New VOLVO S60

STYLING

The S60's look might not be to everyone's taste, but it's hard to imagine a svelter update of the Volvo profile. There's a sleek, well-proportioned saloon behind that sharper nose, and the high waist line tapers to a reasonably attractive rear end.

HANDLING

Volvo really have tightened up the responsiveness of the S60's chassis, and there's plenty of grip to play with. Slightly muted steering means it isn't the most entertaining drive, but there's enough talent to thread fast corners together. The torque vectoring traction control takes some getting used to, but by feeding power to the outside wheel it does reduce understeer.

COMFORT

There is almost always some pay off when you focus on dynamism, and in the case of the S60 it is the ride quality. On smooth surfaces and at low speeds the Volvo is fine, but subject it to choppy surfacing at pace and things become a bit more unsettled. Uncomfortable would be an overstatement - just don't expect the saloon to waft around like a Jag.

QUALITY & RELIABILITY

The S60 does feel solidly put together, and Volvo has engineered in just enough of that premium feel without needlessly breaking the bank. The new controls and infotainment screen are light years ahead of the Volvo's previous attempts, and the saloon is conspicuously better looking inside than the rest of the range.

PERFORMANCE

The 3.0-litre straight-six is a smooth talking range topper with plenty of thrust, but frankly you'd be insane to pay the asking price with the comparative 3-Series within budget. The oil burners make more sense and develop plenty of pull, but the five-cylinder engines are beginning to show their age, and are not as refined as the competition.

ROOMINESS

Practicality has always been one of Volvo's strengths and the S60 is no exception. It's the second largest car in its class, and it shows. There's plenty of room in the front and the back, and a boot big enough to swallow all you could reasonably expect to carry in a saloon.

STEREO / SAT NAV

The S60's stereo does its job in an unspectacular kind of fashion, but the sat nav will seem like a considerable improvement on the previous tech. It's not ground breaking by any means, but the controls are easy to get to grips with, and the unit looks much tidier embedded in the dash than it did being stranded on top.

RUNNING COSTS

Ignoring the predictably thirsty straight-six petrol engine, the two diesels are said to be capable of mpg figures in the mid fifties. Even allowing for the usual does manufacturer optimism, that's not bad, although BMW in particular has moved the game on. You can expect the Volvo to depreciate quicker than the ultra-popular A4 and 3-Series.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The S60's pricing lands it right in the killing fields. The base spec might be slightly cheaper than its direct rivals, but it's still rubbing shoulders with the best in class. Buyers will have to really take to the new Volvo and not have their heads turned by the competition.

ENVIRONMENT

The DRIVe version offers 114 g/km of CO2, which is an excellent figure for a car of this size. All other models are at least competitive with the opposition.

Quick summary

Body:	Saloon
Engine:	4, 1595cc
Power, ps:	150@5700
Torque, lb ft:	177@1600-4000
CO2 Emissions:	152 g/km
Transmission:	Manual
Driven Wheels:	F

Running costs

Service Interval:	12500
Warranty:	60000 miles

Performance

Manual
Top speed:	130.0 mph
0 - 62 mph:	9.5 seconds
Fuel consumption:	42.8 mpg (combined cycle)

Equipment

Automatic:	N/A
Metallic Paint:	£640
Power steering:	Standard
Drivers airbag:	Standard
Passenger airbag:	Standard
Side airbags:	Standard
Alarm:	Standard
Seat Belt Pre-Tensioners:	Standard
Alloy wheels:	Standard
Leather seats:	£1280
Electric windows:	Standard
Electric mirrors:	Standard
CD player:	Standard
Satellite Navigation:	£525
Cruise control:	Standard
Split/Fold Rear Seat:	Standard
Reversing Sensor:	£385
Air Conditioning:	N/A
Climate Control:	Standard
Manual sunroof:	N/A
Electric sunroof:	£870

Dimensions

Wheelbase, mm:	2776.0
Length, mm:	4628.0
Width, mm:	1865.0
Height, mm:	1484.0
Boot, litres:	339, (seats folded)
Fuel Tank, litres:	67.5
Dry Weight, kg:	1497.0
Towing Limit, kg:	1600