The new S60 is a crucial car for Volvo. With Ford trying to sell the Swedish brand, the latest iteration of its midsize sedan offering -- along with the recently released XC60 small SUV -- must show potential buyers Volvo has a future that's worth a serious investment.
At the 2009 Detroit auto show, Volvo unveiled the S60 concept you see here, with bold styling inside and out. If the production version ends up looking similar to the concept, it shouldn't be too hard convincing consumers to give Volvo a chance. Then again, the midsize luxury sedan segment is fully saturated -- Volvo will need to do all it can get to distinguish its lineup from other cars.
The S60 concept was powered by a 1.6L GTDi four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injected gasoline engine making 180 hp and emitting only 0.42 lb of CO2 per mile, mated to a six-speed autoclutch manual. In the safety department, the S60 won't disappoint. Like the XC60 SUV, the production S60 sedan is expected to offer the Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake system that can slow the car down if it detects an approaching vehicle or pedestrian and the driver isn't paying attention. We imagine the system will be updated by the time it gets to the S60, but we'll have to wait for a full test to find out -- and if Volvo's claims that this car has "driving properties" better than any other Volvo, we're looking forward to it.
Bottom Line: The S60 could lead the automaker back to better days