Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson tweeted an image of the third-gen S60 draped in camouflage and undergoing testing Norway recently. The picture gives us a fair glimpse of what to expect from Volvo’s rival to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Audi A4 and the Jaguar XE.
Most of the S60’s design, especially the front end, seems to ape the V60 estate that is set to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week. The S60 resembles the larger S90 sedan to a large degree and feature the now iconic ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED DRLs. Like the S90, the S60 is based on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) as well.
In terms of specs, the S60 is likely to be identical to the XC60, which was launched in India quite recently. The latest sedan will be offered in the Momentum, Inscription and R-Design trims as the SUV and will feature the same 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine in different states of tune. In D3 guise, it produces 150PS while the D4 puts out 190PS through the front wheels. There will also be a 2.0-litre T5 petrol engine that produces close to 240PS too. The above engines will be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Volvo is likely to add hybrid options at a later stage as well. These include the T6 Twin Engine AWD petrol plug-in hybrid with a peak power output of 340PS and the top-of-the-line T8 Twin Engine AWD petrol plug-in hybrid that puts out 390PS of power.
Even the safety kit is likely to be similar to the XC60’s. Like the SUV, expect the sedan to be the safest in its class as well.
Apart from the images, Samuelson confirmed the S60 will hit the production line later this year at the company’s latest factory in South Carolina, US. With a maximum capacity of one lakh car per year, the plant will cater to both the Amercian market as well as the rest of the world. In India, we expect the S60 to be sold via the CKD route.
So far, Volvo has refrained from announcing the S60’s reveal date. However, we expect it to happen in a couple of months after the Geneva Motor Show.
Source: zigwheels.com
