The All-New S60 R-Design

The All-New Volvo S60 has arrived.

Rolling out the All-New S60 sports sedan completes Volvo’s transformation into a new generation of advanced vehicles to be redesigned with its unique brand of Scandinavian luxury inside and out.

Structure, Engine and Technology 

Advanced Structure

The S60 is new from the ground up, based on the same Volvo Scalable Product Architecture platform as models like the XC60 and S90. Its handsome exterior includes LED headlights on all trim levels, and it features aerodynamic styling that still manages to leave enough headroom for taller passengers in the rear seat.

Engine Options

The S60 arrives in Canada this winter and will be initially offered with two engine options, with either front or all-wheel drive.

FWD Option: The entry level model is the front wheel drive T5 Momentum trim, which starts at $42,400. It comes standard with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 250 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

AWD Option: The S60 T6 AWD comes in a Momentum trim, starting at $47,400, the sporty R-Design T6 AWD option for $52,400 or in top of the line inscription from $53,900. All three use a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that makes 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, with the eight-speed automatic. The engine is both turbocharged and supercharged. Using the two together provides strong performance over a wide range of driving conditions, for smooth acceleration and with passing power at highway speeds. Offering the performance of a larger engine, with the efficiency of a smaller one.

Technology Inside

The focus of the interior is Volvo’s nine-inch touchscreen, which handles most of the car’s functions and settings, and includes standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Anyone familiar with a smartphone will be equally at home with it; swipe the screen to access your icons, pinch or pull to expand certain functions, or use the home button to return to your favorites – even with leather gloves in cold Canadian winter conditions. All trims come with high-performance auto systems, but audiophiles can upgrade to a choice of Harmon/Kardon or 1,100-watt Bowers and Wilkins premium systems if preferred.

Interior Style

The interior blends thoughtful and elegant Scandinavian design with high-quality materials for a premium look and feel. The seats offer Volvo’s legendary comfort, and depending on the trim level, can include Nappa leather upholstery and ventilation. Uniquely, the engine is started by turning the dial on the elegantly designed centre console.

Volvo on Call App

Available for both Android and iOS devices and free for four years, the Volvo on Call app can be used to remotely start your S60 from anywhere, warming up or cooling the interior before a journey. It also allows you to send directions from your phone directly to your car, and sync it to your calendar to automatically remind you when to leave for an appointment.

Sport Sedan Performance

The S60 is light and agile, with sharp but smooth handling and linear braking. All trims feature a dynamically-tuned suspension, with a lowered Sports Suspension and Sports Chassis standard on R-Design models for more responsive handling. Both R-Design and Inscription trim levels add selectable driving modes that increase steering weight, transmission mapping, and throttle response to sportier settings.

Unparalleled Safety

Volvo has long prided itself on safety and has the history to back it up. In 1959 a Volvo engineer invented the three-point safety belt, and in the interest of everyone’s safety, kept the patent open so that any manufacture could use it – and everyone does today. The Swedish automaker also invented the rearward-facing child seat in the 1970’s and in the 1990’s, had the world’s first seat-side airbags.

Advanced Safety

Safety being a Volvo hallmark, the S60 is equipped or available with such items such as City Safety, low-speed collision mitigation, lane-keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, 360-degree camera, and park assist. As the industry moves toward the future of self-driving vehicles, the S60 is also equipped with Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous system that combines adaptive cruise control and active lane-keeping for stress free driving, even in traffic.

Safety Innovation

Today, Volvo’s ambitious safety goal is enshrined in its Vision 2020 mission statement: to focus on accident prevention as part of a stated goal to reduce serious injuries or deaths from traffic collisions down to zero.

Volvo was among the first auto companies to introduce forward emergency braking with its City Safety in 2008, a technology that is included in every Volvo vehicle, including the S60. If it detects an imminent collision and the driver doesn’t apply the brakes, the system doesn’t. On the S60, it also includes steering support that helps the driver to steer away from danger and help prevent a Collison.

