Volvo's new sizzle-wagons

A key cling component is Corner Traction Control which comes to play during hard cornering.

Branded as V60, the all-new eight-model range is sizzling, stylish and so sexy that I would happily fork out my own hard-earned bucks for one of them - and I honestly didn't think I would ever admit to wanting to own a Volvo, let alone to finding it highly desirable.

What makes the new range so attractive is much more than just its sleek coupé-like styling. It's the way the new wagons squirt out of the starting stalls and particularly the amazingly confident way they cling to the tar that pressed all the right buttons for me.

Probably the best way to describe it is to say that the V60 out-scores most hot hatches on the road when it comes to chuckability. I cannot remember when last I have driven a wagon (or any other standard car, for that matter) that felt so solid, so confident and conducted itself with such poise under harsh whipping - and that includes the best of Germany.

Larger wagons heading for the sunset?

During the new Volvo's local Media introduction I drove all the models, except for one, over a fast, winding stretch of mountain pass that I know particularly well (but which for camera and ugly fine reasons shall remain nameless), faster, yet more relaxed than in any other car I have ever driven along that road.

With the introduction of the new station-wagons (oops, sorry, Volvo quite rightly prefers to call them sports-wagons), the Swedish brand, methinks, has virtually begun writing the obituary for its own slightly larger wagons, although Volvo thinks not.

However, after seeing and driving one of the new vehicles I think even the plummy-voiced brigade in wellies and corduroy jackets will want to upgrade to this new V60 to transport their wet Labradors and straw bales.

And other station-wagon manufacturers are most certainly also going to sit up and glance nervously at the new sporty sixty because no other wagon quite manages to combine practicality and comfort with luxury and performance at the same safety, feature and price levels as this new V60 Volvo.

The V60 is crammed with great features and nice to haves.

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Yet Volvo says they set out to design an attractive, sporty vehicle, not necessarily as opposition to traditional estate cars. Time will tell, but the young at heart will find it a lot more appealing than the rest, of that I'm sure... and it won't take much more than one test drive to clinch the deal either.

In line with other upmarket marques, the V60 range offers a long list of different models and engines (and prices, naturally), ranging from an economical 110kW version to an eager high-performance turbocharged T6 derivative producing 224kW.
(The various engines and specifications are much too detailed to discuss here, but check out the full spec sheets below this article).

Suffice to say that almost without fail, the engines are lively and enthusiastic, although one or two models suffer from turbo lag which will be even more pronounced on the Reef.

Clingy - thanks to the new chassis

However, the real heart and soul of the new range is its dynamic handling which has been upped to a level that will make many saloons and hatches a tad embarrassed.

Central to this newfound cling is its newly developed dynamic chassis which is standard on all models. The R-Design version, which will be launched locally in the near future will have a special sport chassis as standard.

The cabins are spacious and airy and feature a 40/20/40-split rear seat and the fold-flat front passenger seat make it possible to combine passengers and cargo in a remarkably flexible way.

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According to Volvo the dynamic chassis has an alert, quick-responding character that puts the focus on dynamic driving without diluting ride comfort. And I can vouch for that - no squeal, no body lean, no twitchiness, no breakaway tail, nothing to induce white knuckles...

All variants of the V60, except the upcoming R-Design, can also be specified with the optional FOUR-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) active chassis, which has been modified and refined even further.

To match the new chassis the AWD (All Wheel Drive) system has also been modified and other upgrades include improved steering, stiffer springs and bushes as well as more damping than in any previous Volvo.

This latest addition to the Volvo model range is also the first sports wagon to come armed with an Advanced Stability Control system which, thanks to a new roll angle sensor, identifies any skidding tendency at a very early stage.

What makes it particularly good is that it is virtually impossible to detect it when it moves into action because it is so slick that it is not intrusive or dominating in the slightest.

Better than Super Glue!

I only became aware of its presence once when I overcooked it on a sharp corner on a patch of gravel road and it took me under its protective wing in a split second.

Another key cling component is Corner Traction Control which comes to play during hard cornering. In essence the car's inner driven wheel is braked, causing more power to be transmitted to the outer driven wheel.

This allows the driver to corner more tightly while reducing any tendency to under steer and it works better than Super Glue!

Also key to its dynamic character a highly advanced braking system which helps to apply the anchors so forcefully that it slams the car to a halt within seconds, even at hairy speeds.

Together all these components work so smoothly and so effectively they make even an average driver look good.

But not only do the new wagons look great and handle like thoroughbreds, they are also equipped with an amazing range of safety equipment and the working quarters are wall to wall with luxury fittings and features.

Nice living quarters - and no cabin fever

The cabins are spacious and airy and feature a 40/20/40-split rear seat and the fold-flat front passenger seat make it possible to combine passengers and cargo in a remarkably flexible way.

Each backrest in the three-piece rear seat is folded with exceptional ease to create an entirely flat load floor. The rear seat headrests can also be folded electrically.

The load area has a capacity of 430 litres and access to the back is easy, thanks to a 1095 millimetre wide tailgate.

Come on! Admit it - that is very stylish.

An impressive safety feature is that the rear seat can be specified with integrated child booster cushions in the two outer seats.

Other special features (and again too detailed to discuss at length in this article, so ask the Volvo sales staff to expand), include a Pedestrian Detection system which automatically activates the brakes if a driver is slow to respond; collision avoidance below 35km/h and a City Safety system which moves into action when a vehicle in front slows down or stops.

Great features and nice to haves, but over and above the car's superb handling what I really, really loved about this range is its infotainment system which displays information on a five-inch or seven-inch colour screen in the instrument panel and its delightful audio set-up comprising a class-D digital 5x130W amplifier with circuits from Sweden's Anaview, Dolby Digital in combination with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround, the award-winning MultEQ from Audyssey Laboratories and 12 loudspeakers.

This sounds really good

What lifts it to the highest level is the fact that the V60 is one of the first cars in the world to use the Audyssey Laboratories MultEQ technology. MultEQ eliminates the distortion caused by the car cabin's acoustics, providing crisp, clear sound which is, in one word, Stunning!

And that is also the perfect word to describe this new sizzling Volvo V60. If you are thinking of new wheels in the price range between R318 000 and R475 000, don't make a decision before you test drive one of these wagons.

Local model line-up and prices

(The new Volvo S60 and V60 are also available in R-Design).

Technical Data

Pricing

Volvo V60 In Action

Volvo V60 road test (English subtitled)

2011 Volvo V60 - TEST By JBTV - Jb Drives Ep4(HD)

Present it! The Volvo V60 | drive it