Volvo S60 T4 2011 review

It ran a close second in the 2011 Carsguide Car Of The Year contest which shouldn't have surprised anyone in the know. Volvo's S60 T4, the base model S60 (from $48,990), is a quality medium size sedan with strong performance and plenty of kit - oh, an it looks pretty hot too.

Technology

"Only" a 1.6-litre, turbo four cylinder  -- with variable cam timing and direct fuel injection which makes it good for 132Kw/240Nm. This translates into a highly satisfactory drive feel with plenty of poke underfoot and excellent roll on acceleration from speed. 

It also means the T4 sips fuel at around 7.2-litres/100km. The engine is smooth and quiet offering near silent highway cruising. It prefers premium unleaded but will run without protest on the low grade stuff. The thing that really makes the T4 is its six-speed dual-clutch "manumatic" transmission offering rapid fire gear changes that are barely perceptible. 

Kit

Plenty but also plenty of options if you want to exercise your writing hand. As it stands you get leather upholstery, excellent audio, Bluetooth, pollen filter, heated seats, multi function trip computer, cruise, wheel controls and push button start/stop (which we could do without - unnecessary).

Safety

Gets a five star rating but goes well and truly above and beyond the call of duty with clever stuff like City Safety. And if you have a sneezy disposition, the entire car is made with hypoallergenic materials.

Driving

This is the final T4 instalment as it goes home soon but the experience has been illuminating convincing us that you don't need a large or even medium capacity engine to get strong performance. The 1.6 in the T4 is a crackerjack offering performance that won't disappoint even enthusiastic drivers and then rewards backs up with light fuel consumption.

The audio in this car is not intuitive and some might find it a challenge to use. Simple dials are a better bet we reckon. The boot is large, the cabin is roomy and it looks great.Volkswagen's impressive Passat 118TSi is a direct competitor - at a lower price but it doesn't quite have the same "cache" as the S40.