Test Drive: 2011 Volvo S60 T6

Design:

Volvo’s have never been flashy. They’re the kind of cars you lose in the parking lot -- even when you’ve owned the same one for years. They just don’t excite.

Until now.

Volvo did something subtle with the S60. It’s not in-your-face sporty or attractive, but it’s designed in such a way that you do sit up and take notice. Perhaps it was the burnt orange of our tester, but there was something intriguing about the S60 that caught our attention and held it for the entire week. The sloping lines, gently angular headlights and raised, beefy backend give the S60 a sense of sportiness that transcends the fact that it’s a Volvo.

Inside, the sophistication abounds with a middle console that looks like it was taken from the Star Trek set. It’s all quite intimidating at first with all the buttons and knobs (but at least there are actual buttons, unlike the Lincoln MKX). The sweeping faux wood strip down the middle creates a sense of driver separation from the rest of the vehicle, which again makes this seem like more of a driving car than anything else.

The Volvo S60 T6 seats are perhaps the most comfortable seats I’ve ever been in. I could have lived in that car and my bum would have never been sore. Seriously.

Drive:

I was prepared to be disappointed by the S60, I’ll admit that. Companies not normally known for sportiness often try and release “sporty” vehicles and fail miserably on every count. Volvo’s marketing ploy for the S60 labels the model the “naughtiest” of the bunch and promises a losing of driving inhibitions the moment you hit the Start/Stop engine button. I wasn’t buying it.

Until I got behind the wheel.

The Volvo S60 T6 is sophisticatedly sporty. It’s not brash, or abrasive in any way. And yet, it goes. God, does it go. One minute your doing 50 kph, the next you’re up to 120 and you’ve barely had a chance to look from the road to the speedo. The 3.0-liter, turbo inline six engine pushes out 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft. of torque -- which does give the S60 a naughty streak, no doubt. The speed is incredible and not at all what I expected. Add to that responsive steering and an AWD system that means you can have fun in Volvo no matter what the weather and you’ve got the makings of a great luxury sedan.

Of course, as is the case with any Volvo, the safety features were endless from front crash warning to lane departure and blind-spot indicators and even a curve control system that slows you down in corners should the car feel you’ve entered it too quickly to make it out alive.

My only concern with the S60 is the suspension. It’s in limbo, and not quite sure what it wants to be. On the one hand it’s a bit plushy and comfy like a luxury sedan should be -- and perfect for long highway trips. And then you hit a bump and your pelvis shatters and you realize it’s sportier than you thought, which is ideal for cornering and spirited driving, but not what you want to feel all the time. I’d love Volvo to incorporate a suspension adjuster like the one featured in BMWs so you can choose when you want to crush your spine and when you want to float on a cloud.