[sidindica]

VOLVO S 60 D5 2.4

Sweden is well known for two things: ABBA (I am damn crazy about Agnetha and Frida) and Volvo.

Money money money, always sunny, in a rich man's world...remember this song by ABBA?

Well, Volvo cars, earlier known for dull, boxy and conservative designs have now gone curvier. Because, you know that the curves are back. And the all new 2011 S 60 is perhaps the best ever looking volvo sedan ever.

Prices Ex Showroom Delhi, basic without options:

• D5 Kinetic: 27,00,000
• D5 Summum: 32,00,000
• T6 Summum: 34,00,000

While passing through Okhla, I called up the dealer and arrange a brief back to basics Test Drive. Spent about 15 minutes as was tied up due to some personal family work, but here are my quick first impressions:

• If ever I had to choose between the A4, C class, 3 series and S 60, exterior design wise, my favorite is the S 60. Elegant, sporty, muscular and low slung, it works perfectly for me and I prefer sporty looking sedans than than long luxurious and conservative ones. While some may not agree with the front design being petty controversial but I loved it the most.

• The new shade of copper orange stands out and appeals to young and dynamic clientele. Didn't have time ti check out the wheel/ tyre size but fitting 19" gunmetal finish multi spoke alloys will look sinister. This design has made me an instant fan of the S 60. The rear looks sexy to the core, especially the LED lights and the cope like side stance is my favourite angle. The all round skid plates added also give it a purposeful stance, and so does the twin exhausts.

• The interior design is confusing, though material and part quality is amazing. Not Audi perfect, but better than the 3 and much better than the rough edged C class. The centre console, waterfall in design and tilted towards the driver, lacks symmetry and looks added like an afterthought, especially the odd looking horizontal AC vent. The wood design too is not to my taste and I would have preferred dark metal of dark wood finish to go with the superb tan leather interior. The feel of the dash and door trim is very upscale and soft to touch. Build quality overall is outstanding.

• I think that this is the roomiest car in its class. C and 3 feel cramped in comparison, the 3 more coughed up. I think legroom is also shade better than an A4, though experts may leave their comments on this aspect. Headroom is less, due to the low height, but decent enough for my size (5 feet 9 inches).

• Seats are overall very comfortable but absence of adjustable front head restraints is downright shocking. Nice cushioning and decent support.

• Steering wheel can be shorter, dials are convectional and easy to read, buttons on centre console will take time used to. Too many. Memory seats (3 position) and power adjustable front seats standard.

• D5 diesel dispalcing 2.4 litres and 202 hp with 420 odd nm is amazingly refined at idle and has plenty of power, though the C class 2.2 250 CDI has more torque (500 nm, 204 hp)

• In line 5 cylinder configuration, transversely mounted is punchy and has a strong power band, good mid range and mated to a smooth shifting 6 speed tiptronic. No trace of unwanted vibrations though at redline the motor gets petty vocal.

• Transmission not jerky, though a bit hesitant in automatic mode. Can be also controlled manually via tiptronic function (plus and minus). Didn't find paddle shift in the car driven.

• Neutral handling felt and ride quality was also pretty good. Steering has amazing grip.

• The best part: For a CBU import (I think from Ghent, Belgium), the starting price of 27 lakhs for an I-5 diesel motor is very competitive. The petrol I-6 at 300 hp at 34 lakhs is also competitive and should be better pick over the 330i. The D5 summum is also competitively priced at 32 lakhs.

• Lots of options at extra cost to chose from. Safety gear includes auto braking system, front camera with a 180 degree view, ABS, EBD, BA, ESP, all wheel discs and all round airbags. Experts, some more comments on other unique safety features please.

• The biggest drawback: Lack of nationwide dealer network, poor brand awareness and dismal resale value. Brand building will be a Herculean task but the S 60 is the right product to do so.

• Personally, my money would be on D5 summum with all loadings, orange shade with multi spoke gunmetal alloys. This design, despite being conservative, screams presence on road and we were surprised by the amount of attention it generated, particularly the shade.

