Volvo S60 T5 (2014) Review

In March 2014, we attended the launch of the all-new Volvo Drive E engines. We came away impressed and longed for more time with the vehicles. A Volvo S60 T5 was delivered to our Cape Town offices and David Taylor got behind the wheel of this executive Swedish sedan.

The Volvo S60 T5 isn’t the most striking of luxury sedans and in typical Swedish fashion, styling is considered quietly reserved. Don’t misconstrue this and assume I’m calling the vehicle boring, as the Volvo S60 T5 is anything but. There are some subtle sporty signs, like the optional rear spoiler, twin chrome exhausts and 18-inch Titania wheels.

Volvo S60 T5 engine

While there’s nothing that’s noticeably new on the outside of the Volvo S60 T5, the engine is completely out of the box as is the transmission. It’s a pleasant engine and is quite refined.Volvo has downsized its powerplants to a 2.0-litre displacement and offers various states of tune. In S60 T5 guise, this 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder thumps out 180 kW and 350 Nm, giving it a bit of a performance edge. If you think this sounds exciting, you’re going to love the R-Design and Polestar versions…

Transmission and economy

All that power goes to the front wheels through an all-new eight-speed gearbox. Yes, you read correctly. Eight-speed gearbox. It’s quite smooth too, while there’s a pleasant mechanical thud between gears in sports mode. You can change gears by pulling the paddles located behind the steering wheel too. These paddles are unfortunately an optional extra. Should you tick that option? If you’re a performance enthusiast, then yes.

The idea behind the eight-speed gearbox is improved fuel economy, but I honestly think the car has one too many ratios. Speaking of fuel economy, the Volvo S60 T5 is claimed to consume 5.9 l/100km. In reality, it’s a different story as traffic and enthusiastic driving saw the readout reach 10 l/100km at one stage. Driven properly and sensibly, you should get under 8.5 l/100km – acceptable for a high-powered big sedan.

Standard and optional features

Inside, the Volvo S60 T5 is a bit of a button festival. There’s a digital dashboard with different themes, a high-quality audio system with Bluetooth, Mp3 and USB functionality, electronically adjustable leather seats with memory function, electronic climate control, bi-xenon cornering headlights, and a rather smart voice control interface.

This particular car was fitted with the Techno Pack which means it also comes with heaters for the front seats, satnav, keyless operation, front/rear park assist and 18-inch alloy wheels. Options fitted was the Driver Alert system, adaptive cruise control, auto braking, paddles for changing gears, speed dependent steering and auto dimming wing mirrors.

Safety features

The Swedes pride themselves on safety and the Volvo S60 T5 is quite an astonishing vehicle. The vehicle comes with City Safety which is an automatic braking system for low speeds. Think about when you’re driving in a parking lot and suddenly a pedestrian steps out. This system will react and brake the car automatically for you. If you unknowingly drift out of your lane, the car will vibrate the steering wheel to alert you. The car will even brake and match the speed of other traffic while you’re on the highway with cruise control engaged. Adaptive cruise control is incredible and should be on all cars. There are also plenty of airbags, as well as a system which loudly beeps when the car in front of you has braked hard and you haven’t reacted.

Summary and conclusion

The Volvo S60 T5 is a class act. It has a nice performance edge, yet still remains a luxurious and refined offering. The ride is smooth and you get the impression it’s more of a gentle executive cruiser than a speedster. The build quality and interior is something to be commended, and I feel Volvo has a great offering which can rival its German counterparts.

Volvo S60 price in South Africa

The Volvo S60 range starts from R335 500, with this S60 T5 Elite costing R454 100. All Volvo vehicles come standard with a five year / 100 000 km warranty and maintenance plan. A five year / unlimited mileage road assistance as well as a Skytrack tracker unit is also included.

Volvo S60 T5 Elite Techno Pack (2014) Quick Specs

We like:

. Refinement
. Technnology
. Spacious rear legroom
. Performance

We dislike:

. Anonymous styling
. Is eight gears too much?

Also consider:
Lexus IS350
BMW 3-Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Audi A4