Driver Alert Highway Protection

The S60’s lane-keeping ability is also part of its Run-off Road Mitigation, which helps prevent incidents if the driver accidentally steers off the road at speeds between 65 and 140 km/h. If it detects this happening, the system uses its steering ability, and if necessary, its automatic braking to bring the S60 back from the edge of the road. Even so, safety is primarily about prevention, and even before Run-off Road Mitigation is required the S60 consciously monitors the car’s position in relation to road markings. If it detects the driver is drifting sideways, which can indicate fatigue or distraction, it will warn the driver that it may be time for a break.

When Crash Prevention is not enough

As good as the S60’s high-tech crash prevention features are, it shares the road with other vehicles, and so it’s engineered to protect its passengers in all situations. The heart of the S60 is its safety cage around the cabin that is made with ultra-high strength boron steel, while the sedan’s exterior crumple zone dissipates crash energy to significantly reduce the impact on occupants. If the S60 determines a crash is unavoidable, it triggers the seatbelt’s pre-tensioners to keep occupants in the safest position, applied the brakes to reduce the car’s speed, and activates the dual-stage airbags to prevent injury.

All S60 models offer an optional 360-degree camera that provides a bird’s eye view of what is around. With available Park Assist Pilot, the S60 can park itself, either paralleled or perpendicular, with minimal input from the driver, including getting out of a tight spot.

Car Tech and Apps

The All-new S60 provides more than a supple ride, fine handling and upscale interior appointments that please the eye and touch. It also offers more security, more fun, more comfort, and more for overall ease in your modern digital world.

Volvo On Call App

It starts with the Volvo On Call App, available on either Android or iOS, which provides a variety of ways to streamline and organize your drive.

On a chilly day use your smartphone to remotely start your car so it can welcome you with a warm interior and defrosted windows, Or cool it down after a hot summer’s afternoon of sitting in the sun, no matter how far away you are from your car. You can also remotely turn off your car, if plans change on the go, as they often do.

You can also sync your calendar with Volvo On Call so that your phone will remind you when to leave for your appointment, complete with directions on the fastest route to get there.

Convenience is Key

When heading out, for additional convenience, you can also send directions from the Volvo On Call App to your S60 navigation system. The app can also honk and flash the car’s lights – no matter how far away – allowing you to find it easier in large parking lots. The Volvo On Call App is free for four years and includes roadside assistance as well.

Sense Your Surroundings

Once inside your S60, take the time to look around and experience your surroundings. The central Sensus Connect infotainment screen lies like a vertical tablet at the centre of the dashboard that allows for pinching and zooming, even while wearing gloves. The system is fully compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, controlling everything from infotainment to navigation to heated seats, allowing for an elegantly uncluttered interior.

And feel free to talk to your S60 just like you’d talk to your phone, and it will call, give you directions or even read out your text messages to you using advanced voice recognition AI.

The Sensus touchscreen also houses a number of apps that allow you ultimate flexibility to bring your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks along with you.

Security Paramount for All

Volvo On Call also includes the security of providing theft alarm notification, stolen vehicle tracking, and even remote vehicle immobilization in some areas.

An On Call button on the S60’s headliner provides quick and easy access to a Volvo Roadside operator who can guide a recovery service to your location. There is also a SOS button in case of an emergency, which will work for the life of the vehicle, no matter any subscription status, the age of the vehicle or mileage.

Also included with every Volvo is Roadside Assistance, a complimentary service which provides 24 hour on call roadside car, towing to your nearest Volvo dealer (or dealer of choice within 40km radius), lockout assistance, jump starting, and trip interruption expense benefits, in case of an issue or breakdown 240km or more from home.

All of this to help the Volvo S60 provide the cutting edge in modern luxury and security to its drivers and their families and friends, while simplifying the life of each individual Volvo S60 driver.