2022 Volvo S60 India Review, Road Test

Volvo has been on an aggressive expansion route in India. Volvo created a large portfolio slowly and steadily and updated it regularly as well. However, it did not forget new products. The S60 is supposed to be the Mini S90 that is set to bring in more customers to the showroom. Despite SUV driven market, Volvo is bullish on the S60 and since the market and Volvo’s portfolio are concentrating on petrol engines, it is undoubtedly necessary to look at the sedan market once again. How good is the S60? We find out!

On the outside, the large chrome grille grabs attention with the iconic old-school logo and the bumper size makes it look subtle. Volvo gets three elements just right. The LED DRL, the big Volvo logo and the grille all come together really well. At the front and at the rear, very fancy-looking LED lamps make it look futuristic. This makes the car look like a typical Volvo saloon. The side profile is of a proper European design language that has evolved well over the decades as it looks clean, stylish, and subtle at the same time. A very strong resemblance to the old Volvo in certain ways makes it an instant hit in the enthusiast community and the average rich joe can enjoy the subtly. The build quality on the outside seems and sounds great and it scores high on the crash test as well. The elements on the car, such as the front end, LED lights, a short wheelbase, and multi-spoke wheels make it look much better than its certain rivals.

On the inside, the build and quality are good and so is the expansive feature list we have explained time and again in our reports. You get automatic lights and wipers to reversing cameras, parking sensors all around, Google-based infotainment system which makes us clearly miss the old Volvo home-made infotainment system which was much better in terms of features. The car gets a large panoramic sunroof, power seats and a digital speedometer. The Volvo gets Wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, a fantastic sound system by Bang and Olufsen is on offer making the experience top-class. The main screen is slick, quick and works quite well. The feature list includes keys for activity, normal usage and valet.

Space is more than most of its rivals with adequate shoulder room, but the knee room you expect is here by a good margin, if not great. Leg and headroom continue to be in good supply but as always it is more of a four-seater than a five-seater. The boot space is good enough at 400 litres and so is the overall practicality of the interior. Road and wind noise inside the cabin is also well-controlled thanks to good insulation all around. Like any other Volvo, it is still a pleasant place to be. Safety kit continues to be high with the inclusion of active safety features such as electronic stability control and six airbags on all variants such as Hill Hold Assist, ABS and EBD, and more come as standard. The passive safety feature list is big and you also get ADAs features such as lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring which work quite well in multiple roads that we tried it on.

Volvo engines are smooth, free-revving, and low on NVH and the one on the Volvo S60 is no different. Be it in any part of the rev range. Low and mid-range are good on the 2.0 turbocharged petrol motor that makes 190 PS and 350 Nm of torque going through the fantastic, smooth, seamless, and almost quick-shifting 8-speed torque converter automatic. The engine is linear flexible and powerful at the same time. The engine delivers spectacular fuel economy of 10-11 km/l in the highway run. Dealing with traffic in cities and a slightly spirited highway run, it can still deliver 8 km/l. All this while doing 0-100 km/hr in 8 seconds. The engine feels precise and still has the machine gun soundtrack as you rev to the redline and feels like a muted naturally aspirated motor. A strong is reminiscent of the 5-cylinder in a smaller dose. It can feel raw and unrefined at the very limit but most of the time it is a spectacular all-rounder. It can be the car that can do highway runs to other cities with four people sitting comfortably.

The ride quality is more reassuring at all speeds just like any other Volvo. The S60 does not feel that agile and nimble but it is still easy to drive. The steering gives little feedback and is very precise at all speeds. It weighs up well on the highway too. High-speed stability is spot on thanks to the ideal balance of underlying stiffness and compliance. The brakes were good too with great pedal bite and a lot of performance on offer. Body roll exists while changing lanes at high speeds and taking corners much fast but it is still a very confidence-inspiring car to drive at any given speed. Overall, a very easy-to-drive sedan but the most thrilling like the Audi which goes against not the other European car makers which are far sportier to drive.

2022 Volvo S60 India Review, Verdict

The Volvo S60 sedan does feel special, is surprisingly good to drive and has all the traits of a Volvo. Looks subtle, is safe and the interior is the classiest of the lot, against all its rivals. Ofcourse it isn’t as special as the outgoing generation which was full of character and the 5-cylinder engine had the soul of a monster!

However, it still isn’t something that you can drive and expect sportiness or expect class-leading space at the back. It just feels like the perfect car for people who made it large and wanna go about their business every day in comfort and luxury. Why? Because of the way it feels on the inside and looks on the outside, it exactly makes everyone feel the same way and that is a solid reason to get the S60.