2019 Volvo S60 Road Test and Review

In case you haven’t noticed, Volvo is in the midst of a gigantic transformation. Since the Swedish automaker's purchase from Ford by China’s Geely in 2010, Volvo’s cars, wagons, and crossovers have moved to new platforms with new drivetrains and new designs. Sales have soared (up by 10 percent year-over-year in September 2018 and more than 30 percent for the year to date), driven by glowing reviews and a move toward more premium content.

The final holdover vehicle has now been introduced, the 2019 Volvo S60, along with a wagon variant, the V60. The new sedan rides on the same platform as the XC90 crossover, S90 sedan, V90 wagon, and XC60 crossover. Production has begun in the new Volvo factory in Berkeley County, South Carolina. We had a chance to drive the new S60 at a launch event in Southern California, and have returned with this review.

The 2019 Volvo S60 is a mid-size sedan, the start of the third generation of the nameplate. The first-generation S60 ran from 2001 to 2009, and the second-generation vehicle took over from 2010 to 2018. The new S60 is built on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, a highly flexible manufacturing and design plan that fixes only the distance from the front axle to the dashboard, allowing engineers and designers to create a wide variety of vehicles that can share many key elements. 

The SPA platform vehicles can have unique wheelbase measurements, ride heights, exterior dimensions, and interior layouts, while still using shared components and simple factory production line facilities. By shedding its legacy designs, Volvo has become a nimble manufacturer — almost a like a startup car company with nearly a century of car building experience.

There’s a design rationale that supports the engineering decision to fix the distance between the front axle and the dashboard. Car designers frequently cite this dimension as a key determiner in the elegance of a car’s profile. The S60 is thus imbued with a sophisticated profile, as the proportions of the rest of vehicle fall into line.

Following a short front overhang with an upright grille, muscular wheel arches house aluminum alloy wheels (18-inch on the T5 trim, 19-inch on the T6, and 20-inch on the T8 with 21-inch Polestar-design wheels available). A deep scallop runs above the rocker panels, rising toward the rear of the vehicle. The rear overhang lifts up, ending in a flat trunk back. The greenhouse swoops back from the windshield and slopes down in the rear, blurring the line between fastback and notchback. The look is sporty, sophisticated, and assertive.

The S60 has one of the most attractive dashboards you’ll ever see. The star of the show is the nine-inch Sensus Connect touchscreen, flanked by HVAC outlets. A single row of toggles runs beneath the touchscreen, anchored with a knob at center. The center console is similarly clean and uncluttered, with a gear selector lever, a drive-mode control wheel, and a pair of covered cupholders.

If you’ve selected the premium Bowers & Wilkens sound system, you’re treated to an eyeball tweeter at the top center of the dash and shiny aluminum speaker grilles on the doors (not to mention amazing sound quality). The interior is so tidy, crisp, and, well, Scandinavian that it is really attractive from top to bottom.

Sensus Connect, the heart of Volvo’s infotainment system, is one of the most intuitive and easy-to-learn systems on any car right now. The S60 gets the very latest version of the suite, along with an upgraded chipset that is 50 percent more responsive than previous versions. Screens seem to load faster, and simple, routine shifting from function-to-function is iPad-fast.

The now-familiar four-tile layout still works like a dream, with familiar tablet gestures (pinch and pull, swipe, etc.) working just like they should. Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming are standard, as are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which require a USB connection.

T5 models will come with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged direct gasoline injection engine with 250 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, while T6 models add a supercharger to that engine to reach 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The T5 is front-wheel drive, while the T6 is all-wheel drive.

The T8 model is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), fitted with the T6's supercharged and turbocharged gasoline engine to drive the front wheels plus a 65-kW electric motor driving the rear wheels. A 10.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is mounted in the center tunnel of the vehicle, and total system horsepower is approximately 400, and torque comes in at 640 lb-ft. There’s also a T8 Polestar Engineered model, which features the same PHEV powertrain but is tuned to produce about 415 hp and 670 lb-ft of torque.

