In the last few years, Volvo has worked extensively to overhaul the whole of its aging lineup and today, with the announcement of the new S60 — a compact executive sedan that competes with the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class — that process has seemingly come to fruition. The last generation S60 first debuted in 2010, and based on a platform derived from Ford, one of the last vestiges of the Blue Oval’s ownership of the Scandinavian marque (which ended around the same time of the second generation S60’s introduction). The new sedan thus rolls on an updated platform, runs Volvo’s latest and greatest powerplants, and benefits from its sharp, modern design. About time.
The new S60 instead rides on the brand’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform and shares its bones with the similar V60 and XC60. At launch, it will come powered in three trims: the T5, which features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder sending 250 horsepower to the front wheels; the T6, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s both turbocharged and supercharged cranking out 318 horsepower sent to all four wheels; and the T8, a performance-oriented plug-in hybrid which combines a turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder and an electric motor at the rear, sending a combined 400 horsepower to all four wheels.
Most excitingly, the T8 trim will have an optional performance package offered by the brand’s electric performance arm Polestar. Called the Polestar Engineered package, it adds improvements to the car’s brakes, wheels, suspension and ECU, boosting power to 415 horsepower. While it’s not quite on par with powerhouses like the BMW M3 or Mercedes-AMG C63, it’s still an enticing option for enthusiasts who love Volvo’s off-beat performance cars.
What’s also significant is the fact that the new S60 will be the first Volvo ever to be built in the United States. It will be assembled at the brand’s new $1.1 billion plant outside of Charleston, South Carolina which, at full capacity, can produce up to 150,000 vehicles. The redesigned XC90 is also destined for production at the new facility, though it won’t arrive until 2021; when it does, Volvo says approximately half the product will be destined for export markets, while half are designed for the United States, thus underscoring the importance of the US Market to the carmaker.
The new S60 will become available via purchase, lease or Volvo’s new Care by Volvo subscription service later this year, with orders opening this month. The new S60 will start at $35,800 in its most basic T5 trim; the more exciting T8 trim will start at a loftier $54,400.
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