The new Volvo S60 is predictable but good

Volvo is on a roll. Has been for a while. And that roll looks set to continue thanks to this – the new S60. It is a car of firsts. The first Volvo to be built in the USA, at the company’s factory in Charleston, South Carolina, and the first Volvo not to be offered with a diesel engine.

There are four versions, all of which use the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol and eight-speed auto. In the T5 it’s turbocharged, giving 247bhp which is sent to the front-wheels only. The T6 adds supercharging for an extra 60bhp and all-wheel drive. It manages 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds, 0.9 seconds quicker than the T5. Then there are the plug-ins. The T8 and the T8 ‘Polestar Engineered’. They both pair that 2.0-litre engine with a 10.8kWh battery and an e-motor on the rear-axle, giving an EV-range of 30 miles – in the regular T8 combined output is 385bhp. Engine upgrades mean the Polestar offers 399bhp and 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds, compared to 4.9 in the normal T8. The Polestar also gets different wheels, brakes and sportier suspension.

The boss’s claims that it’s “one of the most exciting Volvo cars [they’ve] ever made” and “a true driver’s car” will be thoroughly tested. Don’t you worry…

Based on the same ‘SPA’ architecture as the XC90, XC60, V90 and so-on, the S60 naturally gets all of Volvo’s deeply impressive safety and semi-autonomous kit, including ‘Autobrake’ tech that can recognise pedestrians, cyclists and large animals, and Pilot Assist that helps with steering, braking and accelerating on marked roads at up to 80mph. Inside you get the same portrait touchscreen as Volvo’s other cars.

Prices haven’t been announced, but we’re told the S60 will be available via the brand’s Care by Volvo subscription service, where customers pay a flat monthly fee that includes insurance, maintenance and so-on.

Fancy one of these instead of a BMW 3 Series, or new Mercedes-Benz C-Class?