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look at the new Volvo S60 is all you need to see that these feisty Swedes have
driven the final nail into the coffin of the boxy Volvo designs of yore. And thank
goodness for that, because the exciting designs elsewhere on this grouping offer
plenty of proof that you gotta look good to sell in this segment of the market.
Well,
the S60 looks good, to say the least. With a coupe-like profile and delicious
bodyside sculpting, it takes the design vocabulary introduced on the S80 and distills
it into a more intimate and passionate shape. And it looks as good on the inside
as out, with a fresh, geometric dashboard design that manages enough angles to
appear modern while not going completely origami. It all gets even better as your
bum nestles into the soft and supportive front seats, which are arguably some
of the best in the world, no exaggeration. Especially cool is the metal "Spaceball"
shifter on manual transmission models. As for safety equipment, well, clearly
some of Volvo's priorities haven't changed…. The
S60 many configurations make it appealing to buyers with varying needs, with the
base 2.4-liter 5-cylinder (170 hp) being the most humble of the lot, albeit at
less than $30K, it's the most affordable too. A "light-pressure" turbo
can be added to that engine to spice things up a bit (to 197 hp), and with that
engine you can also add all-wheel drive for those in snowy or rainy climes. For
Volvophiliacs who also happen to be speed demons, the S60 T5's high-pressure turbo
sets its front wheels to the task of getting 247 horsepower to the ground in a
controlled fashion (which it does with grace, thanks to traction control). So
goodbye boxy, hello foxy!
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