The Volvo V60 entered the automotive scene with a clear mission: to challenge its sibling, the S60 sedan, for the title of Volvo’s most dynamic model. Designed with a strong European focus, with 90% of its production destined for European markets, the V60, produced in Volvo Cars’ Torslanda plant, aimed to blend sporty aesthetics with practical wagon functionality. This review delves into the key features of the Volvo V60, with a particular focus on the automatic transmission models and what makes them a compelling choice in the sports wagon segment.
Exterior Design: Coupe-Inspired Wagon
Volvo’s design philosophy for the V60 prioritized a coupe-like silhouette, successfully merging sleek lines with the inherent spaciousness of a wagon. Unlike traditional estate cars focused solely on cargo volume, the V60 carved its niche as a sports wagon, offering dynamic styling without sacrificing everyday usability. For those requiring maximum load space, Volvo still offered the V70 and XC70.
The V60’s exterior is characterized by a pronounced wedge shape and a slender, coupe-esque roofline. A distinctive shoulder profile flows along the car’s flanks, creating a subtle yet impactful double wave that stretches from the headlights to the taillights. This design element visually lowers the car’s center of gravity, enhancing its stance and contributing to a more streamlined and athletic appearance. The sculpted hood and short front and rear overhangs further accentuate the V60’s sporty character.
R-Design: Amplifying the Sporty Edge
For drivers seeking an even more assertive aesthetic and dynamic driving experience, the Volvo V60 R-Design variant offered a range of exclusive design enhancements, both inside and out.
Inside the R-Design, sport seats provided enhanced support, featuring the V60 backrest paired with a newly designed seat cushion offering tighter lateral bolstering. Volvo Cars’ chassis engineers further refined the driving dynamics in the R-Design chassis, sharpening steering response, agility, and overall handling compared to the standard dynamic chassis found in the V60. This resulted in a more engaging and responsive driving experience, especially when paired with the smooth Volvo V60 Automatic transmission.
Styling Pack: Robust and Rugged Appearance
An optional styling pack allowed V60 owners to further amplify its sporty attitude. Available as accessories, this pack included front and rear skid plates, a front decor trim, side scuff plates, unique exhaust tailpipes, and distinctive 18-inch wheels. This styling package lent the V60 a robust and rugged look, drawing inspiration from the XC60’s adventurous spirit.
Exterior Color Palette
The Volvo V60 offered a diverse range of exterior colors to suit individual preferences: Black Stone, Passion Red, Ice White, Cosmic White metallic, Black Sapphire metallic, Savile Grey metallic, Silver Metallic, Electric Silver metallic, Caspian Blue metallic, Seashell metallic, Electrum Gold metallic, and Vibrant Copper metallic.
Interior Refinement: Scandinavian Design and Technology
The interior of the Volvo V60 drew inspiration from the racetrack, embodying an uncompromising sportiness. The instrument panel and door panels echoed the graphic nature of a racing circuit, with every detail conveying a sense of motion. The instruments and center stack were angled towards the driver, fostering a feeling of focus and control. A new dynamic three-spoke steering wheel and supportive sports seats came standard, enhancing the driving experience.
Scandinavian design principles of rationality, simplicity, clarity, and functionality were clearly evident throughout the V60’s cabin:
- Flexible Seating: The 40/20/40-split rear seat and fold-flat front passenger seat offered exceptional versatility in accommodating passengers and cargo. Each rear seat backrest folded effortlessly to create a completely flat load floor, and the rear seat headrests could be folded electrically.
- Optimized Load Space: The load area was meticulously designed to maximize every millimeter of available space. The wide 1095mm tailgate, combined with additional space behind the wheel housings and under the load floor, demonstrated a systematic approach to achieving generous cargo capacity in the Volvo V60 automatic.
- Integrated Child Booster Cushions: The rear seat could be optionally equipped with integrated child booster cushions in the two outer seats, enhancing child passenger safety and convenience.
The upholstery range primarily featured beige and black tones, accented by the new Beechwood Brown highlight shade. Décor inlays were available in Charcoal, Shimmer Graphite aluminum, or Urbane Wood.
Volvo Sensus: Advanced Infotainment
Volvo Sensus exemplified Volvo Cars’ commitment to refining the driver environment. All vehicle information and infotainment functions were presented on a five-inch or optional seven-inch color screen positioned high in the center stack. This placement ensured that the driver could easily access information while keeping their eyes on the road. Functions were controlled via steering wheel buttons or touch buttons located beneath the color screen.
Upgraded Volvo Sensus systems, available with multimedia audio packages, featured the larger seven-inch screen, displaying navigation, phone, reversing camera, panorama camera, DVD player, and digital TV information. Bluetooth connectivity was enhanced to support not only hands-free calling but also music streaming from Bluetooth-enabled devices. Volvo stood out as the only brand offering Bluetooth music streaming across its entire vehicle range.
Mobile Connectivity
A new mobile application allowed drivers to stay connected with their parked Volvo V60 via iPhone or Android smartphones. This app, an extension of Volvo On Call, provided a range of connectivity features, offering an intuitive and user-friendly remote interface with the vehicle.
Enhanced Audio Systems
The audio experience in the V60 was significantly enhanced compared to previous Volvo models. The top-tier Premium Sound system featured a class-D digital 5x130W amplifier, Dolby Digital with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround, Audyssey Laboratories’ MultEQ, and 12 loudspeakers. In addition to Premium Sound, the V60 offered a choice of three other audio systems to cater to different preferences.
