This Volvo competes with different luxurious sedans just like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series.
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Volvos are tastefully designed, rigorously crafted and sometimes hotter and extra inviting than rival automobiles from Germany or Japan. Just just like the automaker’s bigger fashions, the S60 sedan possesses a sure Swedish ambiance that makes it really feel particular in a method that, say, an Acura does not. From its inside design to the driving expertise, this automotive is a stunning little factor.
LikeRoomy, premium interiorOverall refinementGorgeous designEngaging drive
Don’t LikeWhy no extendable solar visors?Slight off-the-line turbo lagSensus Connect… once more
The final Volvo I examined was an XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid. A significantly hefty automobile, this mannequin is one family-size take-out order shy of two-and-a-half tons. By comparability, the S60 T5 is a whopping 1,336 kilos lighter. Since these two automobiles have related cabins, seats and tech, my mind robotically assumes this four-door will carry itself like a foremost battle tank, however this expectation is totally unfounded. The S60’s steering is crisp and direct with zero discernible torque steer. Sure, further highway really feel could be nice, however the refinement and solidity this thick-set tiller reveals are onerous to argue with. Yes, the trip is agency, but it surely’s additionally vastly superior to the XC90’s. Impacts are felt however they’re by no means stabbing, plus the chassis appears as well-lubricated as a wheel bearing full of recent grease, with no grittiness or vibration, even when pushed over crumbling surfaces. When you take into account my tester’s giant, 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli 235/40 P-Zero all-season tires, the chassis tuning turns into all of the extra spectacular. Vehicles with rollers this large normally trip fairly harshly, as do a lot of this Swedish automaker’s merchandise.
The 2020 Volvo S60 T5 R-Design seems to be nice and drives nicely
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As in different Volvos, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder is the beast of burden tasked with hauling this S60 round. It’s an nearly unbelievably quiet powertrain with turbine-like smoothness from idle to redline. But not like different flavors of this engine, the model utilized in T5 fashions solely has a turbocharger huffing air into its lungs. Consequently, it lacks the speedy punch that turbocharged-and-supercharged variants present. Yes, this S60 can lag a bit off the road, however as soon as some air is flowing by means of that blower it has no hassle shifting with authority and might scamper to 60 mph in round 6.3 seconds for those who hold the accelerator buried. An eight-speed computerized transmission works with this automotive’s 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to ship that more-than-adequate efficiency. This gearbox is nearly at all times on level, fast to alter ratios and almost seamless, nevertheless, I discover just a few clunky upshifts, although these are uncommon.
Solid efficiency and interesting dynamics are two feathers on this automotive’s proverbial cap, however so is gasoline economic system. My T5 tester is EPA-pegged at 23 miles per gallon in metropolis driving and 34 on the freeway. Combined, it ought to return 27 mpg, however in largely rural motoring I achieved a claimed 33.5, which is, frankly, fairly glorious for a luxurious sedan.
Swedish magnificence and loads of tech outline the S60’s cabin.
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But what’s much more spectacular than this automotive’s real-world consumption is its inside. True to kind, the S60’s cabin is superbly crafted, with a great deal of leather-based, distinction stitching and upscale supplies. The dashboard is strongly horizontal but in addition packs visible pizzazz. It’s embellished with textured aluminum, a trim that is used to nice impact on the middle console’s roll-top-desk-style cowl as nicely.R-Design fashions characteristic Nappa leather-covered seats which might be dressed up with cloth accents. The entrance buckets are all-day supportive, and the aft bench is sort of as snug, being commendably spacious, even for taller people.The S60’s trunk is a lot giant as nicely, with a claimed 13.8 cubic toes of room when geared up with a spare tire. That’s greater than you get in rivals just like the Audi A4, Genesis G70 or Mercedes-Benz C-Class. A large-opening lid and low lift-over peak ought to make it as straightforward as pie to load cargo into this sedan.There’s little to complain about on this automotive, so I’m compelled to nitpick. As within the XC90, sliding solar visors are a curious omission. Basically, they will not lengthen to cowl the complete width of the entrance facet home windows to battle glare. This is so unusual for an organization that constructed its repute on boxy station wagons, I imply, on security. Why, Volvo? Why? Sensus is highly effective, but it surely’s additionally a bit difficult to make use of and typically it lags.
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The Sensus Connect infotainment system with navigation and its related 9-inch portrait touchscreen are a distinguished a part of this automotive’s cabin. As multimedia options go, it is advantageous, being neither my favourite providing nor one of many trade’s worst. Even after experiencing it in many alternative vehicles and utility automobiles through the years, I nonetheless discover its person interface a bit confounding and the efficiency sometimes laggardly. Ameliorating this case, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are each customary gear. A Wi-Fi hotspot can also be built-in.The S60’s out there Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system is a wonderful possibility, supplied you do not thoughts paying an extra $3,200. With 15 audio system and 1,100 watts of energy, it is loud, it is clear and it will possibly even make satellite tv for pc radio sound respectable. Piped by means of lesser methods, SiriusXM has all of the constancy of a wax-cylinder phonograph. As for different tech, R-Design fashions come customary with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, in addition they have lane-keeping help, computerized excessive beams, road-departure mitigation and a smattering of different helpful aids. The non-obligatory $2,500 Advanced Package brings options like a transparent and crisp head-up show, an ever-useful 360-degree digital camera system and Pilot Assist, Volvo’s title for adaptive cruise management with lane centering, to the desk. That final merchandise works OK: At larger speeds this hands-on-the-wheel help appears extra steady, however oddly, on two-lane roads it’ll typically tug on the steering wheel a bit, bouncing the automotive from one line to the opposite. Generally, I feel Honda Sensing and Nissan’s ProfessionalPilot Assist are a bit extra constant than what Volvo gives.This automotive is gorgeous from all instructions.
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An entry-level, front-drive, S60 T5 Momentum mannequin may be had for proper round $37,000, together with $995 in supply charges. With choices like 19-inch wheels, metallic paint, an automatic-parking characteristic and a few different issues along with the add-ons talked about above, this R-Design instance checks out for 10 bucks shy of 52 grand, a not-unreasonable determine, not less than by 21st-century requirements. I imply, you possibly can spend greater than that on a Lincoln MKZ, which might completely not be value it. Of course, for those who’re purchasing on this phase, you’d be smart to think about the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, two ubiquitous rivals. Yeah, they’re about as widespread as inexperienced lawns in suburbia, however there is a motive they’re so common: It’s as a result of they’re actually good.With good-looking seems to be, an expensive inside and decently participating dynamics, there’s little to gripe about right here. Volvo has managed to distill the basic excellence of its bigger automobiles down right into a extra manageably sized, affordably priced, and maybe most significantly of all, lighter package deal.