Volvo S60 T4 (A) Facelift Review
13 Sep 2013|44,637 views
The S60 is a compact executive car from Volvo. Two generations of the sedan have been produced to date. For the 2014 model year, the car received a refresh under Volvo's major facelift project of its 60 range including the XC60, which we sampled recently.
Exterior
There are a number of changes to this facelifted S60. The compact luxury sedan now wears the corporate face with more pride, thanks to a wider grille with additional chrome highlights that sit horizontally across.
Concealed washer nozzles under the hood also allow for a more distinctive bonnet and this is further enhanced by the pronounced creases on it.
That's not all, the 'eyes' of the S60 are now sleeker and come with Active Bending Xenon technology. At the same time, a redesigned front bumper with new LED daytime running lights help to give the car a bolder stance.
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At the rear, a new colour coordinated rear insert allows the car to look more unified, at the same time housing the two round chrome exhaust tips, with the option of integrated trapezoid tailpipes.
An optional exterior styling kit is also available - front bumper bar, diffuser and side scuff plate (seen here in Terra Bronze) - as well as two other colours - Silver and Iron Stone.
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Interior
Superseding the old analogue display and probably the most obvious update inside the S60 is the 8-inch Adaptive Digital Display, which is available with three themes - the default Elegance, Eco for better fuel economy inspiration and the sportier Performance theme.
The perfectly positioned floating centre console also helps the driver access controls with ease. These controls are now illuminated in white lighting to spice up the otherwise dull-coloured interior.
Sculpted leather sports seats featuring Arianne upholstery with contrast stitching have also replaced the leather seats in the outgoing model, giving the interior a sportier look.
And with new seats come new upholstery colours available - Steel Grey and Off Black with Blonde stitching. Previously only available in Quartz, the headlining is now also available in Charcoal.
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The Drive
Powering the S60 T4 is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Known as EcoBoost in Ford's stables (since both carmakers share the same engine), this diminutive powerplant delivers the goods when it comes to output.
Coupled with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, the S60 will go from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds. While that doesn't sound like much, it feels a lot quicker in real life driving scenarios.
The steering is a little numb and a tad more feedback would have been perfect, but there's a good dollop of weight that's satisfying.
It turns in reasonably well and has a firm but forgiving ride, which gives the S60 a good level of handling for its size, with a reassuring solidity.
On the move, the S60 is nicely refined with pleasant isolation from noise - in fact it's more so than some of its pricier rivals.
And when it comes to safety - a feature often associated with the Swede carmaker - the S60 comes with an array of innovative safety features with ground breaking technology to ensure drivers adhere to strict safety requirements without compromising on driving pleasure.
Conclusion
Though the changes to the Volvo S60 are more cosmetic than technical, they sure do help the car look more handsome and sophisticated now.
If it's been a while since you've taken a look at a Volvo, now's a good time to do so. The updated Volvo S60 provides the expected qualities of the segment while also maintaining the other endearing characteristics of the Swedish marque, including cutting-edge safety features, extremely comfortable front seats and feisty turbocharged engines.
The S60 is a compact executive car from Volvo. Two generations of the sedan have been produced to date. For the 2014 model year, the car received a refresh under Volvo's major facelift project of its 60 range including the XC60, which we sampled recently.
Exterior
There are a number of changes to this facelifted S60. The compact luxury sedan now wears the corporate face with more pride, thanks to a wider grille with additional chrome highlights that sit horizontally across.
Concealed washer nozzles under the hood also allow for a more distinctive bonnet and this is further enhanced by the pronounced creases on it.
That's not all, the 'eyes' of the S60 are now sleeker and come with Active Bending Xenon technology. At the same time, a redesigned front bumper with new LED daytime running lights help to give the car a bolder stance.
At the rear, a new colour coordinated rear insert allows the car to look more unified, at the same time housing the two round chrome exhaust tips, with the option of integrated trapezoid tailpipes.
An optional exterior styling kit is also available - front bumper bar, diffuser and side scuff plate (seen here in Terra Bronze) - as well as two other colours - Silver and Iron Stone.
Interior
Superseding the old analogue display and probably the most obvious update inside the S60 is the 8-inch Adaptive Digital Display, which is available with three themes - the default Elegance, Eco for better fuel economy inspiration and the sportier Performance theme.
The perfectly positioned floating centre console also helps the driver access controls with ease. These controls are now illuminated in white lighting to spice up the otherwise dull-coloured interior.
Superseding the old analogue display and probably the most obvious update inside the S60 is the 8-inch Adaptive Digital Display, which is available with three themes - the default Elegance, Eco for better fuel economy inspiration and the sportier Performance theme.
The perfectly positioned floating centre console also helps the driver access controls with ease. These controls are now illuminated in white lighting to spice up the otherwise dull-coloured interior.
Sculpted leather sports seats featuring Arianne upholstery with contrast stitching have also replaced the leather seats in the outgoing model, giving the interior a sportier look.
And with new seats come new upholstery colours available - Steel Grey and Off Black with Blonde stitching. Previously only available in Quartz, the headlining is now also available in Charcoal.
The Drive
Powering the S60 T4 is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Known as EcoBoost in Ford's stables (since both carmakers share the same engine), this diminutive powerplant delivers the goods when it comes to output.
Coupled with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, the S60 will go from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds. While that doesn't sound like much, it feels a lot quicker in real life driving scenarios.
The steering is a little numb and a tad more feedback would have been perfect, but there's a good dollop of weight that's satisfying.
It turns in reasonably well and has a firm but forgiving ride, which gives the S60 a good level of handling for its size, with a reassuring solidity.
On the move, the S60 is nicely refined with pleasant isolation from noise - in fact it's more so than some of its pricier rivals.
Powering the S60 T4 is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Known as EcoBoost in Ford's stables (since both carmakers share the same engine), this diminutive powerplant delivers the goods when it comes to output.
Coupled with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, the S60 will go from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds. While that doesn't sound like much, it feels a lot quicker in real life driving scenarios.
The steering is a little numb and a tad more feedback would have been perfect, but there's a good dollop of weight that's satisfying.
It turns in reasonably well and has a firm but forgiving ride, which gives the S60 a good level of handling for its size, with a reassuring solidity.
On the move, the S60 is nicely refined with pleasant isolation from noise - in fact it's more so than some of its pricier rivals.
And when it comes to safety - a feature often associated with the Swede carmaker - the S60 comes with an array of innovative safety features with ground breaking technology to ensure drivers adhere to strict safety requirements without compromising on driving pleasure.
Conclusion
Though the changes to the Volvo S60 are more cosmetic than technical, they sure do help the car look more handsome and sophisticated now.
If it's been a while since you've taken a look at a Volvo, now's a good time to do so. The updated Volvo S60 provides the expected qualities of the segment while also maintaining the other endearing characteristics of the Swedish marque, including cutting-edge safety features, extremely comfortable front seats and feisty turbocharged engines.
Photos by Low Fai Ming
Also read our comparison article on:
BMW 316i Sport (A) vs Mercedes-Benz C180 1.6 (A) vs Volvo S60 T4 (A)
Car Information
Volvo S60 T4 (A)
CAT B|Petrol|14.7km/L
Horsepower
134kW (180 bhp)
Torque
240 Nm
Acceleration
9sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Volvo S60
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