Volvo S60 T5 2001 Review

When someone sits down to write the history of Volvo, they won't have to worry about the star.  Top billing has just been filled by the all-new S60, the true sea change car for the Swedish company.

It is genuinely good looking, terrifically luxurious, relaxing and economical.  It proves, once and for all, that Volvo has changed. And changed to become much, much better.

The boring boxes have been in the bin for a long time, but it has taken a while for Volvo to settle into its new life - and its role as part of the Ford-owned Premier Automotive Group.  The car that took it down the new path, the flagship S80, introduced a new styling theme for Volvo and showed that the carmaker knew how to build a big and well-equipped luxury flagship.

The S60 has condensed and simplified the same basic ingredients into a car, priced between $56,950 and $84,950, that really can survive a head-to-head comparison with anything from Benz's brilliant C-Class to the latest Audi A4 and Volkswagen Passat.

Volvo has done the job by taking the basics from the S80 and shrinking them a little, without carving the heart out of the car. The change to S60, from S70 on the superseded model, also shows the new thinking.  There is no V60 wagon yet, but that will come and, for a company that has always done brilliant business with its wagons, it will cement the position of the new mid-sized car.

The latest S60 arrived in January and has led a series of upgrades across most of the Volvo family, including the V70 wagon, C70 coupe and even the new S80. It's a sign of the improvements coming from Volvo, but also the tougher opposition it faces in Australia.  The S60 is all new and that means it has the smoother, heavy-hipped new look. But the heavy flanks flow easily into a smooth, attractive wedge-edged profile. 

The new body is wrapped around a roomy five-seat cabin and a big boot, and dropped over a front-wheel-drive mechanical package with a choice of three engines: a basic 2.4-litre in-line five and a pair of turbo motors peaking in the T5 with 184kW of power and 330Nm of torque.  The cars are available with either five-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearboxes, but most people are choosing the self-shifter with tiptronic manual control.

The S60's equipment varies with the model and price, which means a lot of variation to match a $30,000 price spread, but the basics include electric assists, CD sound system and air-conditioning.  The T5 gets all the gear, including electrically adjusted sports leather seats, satellite navigation and a premium sound system.

It's a Volvo, which means the safety gear runs to anti-skid brakes, electronic-stability control, and a padded cabin filled with front, side and head airbags.

Driving

The S60 tester is the best Volvo I've driven. Simple as that. And I've been testing them since the late seventies.  It is comfortable, quick, well built and refined. There is some front-end judder in corners, like a lot of other heavy front-drive cars, but that was about my only real complaint.

I drove more than 750km in just three days with the S60, and it came through brilliantly. I've rarely struck a more enjoyable highway car, at any price, and it also hussled over some twisty country backroads.  The fuel economy was terrific at just 11.1 litres/100km and it had huge reserves of overtaking power.

The high-boost turbo T5 wouldn't have been my first choice -- I prefer the lower-boost, cheaper and more relaxing 2.4T - but it proved the point. It's an engine with real fire, though it needs at least 4500 revs to give its best and, in some ways, that makes it respond more like a naturally aspirated motor.

The T5 has bigger power and torque than most people need, which means even the basic five-cylinder motor should make S60 motoring pretty enjoyable.
The automatic gearbox shifted easily and smoothly, but the tiptronic manual change had a slight delay -- almost a lag -- that made downchanges for corners too jerky and unpredictable for real enjoyment.

But at least it held on to a gear, instead of reverting to auto control at the redline or on sharp descents.  The engine note from the five-cylinder is unusual and surprisingly enjoyable, especially with the T5 on full boost for an overtaking run.

The ride is classy, with a fluid and well-damped feel, but handling can get just a little nose-heavy at times. It usually grips well with neutral balance, but that judder -- which transmits a sharp thud up the steering column -- is a flaw that needs fixing.

The S60 is easy to park, helped by light power steering, has a huge usable boot and classy headlights. The sound system is one of the best around and the location of the Satnat screen, which rises out of the top of the dash, is a clever piece of design.

The S60 isn't perfect, and it would need to be to topple the C-Class Benz, but it is an impressive piece of work that stands comparison with plenty of other mid-sized prestige cars.

Volvo S60 T5 

Price: $84,950 as tested
Engine: 2.4-litre in-line turbo-charged five-cylinder transverse with double overhead camshaft
Power: 184kW at 5200 revs
Torque: 330Nm at 2400 revs
Transmission: Five-speed auto, front-wheel-drive
Body: Four-door sedan
Dimensions: Length: 4576mm, width: 1804mm, height: 1428mm, wheelbase: 2715mm tracks: 1563mm/1560mm front/rear
Weight: 1622 kg
Fuel tank: 70 litres
Fuel consumption: Average on test 11.1 litres/100km
Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Brakes: Four-wheel anti-skid discs
Wheels: 7.5x17 alloy
Tyres: 225/45 R16
Warranty: Two years/unlimited kilometres

Rivals

Audi A4****(from $47,400)
VW Passat***(from $45,900)
BMW 3-series***(from $48,970)
Mercedes C-class*****(from $51,800)

The bottom line

4/5 Classy design; top quality.  The best yet from Volvo and a mighty fine car.