VOLVO S60 DRIVe Review

Volvo allows you to choose between three chassis settings: a standard one and two that are orientated towards comfort and dynamics, respectively, also offering you the possibility to fit the car with the optional Four-C shock absorber adjusting system.

The vehicle we tested didn't come with this goodie and has received the "Comfort" treatment. We have to tell you that the setup really works, as it manages to protect you from the road's nasty habits, regardless of their type. Fortunately, this doesn't mean that you get poor handling, as the engineers have managed to offer a good compromise between the two assets.

The vehicle we tested offered a beige leather upholstery, a feature that really brings the mood up when you enter the car. Even though the seats didn't necessarily shine in any way, they were comfortable enough to allow us to use the car for longer trips.

As for the cabin space, this is more than enough, allowing five adults to fit inside the car just fine. Yes the rear head room isn't exactly the most generous in the class, but if we consider that we're talking about a coupe-like design here, things suddenly feel excellent.

The soundproofing was also strong enough to offer us a cosy feeling and, since we're here' we have to tell you that the engine isn't too noisy, as some might expect it to be.

The S60 we tested also offered multiple sugar spoons for this chapter, such as the heated, leather-finished steering wheel and a special function that controlled the air quality in the cabin (an old truck that passed by at full throttle made us test this - it
really manages to keep the air inside the car clean).

Overall, the S60 DRIVe manages to offer a pretty high level of comfort, regardless of the length of the trip. There are many elements that contribute to that and one of them is the interior design, which, even though might be a little bit too familiar, offers you a cosy feeling.

Carmakers are making a lot of efforts these days to bring their eco-friendly ranges into the spotlights and Volvo is no exception, with the automaker bringing the DRIVe line-up to our attention. We tested the DRIVe incarnation of the S60, which is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter diesel engine that produces 115 hp at 115 hp at 3,600 rpm and a peak torque of 270 Nm between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm and was matted to a six-speed manual transmission.

When we decided to take this three-hugging incarnation of the S60 for a test drive, we tried to keep our minds free, but couldn't help wonder if this was going to be an underpowered machine.

Fortunately, the little diesel offers decent straight line performance. Yes, you do have to push it hard if you want to overtake without too much planning, but things are within reasonable limits.

As for the efficiency part, this is one of example on how to properly apply the downsizing concept, as the engine returned a combined cycle efficiency of 6.9 liters per 100 km (35 mpg).

The engine is mounted on one of the most shared contemporary platforms, the Volvo P24. This is not only common in the Volvo range, where it is used for the V70, S80, XC60 and XC70, but can also be found under five Ford and Land Rover models.

However, don't think that the S60 is a Ford Mondeo, because it just isn't. We are dealing with a car that has its own personality here - after all it is the meanest mainstream (as in untouched by the carmaker's R division) Volvo we've seen so far.

The Volvo S60 DRIVe is a car that screams "advanced technology", so you do get a lot of applied science, but this is not accompanied by too many emotions.

The S60's pretty face hides not one, but a multitude of sharp minds, as the vehicle we tested was packed with technological toys, most of which were aimed at increasing the active safety. We'll remind you that the car we tested used the top of the range "Summum" equipment level and was sprinkled with a hefty dose of optional extras.

The S60 is just like a captain, ready to do anything it takes just to keep the ship from sinking. The driver is assisted via an array of lasers, a radar and a camera, all of which are aimed at reducing the risk of a frontal impact. First, there's the city Safety system, which automatically brakes the vehicle at low speeds, being able to recognize pedestrians and bring the car to a complete stop.

The vehicle will also brake in the event of an accident at higher speeds, thus trying to reduce the consequences of an impact. Through the Driver Support System, which relies on LEDs mounted on top of the dashboard, as well as on audio signals, the person behind the wheel is alerted when a crash is imminent.

We also enjoyed the auto-adaptive cruise control system which, after you've set the maximum speed, follows the car in front, being able to stop the vehicle, if this is necessary. This really makes highway travel a lot more comfortable.

Of course, all these systems work better with an automatic transmission, as in the case of a manual, like we had on our test car, they will eventually stall the engine when braking if you don't prevent this by using the clutch.

We were also assisted by Volvo's blind spot nanny, BLISS, which handles it's job just fine. Other active safety features include the Corner Traction Control, which tries to minimize understeer, offering decent results and the adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights.

As far as the entertainment is concerned, the vehicle we tested was fitted with a High Performance Multimedia pack, which brought four 40W speakers, a 7-inch display, which was used for infotainment, as well as the ability to play DVDs.

There was a time when Volvo's main asset was the safety of the cars it produced. The carmaker has evolved and now wants to convince us that the safety it offers is now just the tip of the iceberg and that, in fact, its vehicles have so much more to offer. Well, we couldn't just trust a carmaker, even though we'd really have to struggle to find a recent Volvo that hasn't received a 5-star Euro NCAP rating, so we had to see it for ourselves.

No, of course we didn't crash tested the S60. Instead, we turned to an organization that can certainly be trusted when it comes to accident behavior verdicts: the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The organization had the pleasure to officially crash an S60, so let's see how things went for the Swedes. Before we start, we have to mention that the IIHS' standard testing procedure includes frontal offset, side, roof strength and rear crash test but, for a reason that remains unknown, the S60 wasn't subjected to the last one.

The vehicle received a "Good" rating (this is the highest one) for the frontal offset test. The dummy movement was well controlled and the rebound phase didn't bring a stiff structure injury hazard. In addition to that, the sensors on the dummy indicated that all the areas were protected well.

The same ("Good") rating was also received for the side impact test, with both the driver and the rear passenger dummies recording a low risk of serious injuries, while the heads of the dummies were also well protected during the crash.

As for the roof strength test, this also brought a "Good" rating, with the vehicle offering proper resistance. The vehicle we tested offered a lot of icings on its active safety cake, but we'll talk about this in the "Gadgets" chapter.

Volvo wasn't kidding when it named the S60 its rebel. This car is extremely wild... for a Volvo, so it's a good step towards what the carmaker should offer to build a bright future.

The DRIVe version we tested, which uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter diesel unit that delivers 116 hp and 270 Nm of torque, manages to offer a good compromise between Volvo's promised autonomy of 975 miles/1,570 km (seriously, the Volvo website even has a mapshowing you how far you can drive from Gothenburg - the carmaker's HQ- on one tank of diesel) and decent performance.

The answer to the obvious "Is it underpowered?" question is "no", but don't expect to get anything on top of that on the road. At least not in a straight line - the suspension and the steering make the cornering experience a pleasant one, even if you get to drive the "Comfort" chassis, like we did.

But we have to remember that, while it might be a good example of how downsizing should be done, this is, after all, an S60.

This means that you get an exciting design and a premium feel. But both of these assets come with drawback. The first brings you a luggage space that would be more suitable for a compact car, while the latter brings the car's price close to EUR 40,000 (around $55,000).

This vehicle manages to offer many good things, but it does lack one important characteristic of a good car: emotion. Driving the S60, we felt efficient, attention-gathering and in many other ways, but no feelings and emotions were generated in the process.

The S60 DRIVe is a premium car that manages to make friends with the environment and keep you away from gas stations and inside its cosy cabin, but it won't bring a smile on your face as you drive it - it's just like a fair deal.