2011 Volvo S60

There's no doubt that the Volvo has bent over backwards to entice coustomers with its new saloon

Published on May 04, 2011 07:00:00 AM

23,362 Views

Volvo has two powerful motors on offer for the S60, and we’ve tested both. However, it’s the T6 with its 304bhp turbocharged transversely mounted straight six that won our heart. Mated to a four-wheel-drive system via a six-speed automatic, this potent motor delivers brilliant performance from anywhere in the powerband. The four-wheel-drive system is quick to channel power optimally to all four wheels and the motor belts out a thick wad of torque which is delivered with a sporty snarl.

Acceleration is strong enough to make passengers initially gasp and this turbo-petrol’s mid-range is nothing short of explosive. In a straight drag, the S60 eats the BMW 330i for breakfast and spits the Audi A4 3.2 out of its tailpipes. The C-class isn’t even in the picture. Get this – 0-100kph in the S60 arrives in 6.3 seconds compared to 8.10sec and 8.05sec for the most powerful 3-series and A4 respectively and the gap only widens the quicker you go. Another stat to commit to memory is the S60’s 0-200kph time of just 24.4sec which is quicker than even the BMW 535i! The S60 is a seriously quick car and that means you can have bags of fun behind the wheel, especially on an open road.

What makes the T6 even more impressive is the fact that this motor is very driveable at city speeds. There is very little lag and the engine feels responsive and always alert. The only fly in the ointment is the gearbox which feels slow at times and blunts performance. In ‘D’ the transmission hesitates quite a bit and you need to leave the lever in S mode if you’re driving in a hurry. Also, sorely missed on this model are paddle-shifters because it is in manual mode that the transmission feels best. While the T6 petrol revs comfortably to 6700rpm, it doesn’t spin as easily as a Bimmer’s straight-six and isn’t as turbine smooth either.

The 2400cc D5 diesel motor is less impressive and doesn’t set benchmarks like the T6. This five-cylinder diesel throbs more than a bit at start up and it certainly isn’t a silent as expected from a car in this class either. However, it does spin enthusiastically and smoothens up a fair bit but you are always aware of the odd number of cylinders firing under the hood. Also, noise levels are considerably higher than say on a BMW’s 320d which, in comparison, feels both silent and silky smooth.

As on the bigger S80, the D5 engine uses a pair of sequential turbos to force-feed the cylinders and the result is a class-leading power output of 205bhp. The surge of power in the midrange from 2000 to 4000rpm is truly impressive and this makes the car effortlessly lunge forward with just a dab of the pedal. Again, it’s the quickest car in its class (if you don’t include the potent but far pricier A4 3.0TDi) and takes a scant 8.19sec and 17.9sec to get to 100kph and 150kph respectively. The strong midrange also makes it a very good highway cruiser and passing other cars is just a prod of the throttle away. We just wish it was more refined and came with a slightly faster-acting automatic gearbox.

A turbo-petrol producing over 300bhp isn’t going to be frugal but the T6 didn’t turn out to be the guzzler we expected. In the city it returned a surprising 6.9kpl in the city and 11.1kpl on the highway, if you drive normally. Like most turbo-petrols, fuel efficiency is very sensitive to driving style and even the smallest bit of enthusiasm with the throttle pedal will send figures south. The D5 diesel was pretty efficient again returning 9.5kpl and 13.4kpl for the city and highway cycles respectively.