By 2025, Volvo aims to sell 1.2 million cars globally. And come 2030, the once-Swedish carmaker plans to go fully electric. Toward that goal, the 2023 S60 is a promising start, one must say. A powerful rear electric motor and an 18.8 lithium-ion battery can take the sedan 41 miles before the gasoline engine kicks in. On a 120-volt household outlet, charge time is eight hours while 240-volt will take just five hours.
Under the hood of the midsize luxury sedan, a hot-seller for Volvo, is a 2.0-liter inline-4 turbocharged power train blasting off a massive 455 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 523 pounds-feet of torque @ 3000 rpm. The 8-speed auto gearbox in the all-wheel-drive vehicle is sprightly in any untoward situation. And the start-stop feature (auto engine stop when the vehicle halts) ensures substantial savings in fuel and weight.
You get the look, the sinister look, if you choose the Black Edition! Up front, high-gloss black accents deck up the grille, Volvo emblem, and badging, as well as wheels, window trim and mirror caps. Same goes for the rear Volvo wordmark, model name, trunk lid and darkened tail pipes. The extravagant cabin conveys an upmarket aura with a 12.3-inch digital driver display decked in shimmer graphite aluminum inlays. There is ample freedom for 6-footers in the 60/40 rear seat. Volvo Sensus infotainment (new for 2023 are Google Assistant and Google Maps), with a distinct vertical 9-inch display touch screen, is essentially made up of four tiles: navigation, media, phone and user-defined. Activate one and watch it expand while keeping the other tiles visible for future use. The surface and detail of the crystal gear shifter has been meticulously treated. Standard treats include charcoal Nappa leather seats, two-zone auto a/c, heated power front seats, air purifier, head-up display, and a leather-wrapped dashboard.
Renowned for safety, Volvo continues the tradition with dual front and side airbags, driver knee airbag, side curtain airbag, four-wheel antilock brakes, three-point seatbelts for all, side impact protection system, dynamic stability and traction control, blind spot monitor and cross traffic alert, lane departure warning/assist, adaptive cruise control, 360 surround-view camera, collision avoid mitigation/detection, tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights. Sure, it is a hybrid but don’t for a minute believe that your jaunt to the neighborhood store or on the highway will be sluggish. Resting on 19-inch diamond-cut wheels, the S60 can take off 0 to 60 mph in a mere 4.3 seconds and reach top speed of 113 mph. Apart from remarkably quick burst of speed and razor-sharp handling/balance, the ride features high-tech luxury items. And who can beat Volvo in safety?