Volvo S60 T4 1.6 Review: Safe but sexy

What we like:

The improved design that adds muscle to what is already an elegant car.

What we dislike:

We miss the T6 variant.

Volvo focused much of its facelift efforts on the interior and exterior while leaving the mechanical bits largely untouched. The S60 T4 remains with a 1.6-litre four cylinder under the bonnet. Producing 180bhp with 240Nm of torque that’s available from 1,600rpm.

While the T4 isn’t going to break any records, off the line the car feels brisk and can achieve the century sprint in 9 seconds. The Powershift dual clutch box handles shifting duties reasonably well without any intervention from the driver.

More importantly, the Volvo S60 maintains decent ride quality. The damping is comfortable and supple with bumps quickly muted by the controlled rebound.

Push the sedan hard into a corner however and the nose tends to dip. Steering feels overly damped even though it is fairly accurate but it is clear that the Volvo is more suited for sedate comfortable driving.

That aside, Volvos in general brake well and the S60 is no different with good pedal feel. And if necessary, the car can even apply full braking force in an instant if it senses an imminent accident using the City Safety system.

The latest updates on the S60 are subtle but have improved on Steve Mattin’s original design. Volvo has sprinkled a little more muscle on what is already an elegant car. The S60 has a body to kill for but unfortunately we won’t see the T6 variant on our shores for awhile till the COE calms down.

That aside, the T4 is an excellent combination of reasonable performance coupled with the high build quality of a Volvo. It is a fine example of how being safe doesn’t mean being boring.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline