The new Volvo S60, V60 and XC60:
Major renewal boosts the dynamic appearance and appeal of the Volvo 60 cluster
New design focusing on quality and attention to detail
Permanent high beam with groundbreaking technology
“This is the most extensive development of existing models in our company’s history. Each of the enhancements is designed around our customers’ needs. We have focused on quality and attention to detail in order to give these dynamic models a major boost and sharpen their competitiveness,” says Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Car Group. He continues: “The S60 and XC60 are our best-selling models in several important markets, and the innovative V60 Plug-in Hybrid has got off to a flying start. We have been listening very carefully to our customers in order to make improvements that ensure that we make these successful cars more attractive.”
Emphasized attention to detail
Scandinavian design is exemplified by beautiful, simple shapes and surfaces with any unnecessary clutter removed.
This is evident in the redesigned interior and exterior of the new 60 cars. Inside, the attention to detail, the authentic materials – such as wood and leather – and the easy-to-use controls contribute to the in-command driving experience.
Supportive yet comfortable seats that ensure a fresh and relaxed arrival after the longest of journeys have been a Volvo strength for decades. The buyer of a new S60, V60 or XC60 can now specify a new sport seat that retains this traditional comfort while making a perfect addition to the in-command feel of a true driver’s car.
“The new sport seat has great hugging side support all the way from the thighs to the shoulders, so the seat keeps the driver firmly in position when cornering fast. We’ve had nearly one hundred people of all shapes and sizes test this seat, and we received a really enthusiastic response. We’ve also made adjustments to the seat back, so it provides more legroom for passengers in the rear,” says Project Director Patrik Widerstrand.
There are several other examples of the attention to detail in the new 60 cluster cars. The previously visible washer nozzles have been relocated out of sight under the bonnet. The radar cover has been painted gloss black, which practically makes it disappear in the grille. The chrome frame around the grille has been removed and the new bigger ironmark badge enhances the new cars’ self-confident look.
The new integrated tailpipes, which can be specified with some engine variants, are the physical and visual link to the technically advanced engines. But it is not just about beautiful design: the designers have had to cope with the fact that at operating temperature, the tailpipes have to remain perfectly in place despite the exhaust system expanding in length by up to 25 mm. This is another example of true Scandinavian precision engineering.
The new S60, V60 and XC60 offer an extended wheel choice with a variety of designs that increase the personalization possibilities for customers.
“To enhance the visual appeal of the car, customers can now specify their S60 or V60 with expressive 19-inch wheels and keep the same profile height as 18-inch ones, so they don’t lose any comfort,” says Patrik Widerstrand.
The XC60 is available with 20-inch wheels while keeping the same tyre profile height and ride comfort as with 19-inch wheels.
The new Volvo S60 – more dynamic and elegant
The new dynamic S60 design with its purposeful, dynamic appearance accentuates the car’s sporting nature.
“We’ve really increased the S60’s road presence with a new front design. The more focused and determined-looking headlamps help create this new, expressive ‘face’. We were thinking of a wolf’s eyes when we designed them,” explains Fedde Talsma, Design Director, Exterior. He adds: “We’ve emphasised the S60’s horizontal lines at both the front and the rear. Together with details such as a wider grille and daylight running lights, they give the S60 a striking, squat presence. The car has a beauty that is rooted in the natural world. The clean surfaces and contours give it a very Scandinavian feel.”
Inside, there are upgrades such as new upholstery colours, new wood inlays, a new headliner, and the silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls.
“The overall effect is very warm and cosy, like being in a warm Swedish house on a cold night. The colour themes correspond beautifully with the backlit white controls in the dash and elsewhere in the car,” adds Lena Jiseborn, Design Director, Colour and Trim.
And under the skin, at the heart of the dynamic driving experience, is a wide choice of chassis settings, designed around the customer’s personal requirements. The S60 buyer has a choice of four chassis types – Touring, Dynamic, Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) and Lower Sport Chassis – previously only available on the R-Design version.
The new Volvo V60 – more versatile, more dynamic and more elegant
The new Volvo V60 is the car for people who need the versatility of an estate but want the handling of a sports sedan – all in a stylish Scandinavian package. As with the new Volvo S60, the design team has increased the new V60’s road presence by emphasising its horizontal lines, which visually connects the car directly to the road. The V60’s silhouette is a visual reminder that this is no ordinary estate – it is a wagon with a coupé-like appearance.
The V60 delivers a dynamic driving experience with the same pin-sharp handling as its sister saloon and with the same chassis options and levels of customer preference – Touring, Dynamic, Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) and Lower Sport Chassis – previously only available on the R-Design version.
“We’re really proud of the standard Dynamic chassis. It offers a responsive, in-command driving experience, and we genuinely believe that it’s one of the best in the segment,” says Patrik Widerstrand.
At the heart of the extra versatility of the V60 is its intelligent seating. The rear seats can be folded down in three 40/20/40 segments so that the rear 430 litres of load space can be supplemented quickly and easily. Parents favour the V60’s two-stage integrated booster cushions for children. With one simple movement, the booster cushions pop up from the seat base giving a comfortable and safe ride height for children from three years and upwards.
The new Volvo XC60 – in-command capability with around-town style
On the exterior, Volvo’s best-selling model, the XC60, takes on a more urban twist. The redesigned front features a new hood shape that emphasizes the wide, confident look.
“We’ve taken away any black trim so the car is now all one body colour. The new headlamps look very focused and determined, and the horizontal lines on the grille with its chrome bars emphasise the car’s width,” says Fedde Talsma.
The XC60 also benefits from an interior upgrade. The new features include new wood inlays, a new headliner, textile B-pillars and the silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls.
