm. I then took the car out of the stock yard and on I went to the gas station. Unfortunately, the closest gas station didn’t stock up premium petrol and so I had to go to the one which was a bit far. Car was showing approximate range of 20 kms and so I was worried. But I reached the station without any issues, completely filled up the tank. But within that period all the petrol station guys gathered up to see a never-seen-before car and were excited. Fired up the engine and went home for all the “normal indian rituals” to be done.
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-tyre.jpg

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-headlamps.jpg

So it has been almost 7 months I am driving this one, and each time I drive I am more amazed than before. Of the period I have driven the car so far, I will review it from a neutral point of view and not try to get personal
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Old 22nd February 2012, 14:23   #2
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Re: Something fast.. Something "naughty".. The Volvo S60 T6

Wow! Is this the first S60 on the forum? Congrats! We would like to see a lot of interior + exterior pics! All the best with your love and do keep updating the thread.
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Old 22nd February 2012, 17:50   #3
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Re: Something fast.. Something "naughty".. The Volvo S60 T6

Specs:
Engine: Six cylinder turbo charged petrol
All-wheel drive
304 HP
440 NM torque

Initial Impressions:
• Since it is CBU, the quality is top notch. Great level of paint finish, the level of leather and wood trim is better than that found in the bimmer.
• Cabin noise is isolated since it comes with thick glasses to prevent outside cold ( in Sweden).
• The response is spontaneous. Just floor the pedal and you are cruising at 100 in no time. Though I feel since it is an AWD, you don’t feel the adrenalin rush which I feel in the 530D.
• The sweet spot for eargasm is after 3000 rpm where it starts sounding like a true 6 cylinder monster.
• It is mentioned that it is expected to be filled by only premium petrol. Many of the pune stations have normal petrol and it sometimes is an issue.
• Ride quality is on the stiffer side since it has low profile tyres and a tuned suspension.
• Cannot comment on the rear legroom since I have never been on the backside nor has anyone else. Even after 7 months, the plastic wrapping still is in the place.
• Cannot turn off the lights at all since it is an European car.

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-front-view.jpg

Engine:
The engine is one of the most wonderful engines I have come across. Can be a gruesome beast and in a few moments, a silent spectator. The engine sometimes is so silent that I cannot make it out whether the car is running or has been turned off. The true sound of the V6 as I mentioned earlier can be experienced after 3000 rpm. And boy oh boy it sounds. I am thinking of going for a tune but it will take a while before I take the next step.



Cabin:
As I have mentioned earlier, since the car was supposed to be driven in sub zero temperatures, the window glasses had to be thick. This has a good positive effect since it has isolated outside noise completely.
The interior quality is one of the best I have come across. The leather used is of finest quality even better than the one used in my bimmer. I had an option for orange interiors but I felt that the black ones suited more. And so I went ahead with it. The seats come with memory option for the driver seat and just normal electric position control for the passenger. The rear passengers get two separate air con vents on the side. They also get a charging point at the rear. Though, the rear binds are manual. I do not know how they left it but it is missed. The wood trims too feel of premium quality. I reckon the D5 comes with aluminium finish. So this looks and feels way better than the aluminium finish. The air conditioning is pretty good.
One thing quite good is that the rear view mirrors are also saved in the memory. So you do not have to change it everytime.

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-dashboard.jpg
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-hud.jpg
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-img_1239.jpg
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-interior-1.jpg
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-windows.jpg

Exterior:
The car measures almost the same as that of a Mercedes C class. But due to the coupe like lining, it feels a bit bigger. The car came with 7 spoke alloy wheels, which I didn’t quite like. I would be upgrading to better rims preferably OZ. This will be upgraded in the near future. The tyres are 235/40 R18 and I am thinking of going either 240 or 245 depending upon availability.
The T6 comes with a small spoiler on the trunk which is absent on the D5. Have posted a picture as to what I actually mean. I really do not know the use of it but must be for reducing the drag ( or is it just for aesthetics ?). The mirrors close by themselves just like the bimmer. One thing I have noticed is that the lights cannot be turned off. This is because of the euro spec model, which I really don’t have an issue about, but it is annoying as every other pedestrian make weird gestures to remind me on my turned on lights. Double tap on the key button for “unlock trunk” which unlocks the trunk. The key can also be used to activate alarm in the car just in case you are in the parking and you forgot where you actually parked. The paint finish is absolutely wonderful and you can actually make a difference between a car ( even if it is a premium car) painted in India and the one painted abroad. The color which I opted for is a combination of dark red n black. It is essentially black with glittering dark red particles, which are noticeable when the car is parked in the sun. Overall, I was impressed by the quality it offered.

