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Volvo S60 sedan debuts as a shapely car enthused with power
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Heavy traffic in every lane of the E4 expressway heading north out of Stockholm stifles all throttle exuberance available through a powerful turbo-charged edition of the latest four-door sedan developed by Sweden's automaker Volvo.
The new car -- dubbed the S60 and sandwiched in size between Volvo's mid-size S80 flagship and the S40 compact -- comes off a variable-size platform employed by the S80 sedan and V70 station wagon but measures inches less in wheelbase and body length.
It carries a choice of three five-cylinder engines that include a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter plant new to the American market plus a turbo-charged variation and a high-pressure turbo that pumps up to 247 hp.
That latter engine shows up in S60 T5 top model with choices for either manual or automatic shifter.
We're using the stick-shift version of a T5 to run a looped course around vast Lake Malaren that stretches for a hundred miles east from Stockholm. Commuter traffic out of the city soon fades and some flat blacktop stretches along the lake's northern shore enable the T5 to show its strength.
Yet we hold back on speed until wrapping around Lake Malaren to reach a mile-long asphalt airstrip at Strangnas, where we let the T5 rip in time-trial tests.
When the starter's flag flashes, we smoke it out of the box, rubber peeling on blacktop and the engine whining. Through each forward gear we run to the red line, and the speedometer's needle passes the mark of sixty miles an hour in less than eight second.
With foot pegging throttle, speed builds quickly -- seventy, eighty, ninety, a hundred, then one-ten and more. By the time the electronic limiter intervenes, we're flying.
Nearing the end of the runway, a brake test begins in full-force pedal pressure to activate anti-lock controls.
With rapid deceleration the prow dips and seatbelts lock shoulders fast against the seatback as the computer selectively distributes brake pressure to each wheel to maintain a straight-line safe track into the stop box.
Now catch a breath in the silence that follows such a quick stop, but recognize with this demonstration of power as well as vehicle control that Volvo develops a dichotomy with the S60. The car supports two distinct and seemingly antagonistic personalities -- sporty and safety -- meshed together into a single package.
Turbo action and precise mechanical equipment set up the sporty character for this car, while Volvo's penchant for lacing its products with high-tech safety systems extends to the S60.
The emphasis on safe motoring traces from Volvo's historical emphasis on safety to innovations in safety cell structures. A stiff core superstructure of high-strength steel rings the passenger compartment, adding front and rear crush zones designed to dissipate impact forces of a collision and deflect them away from the cabin, as reinforcement bracing for side doors and supportive roof pillars lessen penetration from side intrusions.
Occupants are shielded by passive safety devices like air bags set ahead, beside and above, and the driver commands active safety tools like the anti-lock brakes and a traction controller to check wheel spin, plus quick-to-turn rack and pinion steering.
To block a whiplash during a rear impact, front seatbacks instantly move rearward to pare the acceleration forces inflicted on the passenger's back and neck.
Designs for this new sedan begin with the P2 platform used for Volvo's larger S80 and V70, and it carries the same DNA for structure and mechanical and safety elements as the V70.
Compared to the V70, though, the sedan treatment has its wheelbase cropped by 1.6 inches and the body abbreviated by 5.3 inches through crimping of front and rear overhangs.
A long and broad chassis creates a solid base to attach independent suspension elements. Then the bonding of body panels instead of spot welding during construction adds exceptional torsional stiffness to the structure, which in turn sets up predictable behavioral traits.
The new sedan reflects styling cues of the S80 with design elements rare in past Volvos: Shapely curves in the sheetmetal contours.
The form grows out of a basic wedge-shaped shell with high tail and low prow capped by Volvo's rectangular chrome grille with signature diagonal slash bar.
Creases in the bowed hood taper forward from raked windshield pillars to sides of the grille and thrust it ahead as the leading edge. Headlight clusters behind curving polycarbon lenses stand in recesses flanking the grille, as body-colored bumpers trimmed with black molding wrap around the face to front wheelwells and form a broad ground-level base that extends below sleek flat side panels.
A stylish passenger compartment contains rich appointments in an understated cabin with muted tone-on-tone colors. The conventional layout sets two bolstered buckets beside a multi-purpose console and ahead of a bench with three seat positions. However, optional two-place seating in sculpted spaces is available for the rear.
Many of the comfortable amenities provided in the V70 wagon carry over into the new sedan.
Luxurious appointments include power controls for all equipment, an automatic climate system and deluxe audio kit.
For infants and toddlers, anchors are in place to secure two designs for rear-facing child's safety seats that use a base frame to house a cradle-style padded seat with integrated safety straps. One style fits infants, another works for a child to 40 pounds.
Three trim designations differ by the type and size of engine employed.
Entry comes with the S60 2.4 with the naturally-aspirated in-line-five displacing 2.4 liters and producing 168 hp. This plant links to a five-speed manual or five-speed electronic automatic transmission.
Next step leads to the S60 2.4T with a light-pressure turbo version of the 2.4-liter engine that nets 197 hp.
The S60 T5 packs the 2.3-liter high-pressure turbo with 247 hp applied to a manual five-speed gearbox or Volvo's five-speed Geartronic automatic with no-clutch shifting.
Pricing starts at $26,500 with many standard safety features including anti-lock brakes and traction control. The S60 2.4T begins at $29,800 and the T5 runs from $31,800.
Volvo's computer-linked Dynamic Stability and Traction Control device may be added for $1,600 as an option, and a navigation system lists for $2,500 more.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2001 VOLVO S60 Specs |
| Description: |
Compact 4-door sedan
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| Model Options: |
Compact 4-door sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
106.9 inches
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| Overall Length: |
180.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I5
DOHC 2.4-L I5 LP-Turbo
DOHC 2.3-L I5 HP-Turbo
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| Transmission: |
2.4: Manual/5, Auto/5
2.4T: Manual/5, Auto/5 Geartronic
T5: Manual/5, Auto/5 Geartronic
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
+ 2 (side curtain)
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| Gas Mileage: |
2.4 A/5: 21/28 mpg
2.3 M/5: 21/28 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 26,500 to $ 41,000 |
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