by Cheryl Eldridge
The Volvo has come a long way baby! The 2015 Volvo V60 not only is attractive but is well equipped and lives up to its slogan – ” When you drive it, you’ll know.”
The dream becomes a reality when this stylish luxury sport wagon returns the Swedish automaker to a segment where it was once a ubiquitous presence. The V60’s promising performance and utility should make it a tempting alternative to German luxury wagons.
I loved it! This is as good as a sportswagon gets and that’s not because I have three kids.
My one week tester, which was coated in power blue metallic with off-black leather sport seats, was equipped well. In order to start the car, one can either use the key fob or use the stop/start keyless assistant. The V60 wagon has a lowered sport chassis, a sunroof, seven inch Sensu HMI Screen, TFT Digital Display, heated front seats, paddle shifters, high performance sound system and 19″ Bor Diamond Cut Wheels.
On the safety and driver support sides it was equipped the BLIS (Blind Spot Information System), Park Assist Camera and Park Assist Front and Rear to name just a few.
It’s larger than the V50, but 7 inches shorter and 10 inches narrower than the V70. The front-wheel-drive base model V60 will use a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, the turbo-4 will accelerate the V60 from zero to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Volvo says it will also return 29 mpg in combined driving.
Opting for an all-wheel-drive, the V60 offers a choice of two engines familiar from the S60 sedan. A 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder delivers 250 hp and 266 lb-ft, and pulls an all-wheel-drive S60 up to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, according to Volvo’s estimates. A more potent turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, found in the S60’s top R Design performance trim, delivers 325 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. Both engines pair with a six-speed automatic transmission. Estimated fuel economy is 23 mpg combined and 21 mpg combined, respectively.
Volvo hasn’t divulged much on the U.S.-spec V60’s features and conveniences, but a full suite of driver aids and safety features are confirmed, including adaptive cruise control, adaptive high beams that automatically dim for oncoming traffic, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, parallel parking assist and collision mitigation, even pedestrian detection with automatic braking.
Creature comforts will include heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and optional sport seats. A performance-tuned suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels will also be available. And though Volvo is trying to shed its wagon image – executives want you to think of the V60 as a more useful S60 – the V60’s 43.8 cubic feet of cargo space should prove handy. That’s more room than in a 3 Series wagon, which shares an almost identical footprint with the V60, although still well short of the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen’s cavernous 66 cubic feet.
The only down side that I had was the trunk/cargo space wasn’t as large as I would have liked, but it does serve its purpose.
My tester fully loaded, excluding the Navigation, was $42,225 with 37 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg in the city.
Until next week, drive safe, buckle up, don’t text and drive; and spread love, you never know who needs it.