All models of the S60 come with a double-wishbone front suspension with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and a stabilizer bar, and an integral axle rear suspension with a transverse composite leaf spring, hydraulic shock absorbers, and a stabilizer bar. An adaptive suspension system is promised as an option later in the model year, but air suspension will not be available on the S60 unlike on some pricier Volvo models.

Steering is handled by an electric rack-and-pinion system. With 16- or 17-inch wheels, the turning circle is 36.1 feet (curb-to-curb). With 18- or 19-inch wheels, the circle grows to 37.1 feet. T5 and T6 models get four drive modes each: Eco, Comfort, Dynamic, and Individual. The T8 also gets four drive modes: Pure (maximizing efficiency); Power (maximizing performance); AWD (for adverse weather conditions); and Individual. Drive modes affect steering, throttle, and transmission performance, and the electric/gasoline balance in the T8.

It wouldn’t be a Volvo if we didn’t talk about safety. Volvo really does take safety to heart, as highlighted by their Vision 2020 commitment, that “no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020.” Every S60 comes with City Safety, a suite of driver assistance features that includes collision avoidance and mitigation with other vehicles, with cyclists, with pedestrians and with large animals (there are a lot of moose and elk in Sweden).

City Safety provides braking and steering support, adding to the driver’s input when necessary to help avoid an accident. The S60 is also available with Pilot Assist, Volvo’s “hands-on-the-wheel, eyes-on-the-road” driver assistance system, which provides steering, distance, and speed control in a variety of situations, which can make a long drive much less stressful and fatiguing.

Our test drives took place in all-wheel drive T6 and T8 Polestar Engineered models (no T5 vehicles were made available at the launch event) on familiar canyon roads north of Santa Monica and up through Malibu. Both the T6 and the T8 proved to be fun companions for a romp, encouraging drivers to test their mettle (within legal speed limits, of course). The electric power steering by wire was a particular pleasure, with natural feel and weight. The S60 is so nicely balanced that little if any mid-corner correction is required, with minimal understeer.

The T8, with superior power, was the most fun to drive. The T8’s regenerative brakes take a bit of getting used to, as they are surprisingly grabby upon initial application. With some practice, they can be modulated, but it requires a nimble foot.

The S60 will be offered in three models for 2019: T5, T6, and T8. The T5 and T6 are available in three trim levels: Momentum, Inscription, and R-Design. The T8 is available in R-Design and Inscription, plus an additional trim level: Polestar Engineered. T5 prices start at $35,800 for the Momentum, $41,900 for the R-Design, and $42,900 for the Inscription. T6 prices start at $40,300 for the Momentum, $46,400 for the R-Design, and $47,400 for the Inscription. T8 prices start at $54,400 for the R-Design and the $55,400 for Inscription.

The T8 Polestar Engineered is a bit of a tease, as only 20 units will be produced for 2019 U.S. consumption, and they’re already spoken for via the Care by Volvo subscription service. The T6 Momentum is $775/month on Care by Volvo, and T6 R-Design is $850/month. Only a few packages and standalone options will be available for the S60, including Nappa leather seating with massage, heating, and ventilation ($2,200).

The 2019 Volvo S60 does not disappoint, and it further burnishes Volvo’s resurgent image. At a time when mid-size sedans are perceived as a fading genre, it’s nice to meet such a well-sorted, sophisticated, and fun new example.

The S60 will compete with some well-established competition, like the BMW 3 series (also newly updated for 2019), Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Cadillac ATS, Lexus ES (another fresh 2019 model), and Infiniti Q50. Notice that this list consists of premium vehicles. It’s time to add Volvo to the category, as the new lineup is up to the challenge. And the S60 makes a good showing, with an attractive exterior, a superior interior, effective telematics and infotainment, and exciting performance. Welcome to the party, Volvo.