Source Wikipedia - CC - from Herranderssvensson
Hey guys! I had a blast past Saturday testing a true beast. The brand new
Volvo S60 T5 Geartronic R-Design
8 gears automatic transmission, almost full spec vehicle. The engine is part of the new project of VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture). The full lineup of models feature extremely powerful and low emission engine, based on a common core of 2.0 cc, either petrol or gasoline. The one I tested out, the T5, or so called B4204T23, is a 2000cc 4 cylinders engine, petrol. It has 254 PS (187 kW; 251 hp) and 350 N⋅m (260 lb⋅ft) of torque (source Wikipedia).
Let's start from the ride itself. The car I drove had extreme specs, almost all box checked. Harman Kardon hi-fi, Intellisafe Pro, Versatility Pro, electronically controlled dampers with 4C chassis and much much more.
On Confort the gears are changed really smoothly, in a non-perceivable way. Speeds of 80/100 km/h are easily achieved, even being careful with the throttle pedal. In fact is quite hard to stay in the 50 km/h range when driving in city.
The beast is unleashed when turning to controls to dynamic mode. This is the most powerful one, throttle response is extremely fast and low gears are held for a longer time. It accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.8 seconds, and this is just the entry to mid level engine options. You can add a volumetric compressor to the 2.0 T5 to get the T6 engine, which has 316 HP. That engine is not only turbocharged, but supercharged too. Do you want to go over the top? The T8 Hybrid model features the T6 engine and and a rear eletric units, for a combined power of 420 Hp in the Polestar version, which has beautiful Brembo braked and Ohlins dampers.
The interior quality is top notch. Starting from the seats, which are the best in the entire automotive market (according to numerous studies). A fact that really surprised me is how heavy the doors were. The sense of refinement and premium is everywhere. Soft touch materials, alcantara sports seats. I tried some of the new electrical driving assistance features too, and I was surprised that the lane keeping assistant doesn't ping pong your wheels between lanes, but it's really precise.
On the downs, the gear in Eco is really really slow to react. It's a bit dangerous to use this mode near roundabouts or in case you need instant power. On the other hand, in Dynamic the gear shifting is really brutal. I noticed that the quality of the ride and steer response was heavily influenced by the mode as well, with Comfort leading to a sense of (unpleasant) disconnection from the road. The car still does exactly what you want, without any hesitation.
The possibility of having quadzone climate control and the features offered by Sensus, the Volvo interface, make this a great saloon car and a superb alternative to the (boring) germans trio: A4, C-Klasse and BMW 3-series.
Which one of the 3 would you pick?
What can I say?
I'm surely a Volvo fan cause we own the previous saloon, the S40. The cars are reliable, extremely comfortable and now pretty fast too. Geely capitals really made the difference in the new lineup. The company is also more similar to the Germans premium automaker now than ever, given that there are a lot, and I mean a LOOOT of options to be added when setting the car up, with the net result of an high price. The one I tested was about 60K €. Or 7.6 BTC! 😁
To sum it up:
PROS
- Fast. Maybe way too fast for Italian speed limits.
- Double edge-sword. In Comfortable is a great cruiser, in Dynamic it's a beast.
- Classy. The Harman Kardon speaker rocks (and that's not even the top option, there is a 3000 € option for the Bowers and Wilkins with 1100 Watt and 15 speakers!)
- Solid. Materials feel amazing. The attention to details, even at the lower materials, is a league over the Germans. I guess it's in the Land Rover/Jaguar/Lexus (a segment between Premium and Luxury)
CONS
- Eco mode almost unusable in daily driving
- Maybe too much HP to drive around town. Speeding tickets will surely come with the car 😂
- Price. This car had over 8000 € of optionals and it wasn't even the full list.
- Booth. This is a saloon, you should really get the V60 for practicality, which is a stunning wagon too
What do you think of this new Volvo saloon? Do you like the new stylistic course?
PS I test drove the new XC40 too, D3 automatic. Are you interested reading about it?
Shoutout to 
, they make amazing auto reviews, you should really check them out!
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