Volvo V60 Enters Production

Seven months after the 2011 model year Volvo S60 was presented, the Swedish manufacturer announced the station wagon version has entered production at the Torslanda plant. It is the last model to have been designed while under Ford leadership and the first to enter production in the new era of Chinese ownership.

The production start comes a bit later than initially announced, but the carmaker hopes to make up the time lost. In the following weeks, the plant will spit out 60 cars a day, with the production rate to increase to more than 100 cars and in early November reach 240 V60 each day.

Volvo's target for the year has been dropped from 90,000 cars to 50,000, 90 percent of which will be sold on the European market.

The model will be offered with a choice of 5 petrol engines and 3 diesel ones. The first batches of the car will only be available with two petrol engines, 3.0l T6 (304 bhp/440 Nm) and 2.0T (203 bhp/300 Nm) and two diesel – 2.4 D5 (205 bhp/420 Nm) and 2.0 D3 (163 bhp/400 Nm).

Later, the carmaker will add the remaining petrol engines, 2.0 T5 (240 bhp/320 Nm), 1.6 T4 (180 bhp/240 Nm) and 1.6 T3 (150 bhp/240 Nm) and the the remaining diesel unit, the 1.6 D DRIVe (115 bhp/270 Nm).

The model will be fitted with all the latest advancements in safety from Volvo, including Corner Traction Control and Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake.

"I'm totally convinced that our co-workers will perform brilliant and that the introduction will be one of the best - maybe the best - in the Torslanda plant history," said Magnus Hellsten, senior vice president Manufacturing at Volvo Car Corporation.