{"id":1413,"date":"2013-03-04T22:42:04","date_gmt":"2013-03-05T05:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rickdebruhl.com\/?p=1413"},"modified":"2013-03-04T22:52:39","modified_gmt":"2013-03-05T05:52:39","slug":"road-test-2013-volvo-s60-t6-r-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carcentrick.com\/?p=1413","title":{"rendered":"Road Test: 2013 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

The whole time I was driving the 2013 Volvo S60 I wanted a group of bad guys to start chasing me.<\/p>\n

\"Volvo<\/a>
Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You see, while the Volvo S60 look may look like just another mid-sized upscale sedan, I had the T6 R-Design model. With 325 horsepower, twin turbo motor, all-wheel drive and sport suspension, I think could have given them a run for their money.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Saint and his Volvo P1800<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Which means I would have felt like Simon Templar. He’s the lead character in “The Saint”. During the original TV show, Templar (played by Roger Moore) drove a Volvo P1800. (You can\u00a0watch a video of his car here<\/a>.)\u00a0In the 1996\u00a0movie version, Templar (played by Val Kilmer)\u00a0drove a Volvo C70.<\/p>\n

The Volvo P1800 used in the original show looked sporty, but wasn’t really. This new Volvo is everything that Simon Templar would have wanted. The base engine in the S60 is a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder that delivers 250 hp. Bump up to the T6 and you get a 6-cylinder, DOHC\u00a0with 300 hp. But the top of the line (and Roger Moore wouldn’t have driven anything less)\u00a0is the R-Design which delivers 325 horsepower. Interestingly, it still qualifies as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle. Mileage is average for a mid-sized sedan, 18 MPG city\/25 MPG highway. But that’s actually\u00a0pretty impressive for all that horsepower. Mated up to the six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission and it helps you enjoy all that Swedish muscle. The Saint never had it this good.<\/p>\n

\"Volvo<\/a>
Volvo’s Boxy Days are Gone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course horsepower is only part of the fun. The R-Design model has a sport chassis, bigger brakes and\u00a0standard all-wheel drive. It even has what Volvo calls “corner traction control through torque vectoring”. I’m not totally sure what that means but when I’m being chased, I’ll be darn glad I’ve got it.<\/p>\n

The S60 is a nice looking car. Volvo styling has come a long way from the boxy 244 of the mid-80s. This design can hold its own in the luxury sports sedan range. The R-Design has some styling tweaks. It has\u00a0different rear and lower front spoilers, a\u00a0rear diffuser with polished end pipes. Subtle, but nice.<\/p>\n

\"Volvo<\/a>
Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design Interior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inside, it’s both simple and comfortable. The seats are properly luxurious and sporty. The R-Design has leather seating surfaces and aluminum inlay on the dash. While some reviewers have called the dash a little dated, I actually liked the styling.<\/p>\n

While Volvo styling has changed, the carmaker is still big on safety. For example, the S60 has Volvo’s Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS). It allows the seat to give slightly when you hit something. My test car also had the City Safe\u00a0 feature. It can can automatically stop the S60 if it senses a\u00a0low-speed collision is imminent, even with pedestrians. It worked well each time City Safe activated (no pedestrians were injured during my test-week).\u00a0Another interesting feature was the Active Bending Headlights. Turn the steering wheel and the\u00a0headlights bend into the turn. I’m not sure that’s critical but it definitely was cool.<\/p>\n

\"Volvo<\/a>
Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design Controls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ironically, about the only thing I didn’t like about the car was the rear window defroster. It didn’t seem to work well in my test car, which is surprising considering how much it must be used in Sweden.<\/p>\n

Of course all that fun isn’t cheap. My test car stickered at $45,495, but that is competitive with other luxury sport sedans.<\/p>\n

\"Volvo<\/a>
R-Design badging is subtle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And of course when the bad guys are chasing you, and the combination of horsepower, all wheel drive and R-Design sport suspension\u00a0allows you to\u00a0escape their clutches, that price tag will seem cheap. Just ask The Saint.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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