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Volvo S60 sedan adds all-wheel-drive for sure-grip traction
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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ROCKLAND, Maine -- An expanse of black asphalt, partitioned off the airport ramp at Rockland on the coast of Maine, serves as our temporary automotive track to test the tire-gripping traction capability for a new all-wheel-drive version of the wily S60 sedan by Sweden's automaker Volvo.
This new car -- derived from the front-wheel-drive S60 that emerged in 2001 in a practical size sandwiched between Volvo's mid-size S80 flagship and the S40 compact -- comes off a platform employed by the S80 sedan and V70 station wagon but with three inches shaved off the S80's wheelbase and many more whittled from the body length.
The front-wheel-drive S60 hosts three different five-cylinder engines and one of these -- a turbo-charged 2.4-liter plant -- fires the new S60 AWD (all-wheel-drive).
It carries a sophisticated electronically-controlled AWD system that's always engaged and automatically dividing the engine's torque between front and rear wheels to keep tires sticking securely to any road surface, whether wet or dry pavement, gravel or dirt.
The AWD system, developed for Volvo by Haldex, a Swedish pioneer in all-wheel-drive mechanisms, is classified as an active-on-demand system with power split between front and rear wheels through a wet multi-plate clutch.
An electronic device mounted on the rear differential governs the system while also communicating with the car's engine control module and brake controller.
When spin sensors at all wheels detect rotational differences between front and rear tires, the equipment goes to work virtually instantly, channeling more power to the non-slip wheels and less to spinning ones.
Ultimately, the unit brings both front and rear wheels back into equilibrium -- and the vehicle continues to run in a straight-line path.
The point of all this hardware is to maintain forward momentum and keep the S60 operating in a safe mode.
To test it, the tarmac at Rockland's airport carries parallel rows of plastic pylons defining a narrow chute just wide enough for the S60 to run in a straight line. At the mid-point of the chute, however, the path jigs over one lane to the left due to a barrier of cones extending from the right that blocks the direct path.
Object is to run the S60 at 40 mph and -- without tapping the brake pedal -- turn quickly to the left, then right, then back left again to veer around the barrier.
This side-step action amounts to a brief lane-change maneuver, one which in real traffic could possibly avoid a disaster by deftly steering around a potential hazard -- perhaps an on-coming vehicle or pedestrian -- that suddenly appears in the intended path.
Make this three-step turn in a car with only two-wheel-drive and chances are good that tires will break traction with the pavement at some point in the sharp turn sequence and the vehicle will end up spinning out of the lane and out of control.
Try it in the S60 AWD, though, and the sedan will perform the side-stepping move in three precisely executed turns and remain on course as the electronic controller modulates power between slipping and non-slipping tires.
Such a display of agility signifies that the S60 driver can maintain keen control over the vehicle, which ultimately translates to a key defense mechanism for safe motoring.
Of course, motoring safely has long been a hallmark of Volvo cars in a line marked with innovations in both active and passive safety systems.
The S60 AWD carries the entire Volvo repertory of safety gear, beginning with a stiff core superstructure of high-strength steel ringing the passenger compartment and crush zones front and rear to absorb impact forces of a collision and deflect them from the cabin. Further, reinforced braces in side doors plus thick supportive side pillars lessen cabin intrusions from either side.
Occupants are protected by passive safety devices like air bags set ahead, beside and above, and the driver commands active safety tools like anti-lock brakes and a traction controller to check wheel spin, or quick-to-respond rack and pinion steering.
To damp the whiplash effect during a rear impact, front seatbacks instantly move rearward to pare acceleration forces inflicted on the passenger's back and neck.
Exterior designs for the S60 reflect styling cues of the S80 with shapely curves etched into sheetmetal contours.
The format amounts to a wedge-shaped profile with high-hiked tail and the low-cast prow capped by Volvo's rectangular chrome grille and signature diagonal slash bar.
Creases in the bowed hood taper forward from raked windshield pillars to sides of the grille and seem to thrust it ahead as the leading edge of the car.
Corner headlight clusters behind curving polycarbon lenses stand in recesses flanking the grille, as the body-colored bumper scored by a strip of black molding wraps around the face to forward wheelwells. The strip of protective molding repeats low on doors of the flat side panels and continues to the thick rear bumper.
Stance of the S60 AWD seems slightly higher than the FWD S60 due to an elevated chassis. In front it's 0.6 inches taller, with 1.4 inches added in back.
For power, the S60 AWD draws from a 2.4-liter in-line five-cylinder light-pressure turbo engine that generates 197 hp at 5000 rpm.
It produces high torque at relatively low engine speed (210 lb-ft at only 2000 rpm) without the typical turbo lag, bringing fast off-the-line starts and still enough juice retained at highway speed to inspire a quick pass around slower traffic.
The engine links to a five-speed electronic automatic transmission equipped with Volvo's Geartronic mode that permits shift-it-yourself maneuvers one gear at a time.
Simply slap the shift lever to the left and lock it in the gate, then push the stick forward to move to the next higher gear or tip it rearward to drop to a lower gear.
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, with a bench in back that has three seat positions.
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 an infant, another works for a child weighing up to 40 pounds.
Luxurious appointments include power controls for all equipment, an automatic climate system and deluxe audio kit.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2002 VOLVO S60 AWD 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 LP-Turbo
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| Transmission: |
Auto/5 Geartronic
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| Drive: |
AWD
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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: |
21/28 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 32,000 to $ 37,000 |
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