Note from Support : GTO's Volvo S60 304 BHP AWD review has been uploaded at this link.

[freakmuzik]

Wow! Sid, you are throwing in reviews one after the other, and each review is TOP-CLASS! I am sure this would be the same too! And I surely prefer the looks of the S60 than the C or the 3 and a tad better than the A4. Anyways, cool looking car with a middle-of -the-road pricing I guess. Best of Luck S60!
And once again, awesome Sidindica!

Cheers!

[noopster]

Nice review of a nice car! Doesn't the design have shades of the Linea in it? I have never seen such a sexy looking Volvo- when you say "Volvo" I think of breadboxes and station wagons!

The orange shade and the tan leather look fabulous. But though this model is much cheaper than their earlier launches, it is still overpriced IMHO. Volvo is by no means a BMW or Benz or even an Audi. They should have competed with the Superb/Accord and would probably have many takers at those prices.

[V-16]

Great Start Sid and fantastic pics.

I have been a fan of the Volvos from the time i was a kid. I used to see at least two filmstars who were Volvo fans also. One was the Veteran actor Pran who only drove around in Volvos and the other was Hema Malini.

Somewhere during the early 80's the Volvo lost its following. They spent too much time and money on safety and as a result the Volvo grew bigger, uglier, bulkier and more expensive. Of course the "built like a tank' mark never left the Marque.

Coming to the late 90s 2000s, I think Volvo started getting competitive, started re thinking their strategies and out came the C70 coupe, this is believe was the rebirth of Volvo.

The S60 hits the spot. When i read the review of the C60 in one of the foreign magazines, i was amazed to see the shape and style of this Vehicle. Nothig looked like the Volve. It was not a boring, square boxy vehicle but a sleek, inviting snazzy car, in with the times.

My bet is on the s60 from day one. I am positive that this will be a front runner amongst the competition. From what i believe, the D5 is a cracker to drive and doesn't lack in punch or handling still managing to be frugal (well not quite)

From what i see, this will appeal to those who dont want the usual BMW or the Star not the four ringed German machine parked in their garage.

Dont particularly like the borrowed interiors. With the dull and odd gear lever that looks like a Hyundai H shift, steering controls resembling the Audi and the speedo dials from the W211 E Class, i think Volvo could have taken lessons from the Audi.
Even the dull alloys dont add any more spunk in the looks department. A great set of Black, chrome lipped alloys to match the Vibrant and very Euro colours offered could lift the looks of the car.
Spruce up here and its got a future.

Coming to the prices, i believe there will be a good discount available to the buyers and if it makes any sense i might be standing in the line for one.

Will await the full drive reports. Way to go Volvo.

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by noopster

Volvo is by no means a BMW or Benz or even an Audi. They should have competed with the Superb/Accord and would probably have many takers at those prices.

Maybe Volvo does not have the snob value as the German marquees, but it is by no means inferior to them. I got a thing or two for Volvo products. Volvo always focuses on maximizing safety and brings out new innovative safety features in their products.

[W.A.G.7]

Nice write up. Does it look like the Teana, esp. the steering wheel view and side profile? Though it doesn't have the snob value, it does have practicality, which is nice. Do post in a detailed review soon, I am looking forward to reading the whole review and more pictures soon.

[samarth.bhatia]

Nice review Sid!

This Volvo is indeed one of the better looking Volvos around. The front and side are the best angles, IMO. The Tan leather upholstery seems so much more of a breath of fresh air after seeing all the beige/blacks found in the German line-up.
The instrument console and the center console, OTOH, do disappoint. Apparently, Volvo didn't have it as a top-priority with this car. I do hope they can work a little more on the interior design.

All in all, this car does have an air of being younger, and smarter than the competition.
And with the PPP of the Indian youth rising, this seems like a good (read. youthful, sporty, dynamic) option indeed.
Should move Volvo away from the station-wagon tag .

Cheers and drive safe.
Sam

[Dippy]

Thats a nice quick review Sid. Points very well put forward.