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-spoiler.jpg
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-wheels.jpg

In Car Entertainment system:
The entertainment system includes a 7” multimedia display, I reckon 8 speakers and also an amplifier ( if I am not wrong). The connectivity options include USB mode, CD player mode, Radio mode, Bluetooth and AUX. Using Bluetooth, you can stream the songs from your mobile directly to the system. It also bring out your phone directory in case you want to dial a number quickly. The quality of the music from speakers is quite good. Though the GPS navigation is missing. Still it is not a big issue as I always carry my iPad with me. Most of the time I am on the USB mode so I haven’t tried the CD player nor the aux input.

Safety:
This has to be the main point of this review and one of the major decision making point when I bought this car. Volvo has been known for making world’s safest cars and this is no exception. It is loaded with so many features which can make even cars worth 70L look like tin cans. The best feature which I liked is the city safety feature. In this, the car detects if a pedestrian is about to cross the road and come in front of the car. It gives a blinking signal and if the driver still doesn’t respond, it brakes by itself. I had tried this when I took the car’s demo, though not on a pedestrian obviously but a dummy. It works pretty well.
And then there is a list of features such as adaptive cruise control, auto turning head lamps, lane departure warning ( which works quite well in India too), park assist, rain sensing wipers and so on. All the camera’s, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors carry out their tasks so that the driver is safe. Hats off to the technology.
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-camera.jpg



I guess I have covered everything. If needed, I will keep on updating this thread.

The log book till date stands as:
Car bought in july 2011
Kilometers covered: 1200
Average fuel consumption in city : 6 kmpl
Average fuel consumption on highway : 13 kmpl
On road cost : @42L
Attached Thumbnails
Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-img_1237.jpg  


Last edited by n_aditya : 23rd February 2012 at 17:55. Reason: typo corrected
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Old 22nd February 2012, 23:33   #4
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

My gawd, that is one awesome ride!! I am known to refer to it as the European muscle car. The sheer grunt of the engine, and grip from the suspension & AWD layout, are UNBELIEVABLE. Over our official review of the S60 T6, we actually went up and down the same one-way ghat section like a million times

Congratulations on buying one of the most fun-to-drive cars in India. Truth be told, I enjoyed driving the S60 T6 much more than the legendary EVO X. Enough said.

Fly low & safe, will you
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Old 22nd February 2012, 23:44   #5
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

WoW! That's all I can say as of now. Many congratulations on your ride and please do keep us posted on the mods that you are planning. I'm gonna be glued to this thread.

By the way, you've got some amazing photography skills too, I loved the first two pictures.
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Old 22nd February 2012, 23:47   #6
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Beautiful, the S60 is a great car and the front seats are one of the best I've sat in. The T6 seems to be a stonker, but man only 1200kms till date? You have not even run it in. Enjoy it a bit more.

What options does this car have? Also did you get a discount by any chance? I drove the D5 a while ago, and it just felt a little overassisted because there were just beeps for everything. Also the nose was a bit low.

I think those rims look hot, are you sure you want to change them? I think even if you paint them a darker shade it will look hot.

How about some shots of the full car, and the rest of the interiors?
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Old 22nd February 2012, 23:48   #7
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Beautiful review of an absolute stunner.
Is it just me or is 42 big ones vfm for a car in this segment? I mean the list of features you mentioned are pretty amazing
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Old 22nd February 2012, 23:58   #8
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Oh damn! I really do not know why and how I missed the main part. Was so busy in writing the review that I missed it completely. After I bought the car, a week later, got a call from Volvo Pune that they would be upgrading the car kit of my car for free, which I had shown interest in. the kit costed somewhere around 1.5L. I told them that I liked the kit but will upgrade in a few months time. But then, after I got the call, I was on cloud 9. The kit was fitted in the car within 4 hours. The workshop though is shared with ford, but I felt since I had a premium car, i received VIP treatment


Attaching below the pictures of the kit. It included front bumper, side skirting and rear bumper along with square exhaust outlets. Looks better than previous. Thank you Volvo.

Front bumper kit:

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-img_1655.jpg

Side skirting:

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-img_1656.jpg

Rear bumper kit:

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-img_1657.jpg

A side profile view of the car:

Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)-img_1241.jpg
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Old 23rd February 2012, 00:13   #9
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Kau- Nice review ! You have touched upon the driving experience between the 530d and the S60 mildly. Would make an insightful read if you could explain it in a little more detail. Thanks.
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Old 23rd February 2012, 00:43   #10
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
My gawd, that is one awesome ride!! I am known to refer to it as the European muscle car. The sheer grunt of the engine, and grip from the suspension & AWD layout, are UNBELIEVABLE. Over our official review of the S60 T6, we actually went up and down the same one-way ghat section like a million times

Congratulations on buying one of the most fun-to-drive cars in India. Truth be told, I enjoyed driving the S60 T6 much more than the legendary EVO X. Enough said.

Fly low & safe, will you
Thank you GTO sir. That was the main reason I went for the petrol beast and not the usual day-to-day diesel car. This has to be driven when you need to have an adrenalin rush.

