Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars has taken the wraps off its latest creation – a new midsize premium wagon (estate) dubbed as the new 2019 Volvo V60. Volvo intended the V60 to be a family all-rounder, underscoring its position as a carmaker with the tradition of producing good-looking yet practical cars.
To strongly deliver the message that the new V60 is a family all-rounder, Volvo went for an unconventional yet persuasive manner of introduction. Instead of unveiling the new V60 at a motor show or at an auto-related event, the carmaker revealed the new premium wagon at the driveway of an up-market villa in the suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. It was driven into the driveway – where it really belongs -- by Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo’s senior vice president for the Europe, Middle East, Asia region. This way, Volvo was able to send a clear message that the new V60 is designed to cater to the needs and wants of modern family.
As introduced, the new V60 is underpinned by Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform that also underpins the new XC60 and four top-of-the-line 90 Series cars. So far, the V60 is the smallest and lightest vehicle to be underpinned by this platform.
From this point on, designers worked to give the V60 a refined design that marries beautiful proportions and elegant stance with practicality and versatility. To this end, the new V60 is provided with a broad chrome grille which comes in a shape that is sharper than on the V90. Its air intake is steeply angle to give the premium wagon a lower and wider front end appearance.
While German wagon offerings are laden with sharp creases, the new Volvo V60 gets its premium look from flowing lines and a more sculpted physique. Its flanks even feature a “coke bottle” curve, especially apparent on the doors.
Furthermore, the new V60 boasts of a rear overhang longer than the V90, which translates to more room on the trunk, highlighting it practical character. It offers 529 liters of cargo space (plus 99 liters over the outgoing model), which could be expanded to 1,364 liters once the rear seats are folded flat. This means that the new V60 is more spacious than the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate.
Power is provided for, depending on markets, by Volvo’s T5 and T6 gasoline engines, D3 and D4 diesel mills as well as two plug-in hybrid powertrains: new T6 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid (340 hp) and the potent T8 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid (390 hp).
Volvo is known around the world for its safety features, and the new V60 reinforces the carmaker’s status as a leader in this field. It is laden with a wide array of standard safety elements, including advanced driver support systems already fitted in 90 Series and XC60. For instance, the new V60 is equipped with City Safety with Autobrake technology that employs automatic braking and detection systems to help avoid potential collisions, including involving pedestrians, cyclists and even large animals.
The premium wagon also features an upgraded version of the Pilot Assist driver assistance system that provides support with steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads on speeds of up to 130km/h. Other standard systems include Oncoming Lane Mitigation, Run-off Road Mitigation, and other steering assistance systems. The optional Cross Traffic Alert with autobrake is also available.
Interested customers could avail of the new V60 through the Care by Volvo premium subscription service. Access is implemented, not through ownership, but through a monthly flat-fee subscription.