I have taken a liking to Volvo's current designs. I absolutely loved the looks of the XC60 which we reviewed in the recent past and i like this one too. However I found the D5 diesel to be less refined than its German counterparts. Was coarse and audible at high rpms. Did you experience the same during your drive of the S60. The T6 300 bhp sounds really delicious and that would be my pick of the lot. I also the like the funky exterior paint options that Volvo gives for its cars. Really adds character.

Volvo does seem to have a winner with the S60 but its the wafer think sales and service network which can come in the way of success. The Germans are way ahead in this area. Also marketing the product well and stressing on the high points would do the brand a lot of good.

[vb-saan]

Great review Sid... Short and Sweet!

Originally Posted by sidindica

Sweden is well known for two things: ABBA (I am damn crazy about Agnetha and Frida) and Volvo.

I will add IKEA as the third entry to the list

Originally Posted by sidindica

• D5 Kinetic: 27,00,000
• D5 Summum: 32,00,000
• T6 Summum: 34,00,000

Which version did you TD - the D5 Summum?

Originally Posted by sidindica

The wood design too is not to my taste and I would have preferred dark metal of dark wood finish to go with the superb tan leather interior. The feel of the dash and door trim is very upscale and soft to touch. Build quality overall is outstanding.

Totally agree, the dark metal / light wood finish looks much better and classy than the dark wood pictured here.

[blackasta]

Nice review Sid.
The car looks smashing from exterior (reminds me of the linea and somewhat of evo x), but confused on the interior.
The coupling of tan leather and dark finish wood IMO is not very matching.
Also, I somehow feel that the skid plates are kind of 'aftermarket'.
Volvo has to spend some big money on intelligent ads, and the ugly 'new volvo s60' on the rear glass would not do the trick.

[deepakdsk]

Fantastic review Sid! BTW will the India versions have all the safety features as listed in European versions?

Here I found some videos on YT

Adaptive Cruise Control

YouTube - New Volvo S60 - Adaptive Cruise Control

Collision Warning

YouTube - New Volvo S60 Collision Warning

YouTube - New Volvo S60 - city driving

[sidindica]

Adaptive cruise control and collision warning were there.
Model driven was summum, and the rear sticker is not standard, its a part of the demo car. Normal tubeless tyres, yet no stepney whatsoever, neither a full size nor a space saver.
Puncture repair kit provided.
Havent driven a German diesel in a long time, so cannot comment on refinement levels as compared to the C or 3 or A4, but the D5 was amazingly refined at idle and mid range. At red line, it tends to get vocal.
The sales person was hell bent in telling me to come and drive the petrol this Saturday, and that after driving it, I will never want to drive that D5 again.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by sidindica

Adaptive cruise control and collision warning were there.
Model driven was summum, and the rear sticker is not standard

Quite obvious. That sticker no way looked as a standard feature

Originally Posted by sidindica

The sales person was hell bent in telling me to come and drive the petrol this Saturday, and that after driving it, I will never want to drive that D5 again.

Looking forward for the added drive impressions after the T6 experience!

[vasoo]

Adaptive cruise control looks even usable for city drives. The pedestrian detection and full auto brake feature also looks very cool. These two features together makes it almost an "auto-drive" car. However in our types of city traffic, I doubt this car will even move! I was just imagining driving this car through Brigade road on a Saturday evening . Hope at least the PD&AB feature can be disabled, if required.

[CANPUSH]

Very nice detailed review Sid. I am waiting to test drive this beauty. Appears to be a big step for Volvo to move away from uninspiring looks it traditionally had.

Originally Posted by sidindica

[*]The biggest drawback: Lack of nationwide dealer network, poor brand awareness and dismal resale value. Brand building will be a Herculean task but the S 60 is the right product to do so.[/list][list]


[/center]

Its still bit odd here in India but in US and Canada Volvo cars get highest resale. It is really built like a tank. For years you only have to change engine oil and no other maintenance is needed.

But Indian psyche works differently. Why else used Korean cars draw better resale than European?