It looks like Ford might have saved its best for last when it comes to Volvo. With the Swedish automaker likely just a few weeks away from Chinese ownership—via Ford’s deal with Geely—the company has now taken the wraps off the new Volvo S60.
The 2011 S60 goes the “four-door coupe” route, with a sculpted appearance that according to Volvo “delivers a visual promise of enthusiastic driving characteristics.” I guess that means it’s supposed to look sporty, but aside from a mildly aggressive front-end treatment and some odd creases to the hood, the exterior of the S60 is relatively undistinguished.
On the other hand, the new sedan makes up for its perhaps-too-subtle silhouette by packing Volvo’s most powerful T6 engine yet. Making 304 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, the powerplant pushes the S60 from 0-60 in a tad over 6 seconds. Volvo also has put a lot of work into the car’s chassis, with two different setups to be available in the U.S., one built for comfort, one for speed.
Significantly, Volvo also has begun leveraging some of its well-known technological expertise to make driving more fun instead of “just” safer. For example, the S60 is the first Volvo to offer Corner Traction Control, an enhancement to the company’s latest suite of traction control systems, which also debut on the vehicle. While turning, Corner Traction Control allows a car’s inner driving wheel(s) to brake, while more power goes to the outside wheel(s) at the same time, helping drivers carve those corners more tightly.
Yet there’s plenty of safety equipment on the S60 as well, including the Volvo Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake system. This does exactly what it sounds like it does: The vehicle can detect the presence of pedestrians in its path, and, in an “emergency situation,” will give the driver warning of an impending potential collision. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system can automatically apply full stopping power to the car’s brakes. Volvo says the system can prevent an accident when the S60 is traveling up to 35 kilometers per hour (that’s just over 20 mph for the metrically impaired).
The 2011 Volvo S60 is set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March and go on sale in the U.S. this summer. In the meantime, check out more photos of the all-new S60 below.
* * *
Read more Volvo news on this blog.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }