The new S60 (top) looks hugely similar to the V90 (bottom)
The Volvo S60 has been shown ahead of an expected debut this summer
The V60 will reach the UK in 2019 after a Geneva motor show reveal next week
It'll sit alongside the S60 saloon, although that's not coming until a few months after the estate
The V60’s design is clear to see through the heavy camouflage, with obvious reference to larger models in Volvo’s line-up
Rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class is likely to share engines with XC60 SUV
Rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class is likely to share engines with XC60 SUV
It will be built on the same Scalable Product Architecture as the rest of Volvo's larger models
It will be built on the same Scalable Product Architecture as the rest of Volvo's larger models
This means a 401bhp T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid will top the range as a softer rival to the Audi S4 and Mercedes-AMG C43
This means a 401bhp T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid will top the range as a softer rival to the Audi S4 and Mercedes-AMG C43
Two 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engines and one petrol unit will also feature in the range
Two 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engines and one petrol unit will also feature in the range
It’s possible that a smaller hybrid using a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine – shared with the XC40 small SUV – will come later
It’s possible that a smaller hybrid using a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine – shared with the XC40 small SUV – will come later
Specs will mirror that of the XC60, with Momentum trim at the entry level and R-Design Pro at the top. Inscription will be in the middle
Safety kit will also match that of the XC60, meaning that when it hits the market in early 2019, it’s likely to be the safest car in the class
The XC60 was declared the safest car ever tested by Euro NCAP last year, achieving a 95% overall score
The XC60 has safety systems that are more advanced than what Euro NCAP currently tests on cars
Prices are expected to start from around £28,000 for the V60
That's £8000 less than the XC60 in entry-level 2.0 D4 Momentum spec
The price is an increase of more than £3000 over the previous car, but Volvo's move upmarket and the previous V60's long production run account for the jump
By comparison, the XC90 is more than £13,000 more expensive than the entry-level V90
The Volvo S60, the brand's new sports saloon and rival to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4, will be revealed later today at its factory in South Carolina.
An image previously leaked onto a Swedish car site showed the car's rear, with similar design to the divisive S90 saloon.
Volvo has begun the reveal process for the S60 with several preview images revealing details of the car's design. A more revealing shot was released of the hot S60 T8 Twin Engine Polestar Engineered - a performance-oriented version of the BMW 3 Series rival, tweaked by now spun-off performance brand, Polestar.
That car, pictured below, will produce more than 409bhp and 494lb ft of torque from its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and plug-in hybrid system thanks to Polestar's tweaks, while braking, suspension and other modifications have been applied by Polestar.
Volvo's BMW 3 Series rival will be built at a new factory in South Carolina, brand boss Håkan Samuelsson revealed.
A shot from Volvo previewed the S60's front end, which remains unchanged from the recently revealed V60 estate. This is the first glimpse we've had at the compact executive saloon, however, ahead of its on-sale date after the V60, but before the end of the year.
The plant, a new facility in South Carolina, will begin construction of the S60 in late 2018, although the plant itself has been under development since January 2016. All S60s will be built at the plant, which has a maximum capacity of 100,000 cars per year. The next XC90 will also be built there.
Unlike the V60, the S60 will not appear at the Geneva motor show, but will be shown at a later date. Volvo remains tight-lipped on exactly when, but it's likely to be revealed in a few months' time, given the heavy camouflage in the pictured development car. It'll be built on the same Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) as Volvo's other larger cars, as well as the V60.
The V60, the 'Versatile' estate version of the S60 was leaked ahead of its official Geneva motor show launch, showing the car's side-on and rear-end styling. The front styling of the S60 and V60 will likely be identical. The leaked V60 images first appeared on Bosnian site AutoMotoSvijet.
In shots of the development car, the V60’s design was clear to see through the heavy camouflage, with obvious reference to larger models in Volvo’s line-up which were styled by former Volvo head of design - now Polestar CEO - Thomas Ingenlath.
Specs will mirror that of the XC60, with Momentum spec at the entry level and R-Design Pro at the top. Inscription will be in the middle. Petrol engines will match those of the V60, with a 242bhp T5 sitting above three-cylinder units likely to be shared with the XC40, while the range will be topped by a 335bhp T6 Twin Engine plug-in, and a T4 petrol and mild hybrids later in the car's life cycle. No diesels will be offered; the first car to implement Volvo's no-diesel future.
Diesels made up 63% of Volvo sales between January and April this year - relatively high considering the public's shunning of the black pump, but considerably down on the 85% slice across the same period in 2015.
Safety kit will match that of the XC60, meaning that when it hits the market in early 2019, it’s likely to be the safest car in the class. The XC60 was declared the safest car ever tested by Euro NCAP last year, achieving a 95% overall score. It is equipped with safety systems that are more advanced than Euro NCAP currently tests on cars.
Prices are expected to start from £30,000 for the S60 - £6000 less than the XC60 in entry-level 2.0 D4 Momentum spec. This is an increase of more than £5000 over the previous car, but Volvo's move upmarket and the previous S60's long production run account for the jump. By comparison, the XC90 is more than £13,000 more expensive than the entry-level V90.
With Volvo introducing subscription plans, named Care by Volvo for its models, starting with the XC40, it's likely that this will also be rolled out across the rest of the range, including the V60.
While a V60 Cross Country variant is a shoe-in for production, the same can't be said for a follow-up to the S60 Cross Country - the model was discontinued in the UK in 2016, after the brand shifted only 34.
Proving the slow-down in the saloon segment, as well as demonstrating how sales usually slow the older the car gets, Volvo S60 sales have declined over the last three years - having shrunk by around a quarter since 2015 to 1262 sales in 2017 in the UK. This is less than half the sales of the V60, which shifted 2956 across last year, although less than a tenth of sales of the XC60 - Volvo sold 16,302 examples of the mid-sized SUV last year.
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