The refined XC60 has a commanding driving position supported by generous ground clearance and the class-leading chassis. The XC60 is designed to feel every bit as nimble and agile as a standard height road car.
Corner Traction Control now comes as standard. This torque vectoring system helps the driver avoid understeer by applying just the right amount of brake force to the inner wheels while powering the outer wheels when accelerating out of a corner.
With All Wheel Drive, the XC60 becomes an extremely capable vehicle on any road, in any kind of weather. The optional Hill Descent Control boosts this capability by automatically controlling the car’s speed when driving down steep slopes.
Enhancements across the new S60, V60 and XC60 range
Adaptive Digital Display
The Adaptive Digital Display, which debuted in the all-new V40, is now available in the new S60, V60 and XC60. This active TFT (Thin Film Transistor) crystal display takes the interaction between car and driver to a new dimension, always displaying the most important information in any given situation.
The driver can choose between three graphic themes:
The Elegance theme is the base mode with a traditional and calm aura.
The Eco theme features green background illumination, designed to create an environmentally inspired look. An Eco meter is displayed on the left. The current and accumulated fuel consumption figures are displayed – and the driver is rewarded with green E light when eco-driving is optimal.
The Performance theme has red background illumination, creating a sporty atmosphere. In the centre, a rev counter scale replaces the speedometer displayed in the Elegance and Eco versions. The vehicle speed is shown digitally in the centre of the display. The right display includes a power meter – a gauge that informs the driver how much power is available and how much power is being used at any given moment in time.
The V60 Plug-in Hybrid also comes with an additional Hybrid Theme with blue illumination. It includes hybrid and battery information that supports energy-efficient use of the ingenious driveline.
Three new Drive-E powertrains
Volvo Car Group’s new two-litre, four-cylinder Drive-E engine family is launched in the autumn of 2013. Initially, the new S60, V60 and XC60 are available with three engines from the new engine family: The 306 hp petrol turbo T6 and the 245 hp T5 and a new 8-speed automatic gearbox contributes to a refined drive and excellent fuel economy.
The new T6 has an output of 306 hp. The engine features a class-leading combination of a compressor and a turbo charger. Using the supercharger to fill in the bottom end gives the engine a big, naturally aspirated feel. The mechanically linked compressor starts to function immediately at low revs, while the turbocharger kicks in when the airflow builds up.
Paddle shifters
The three-spoke steering wheels can now be accompanied by paddle shifters for cars specified with automatic transmission. They turn the automatic box into a manual with the benefit of gear shifting with both hands on the wheel. The paddle shifters give the enthusiastic driver an additional edge, particularly when powering round twisty roads. And for the added comfort of drivers in Sweden and other cold countries, the steering wheel can also be specified with heating for increased comfort on cold winter days.
Permanent high beam with groundbreaking technology
The new Active High Beam Control makes journeys in the dark safer and more comfortable.
The technology eliminates the need to switch between low and high beam. Instead, Active High Beam Control makes it possible keep the headlights on full beam continuously.
When another car approaches from the opposite direction, the system helps to prevent dazzling of the oncoming driver by shading out only as much of the beam as necessary. This is done by an ingenious projector module mechanism integrated into the headlamp.
The same benefit applies to drivers in preceding cars.
Cornering Light for better visibility
Another innovative option for driving in the dark is the low-speed Cornering Light feature. As an extension of the current Active Bending Light system, it lights up the area the driver is steering towards for safer manoeuvring – for instance, when turning into a small road or driving through a narrow gateway at night.
Heated windscreen
Cars equipped with a rain sensor can now benefit from an electrically heated windscreen for rapid de-icing on cold winter days.
The S60, V60 and XC60 are also available with outer rear-view mirrors with auto dim. Using chromatic glass, the mirrors automatically dim to avoid glare from other traffic, just like the inner rear-view mirror.
Electrical Power Assist Steering on the S60 and V60
The Electrical Power Assist Steering (EPAS) in the S60 and V60 uses an electrical motor to support the steering rack, and the driver can choose between three levels of power assistance.
In Low mode the system provides a high degree of power support, making manoeuvring easier. Medium mode has somewhat lower power support to offer more road response at higher speeds. High mode is the ultimate setting for the enthusiastic driver, contributing to the car’s dynamic character.
Electrical Power Assist Steering enables integration of safety and driver support functions that involve the steering, such as Lane Keeping Aid and Park Assist Pilot.
IntelliSafe systems supporting the driver
IntelliSafe is Volvo’s blanket name for all active safety systems, and Volvo’s world-first City Safety technology plays an important part. Fitted as standard, this advanced safety system works at speeds of up to 50 km/h. All models can also have Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake, which watches out for people walking into the car’s path.
From autumn 2013, the S60 and V60 can be specified with two new systems:
The S60, V60 and XC60 can also be specified with the enhanced Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), which is now radar based. The technology can also monitor and alert the driver to rapidly approaching vehicles up to 70 m behind the car, while still informing the driver of vehicles in the blind spots on both sides of the car.
Cross Traffic Alert uses the radar sensors at the rear of the car to alert the driver to crossing traffic from the sides when reversing out of a parking space. This is especially helpful in tight and crowded areas where the side view may be restricted. Road Sign Information supports the driver by displaying road signs on the instrument display.
“As the leader in automotive safety, we have reduced the risk of being involved in an accident or being injured in one of our latest car models by abound 50 per cent since the year 2000. By continuously introducing new preventive and protective systems, we keep moving towards our safety vision that nobody should die or suffer serious injuries in a new Volvo car by the year 2020,” says Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Car Group.