Quote:
Originally Posted by h14 View Post
WoW! That's all I can say as of now. Many congratulations on your ride and please do keep us posted on the mods that you are planning. I'm gonna be glued to this thread.

By the way, you've got some amazing photography skills too, I loved the first two pictures.
There is a company named heico tuning and i feel i would be going for the same depending upon the availability. Lets hope for the best.

Quote:
Originally Posted by akshay1234 View Post
Beautiful, the S60 is a great car and the front seats are one of the best I've sat in. The T6 seems to be a stonker, but man only 1200kms till date? You have not even run it in. Enjoy it a bit more.

What options does this car have? Also did you get a discount by any chance? I drove the D5 a while ago, and it just felt a little overassisted because there were just beeps for everything. Also the nose was a bit low.

I think those rims look hot, are you sure you want to change them? I think even if you paint them a darker shade it will look hot.

How about some shots of the full car, and the rest of the interiors?
yeah, and unfortunately just 1200 kms till date. I take her out only on sundays to office because of the less traffic and I can enjoy it fully. Haven't had a chance to blast her on the expressway which will surely be a delight although for a short while. Some promises made to the special ones restrict me from driving above safe limits.

Quote:
Originally Posted by speed kills View Post
Beautiful review of an absolute stunner.
Is it just me or is 42 big ones vfm for a car in this segment? I mean the list of features you mentioned are pretty amazing
One of the major factors while considering the S60 was the same list. Else I would have been driving an audi or a merc. :P

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
Kau- Nice review ! You have touched upon the driving experience between the 530d and the S60 mildly. Would make an insightful read if you could explain it in a little more detail. Thanks.
Actually, what I meant was that you do not get the torque thrust as you get in the bimmer. This could be because the bimmer is an RWD whereas this is an AWD. The response in the S60 is quicker than the bimmer thanks to the twin turbo setup. Regarding the suspensions, both the cars are on similar terms thanks to the stiff suspension and low profile of the tyres. I hope this helps.

Kaustubh.
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Old 23rd February 2012, 00:52   #11
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Quote:
Originally Posted by kau_therock View Post
Oh damn! I really do not know why and how I missed the main part. Was so busy in writing the review that I missed it completely. After I bought the car, a week later, got a call from Volvo Pune that they would be upgrading the car kit of my car for free, which I had shown interest in. the kit costed somewhere around 1.5L. I told them that I liked the kit but will upgrade in a few months time. But then, after I got the call, I was on cloud 9. The kit was fitted in the car within 4 hours. The workshop though is shared with ford, but I felt since I had a premium car, i received VIP treatment


Attaching below the pictures of the kit. It included front bumper, side skirting and rear bumper along with square exhaust outlets. Looks better than previous. Thank you Volvo.
That's a smart move by Volvo! You are a walking (ok driving ), talking brand ambassador for a car that's very new to the market so some additional goodies to make the car look hotter is a great investment by them. A win win for both parties!

The car looks hot BTW!
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Old 23rd February 2012, 01:07   #12
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

AAh, Finally the beauty which stole my heart.
We were in hunt of a new petrol sedan for my friend and gave the s60 T6 a shot and god!!! It was jaw dropping. The engine roars like crazy grabbing attention all around, It looks great and is runs equally great.

For the price tag, It's a worthy car is what came to our mind. The brakes were amazing and the adaptive cruise control is something which works flawlessly. Tested that for a good 60 kms. Love this machine thoroughly.

Oops, I almost forgot to congratulate you.

Hearty congratulation on getting the S60. You'll have a great time with the car.
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Old 23rd February 2012, 08:47   #13
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Congratulations on the Black beauty!!! Its gorgeous to look at and the interiors dont fail either I am sure the V6 will keep your taste buds alive for a long time to come. Do drive safe.

You didnt post pics of your back seat
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Old 23rd February 2012, 09:19   #14
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

WOO HOO !! Congratulations on owning the BEAST, best naturally aspirated car this side of 40L, can rip the 330i any given day, the best VFM CBU.

Enjoy many a Happy Miles with the 300 + BHP and diesel like Torque beast.

I'm sure it'll be a HOOT to drive, do keep everyone posted on the long term ownership costs !!

Happy Motoring !!
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Old 23rd February 2012, 10:13   #15
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Re: Something fast, Something naughty - The Volvo S60 T6 (304 BHP)

Congratulations for the lovely car. Like photo copier for almost half the Indians is still a xerox same is the case with brand VolVo. Whenever and where ever Volvo gets mentioned people first think it is a luxury Bus. But yes volvo makes super luxury cars and you are a proud owner of one. Mercs and BMW's have become very common these days so such beauties tend to standout and ensure that all attention, i mean positive attention is grabbed by them. Once again heartiest congratulation for the lovely car. Wish you many many long safe and enjoyable drives on this beasty beauty.
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