'DNA' Drive: Volvo S60 gets it right

Volvo has always had a reputation of making solid, brick-like saloons and estates. But we have seen very few of them on Indian roads over the years, because they had to be imported. When the S60 was launched globally, everybody sat up and took notice because it was one hell of a solid car, writes Anamit Sen. Now its India’s turn to be wowed  — and gawkers were aplenty when DNA tested the vehicle this week. The Swedish carmaker has certainly thrown down the gauntlet at more illustrious marquees, especially from Germany,  with its perfectly priced D3 offerings.

Exterior
The man behind the S60’s exterior is Peter Horbury, Volvo Cars’ design director, formerly with Ford. Horbury did not want to make a car that represented a polite Englishman or a reserved Swede - he wanted every line in the design to transport one both physically and emotionally. So what he penned resulted in the S60, a radical, daring departure from earlier Volvos. To my mind, the aggressive stance of the car gets you every time you look at it. It is one helluva looker in my mind, be it the snout at front or the snub-tail. Even in profile, it seems to be ready to move.

Interior
The driver is what the S60 is all about — even the centre console is angled his or her way like in some racing cars. The driver gets a nice fat steering wheel to hold and also sits in a very well padded seats with lateral support that is supposed to keep you in place during spirited driving.  Like the T6, the D3 boasts of an excellent music system. At almost every traffic light, I whiled away time by turning the volume up just so I could listen to music.

At the rear, there is quite a bit of headroom, thanks to the scooped-out ceiling which is good because usually fastbacks tend to skimp on rear headroom. It may be a cheaper Volvo but there has not been much skimping by way of features. The black leather upholstery all round and the video monitors set into the rear of the headrest mean very serious business.

In India, competition for the S60 is mainly from the German diesel equivalents, especially the Audi A4 and the BMW 3 Series. But the S60 is the widest of the three and that is very evident while negotiating narrow alleyways and heavy city traffic.

The new D3 engine seems to be an exercise in downsizing and is also meant to give Indian buyers a cheaper, entry-level Volvo. While it has a reduced displacement, it also has a shorter stroke which means the inherent torque developed is a little less than in the D5. The D3 also has a different type of fuel injection system, one that uses piezoelectric technology. Volvo claims these make a positive difference to both fuel economy and CO2 emissions, while still developing a sizeable 400Nm of torque and 163bhp of power. This power is harnessed by a six-speed automatic Geartronic transmission which also has a ‘manual’ mode.

Performance
My S60 D3 for a day was in Flamenco Red just like the T6 I had driven a few months before but it is also available in four other colours like Ember Black, Vibrant Copper, Silver and Ice White. When I drove the T6 some months ago, I fell in love with its performance. The D3 felt more adequate than performance-oriented.

Indeed, a number of times during kickdown, it seemed to respond a bit sluggishly. While the engine sound does have the beginnings of a growl, it’s not as awesome as that of the T6. The chassis, however, feels very well sorted, and the S60 is very well planted on the road and hugs the curves at speed.

It’s probably the low-slung aggressive looks, coupled with the short overhangs, that tempted me to throw caution to the wind; but unlike the T6 which I feared would run away from me if I let it, the D3 let me be in control at all times. I kept looking for an open road and having found one, I let it rip and immediately we were at a rather indecent speed. Had not the road come to an end where it did, I could possibly have been a bit more indecent.

During kickdown in D, I noted the shift points and the auto-box shifts from first to second gear at 4000 rpm, second to third at 3500 rpm and third to fourth at 3000 rpm. Be gentle with the accelerator and all the shifts happen with the revs never going over 2000 rpm. It’s a more quiet experience too.

On the highway in D, a steady 50kph translates to 1400 rpm, while 70 kph and 80 kph translate to 1200 rpm and 1400 rpm, respectively. Even 100 kph is a mere 1700 rpm and rear seat passengers hardly hear a thing. In fact, it’s so quiet that my two passengers repeatedly asked, is this really a diesel? That changes, of course, the moment you shift the lever across to M as the engine revs rise in anticipation of performance driving. Volvos are famous for inherent safety features, and the D3, too,  has a host of features aimed at saving lives. There is the pedestrian detection with auto-braking. Then there is the adaptive cruise control that helps a driver to maintain a safe distance with the vehicle in front. It also has active lights that turn with the steering, the DSTC (dynamic stability and traction control) and adaptive brake lights. In addition, there are the various systems that offer side impact protection, whiplash protection, roll-over protection system and more.

Verdict
The S60 reinforces all the reasons why European cars are loved. It’s so well put together — everything fits nicely, feels nice, looks nice. The sports-oriented, electric-powered driver’s and co-driver seats offer ample lateral and thigh support. Then there is the power, the torque, the tautness of the chassis, resulting in superb dynamics which make the S60 great fun to drive, even if it is a tad sluggish in comparison to the T6. There are no paddle shifts on the steering for pseudo-manual control, but then I didn’t miss them. I did like the fact that the door mirrors tilt by themselves while reversing around a corner or an object so one can actually see where one is going. The ride is good, being on the firm side but not so stiff as to make it harsh. The S60 also has superb body control. The leather upholstery feels good to snuggle up against and the fact that the S60 sneers at potholes and bad roads is a very positive factor too. The S60 D3 has to take on the Germans in India; but, given the total package, it should easily make a mark for itself. Volvo needs to get its marketing act together to take advantage of that.

Factsheet
Volvo S60
Price: Rs23.99 lakh,
(ex-showroom, New Delhi)
Kitna deti hai?: 18.5 km per litre
Fuel tank: 67.5 litres
Engine: D3  5-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power: 163bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Transmission: Four-wheel drive,
6-speed automatic
Dimensions (L/W/H): 15.18 / 6.88 / 4.87 feet
Boot space: 380 litres