Chassis and Driving Dynamics: Authentic Sports Wagon Experience
Volvo Cars’ chassis experts meticulously engineered the driving experience of the Volvo V60, mirroring the passion and uncompromising approach applied to the S60 sedan’s development. The result was a genuine sports wagon with driving characteristics that complemented its sporty design.
The V60 offered a choice of two chassis: the dynamic chassis (standard in Europe) and the touring chassis (standard in some markets, optional in Europe). The dynamic chassis prioritized engaging handling, while the touring chassis provided a more comfortable ride, particularly on less-than-perfect road surfaces. The key difference between the two lay in damper and subframe settings, with the touring variant featuring a softer setup.
Refined in Every Detail
The chassis development process involved a holistic approach, refining virtually every aspect influencing driving dynamics. This included improvements to steering feel, stiffer springs and bushings, and enhanced damping compared to previous Volvo models.
FOUR-C Active Chassis
All Volvo V60 variants, including those equipped with the Volvo V60 automatic transmission, could be specified with the advanced FOUR-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) active chassis. This self-adjusting system was refined to match the sports wagon’s dynamic character, offering selectable Comfort, Sport, and Advanced modes to tailor the driving experience to different conditions and preferences.
Modified All-Wheel Drive
The software governing the All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system in AWD-equipped V60 models (standard on T6, optional on D5) was recalibrated to fully exploit the sporty chassis. This ensured optimal traction and handling, even under demanding driving conditions.
Advanced Stability Control and Corner Traction Control
The Volvo V60, like the S60, incorporated Advanced Stability Control. Utilizing a new roll angle sensor, this system could detect skidding tendencies at a very early stage, enhancing handling during dynamic driving and rapid avoidance maneuvers. Corner Traction Control, a torque vectoring system, further improved cornering agility. By braking the inner driven wheel while simultaneously transferring more power to the outer wheel during cornering, it enabled tighter cornering and reduced understeer.
Driveline and Engine Options: Performance and Efficiency
Powerful T6 Engine and Volvo V60 Automatic Transmission
The T6 petrol engine, a 3.0-liter unit, was further enhanced with reduced internal friction, resulting in 304 horsepower and 440 Nm of torque. Despite the increased power, fuel consumption was reduced by approximately 10% to 10.2 l/100 km (EU Combined). Power was delivered to the wheels via Volvo’s second-generation six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission, known for its smooth and responsive gear changes, making the Volvo V60 automatic a pleasure to drive.
Efficient GTDi Engines
The V60 also offered 2.0 GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) engines, including the T5 variant producing 240 hp and 320 Nm of torque, and a 1.6-liter GTDi engine available in 180 hp (T4) and 150 hp (T3) versions with 240 Nm of torque. The T5 and T4 engines were available with Volvo’s six-speed Power shift automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox. The T3 was offered with a manual gearbox.
Upgraded D5 and D3 Diesel Engines
In Model Year 2012, the V60 received enhanced versions of the five-cylinder D5 and D3 turbodiesel engines. The D5 engine’s output increased to 215 hp and 440 Nm of torque (from 205 hp/420 Nm), while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption by 8%. The D3 engine remained at 163 hp and 400 Nm, but received turbocharger fine-tuning for improved drivability.
Fuel Efficiency and Transmission Choices
The improved turbodiesel engines offered enhanced fuel efficiency. The Volvo V60 D5 achieved a fuel consumption of just 4.9 l/100 km (manual) and 6.2 l/100 km (automatic). Both turbodiesel engines were available with six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions. The D5 could also be specified with all-wheel drive.
DRIVe Diesel
The DRIVe version of the V60 featured a 1.6-liter diesel engine with CO2 emissions of just 119 g/km. This engine produced 115 hp and 270 Nm of torque and was available exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Safety and Driver Support Systems: Volvo’s Commitment to Safety
Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake
Volvo’s commitment to safety was exemplified by Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake, a groundbreaking technology. This system could detect pedestrians stepping into the car’s path, warn the driver, and automatically apply full braking force if the driver did not respond in time. This system could help avoid collisions with pedestrians at speeds up to 35 km/h.
Comprehensive Suite of Safety Features
The Volvo V60 automatic and manual models were equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety and driver assistance features, including:
- Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake: Warned the driver and automatically braked if a rear-end collision risk was detected.
- City Safety: Automatically braked in low-speed urban traffic if the driver failed to react to a slowing or stopped vehicle ahead.
- Driver Alert Control: Detected and alerted tired or distracted drivers.
- Blind Spot Information System (BLIS): Alerted the driver to vehicles in blind spots.
- Lane Departure Warning: Warned the driver if the car drifted out of its lane without turn signal activation.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) was available as an option, automatically maintaining a set distance to the vehicle ahead. Notably, the ACC system operated at speeds down to standstill in Volvo V60 automatic models, enhancing convenience in slow traffic.
Corner View Camera
The V60 could be equipped with front and rear parking sensors and a rear Park Assist camera. An optional front grille-mounted camera with a 180-degree field of vision provided a “corner view,” aiding drivers in navigating blind exits and parking with increased safety.
The Volvo V60 automatic, with its blend of dynamic design, versatile functionality, advanced technology, and Volvo’s renowned safety features, solidified its position as a compelling sports wagon in the automotive market, offering a refined and engaging driving experience.
