Volvo S60 2014 Review

Precedent tells us that if you are concerned for the environment, but enjoy driving, you probably need to own more than one car. Volvo's S60 D4 Kinetic doesn't change that paradigm in any real sense, but it does deliver an acceptable compromise.

While it's no Tesla Roadster, this particular S60 will cart around the family without demanding that the driver settle into a quagmire of beige despair. Cornering is neat and communicative, but not at the expense of ride comfort. And performance is impressive for a car that's unlikely ever to see the high side of 8.0L/100km. All of this is wrapped up in a sensible package priced at a sub-Luxury Car Tax level.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder developed from Volvo's DRIVE-E architecture, the S60 D4 Kinetic marks a significant advance over the previous diesel variant in the S60 range. I had previously criticised the S60 diesel for its lack of overtaking ability. With the introduction of the DRIVE-E variant, that is no longer a problem.

The new engine under the bonnet is an absolute cracker. A 0-100km/h time of 7.4 seconds doesn't really tell the story. There's precious little turbo lag exhibited and the 400Nm available from as low as 1750rpm feels like it's enough to hold the S60 on the side of a cliff – traction being the only limiting factor there.

If the DRIVE-E engine sounds like a slogger, I would make mention that it's also quite quick in point-to-point driving. With 133kW on tap, plus the torque, plus the immediate response, the S60 is an engaging car to drive in a straight line, and it will get the power down nice and neatly for a fast exit from corners as well.

On an economy run around Melbourne's inner suburbs the Volvo used as little as 5.9L/100km – a figure that was astounding, given the sheer volume of traffic at the time. At no point during the days subsequent to that run did I again see the fuel consumption come anywhere near that figure, despite my morning and evening commutes taking place in lighter traffic, for the most part.

Presumably the inference to be drawn from this is that 100km of travel at normal operating temperature beats a succession of 18km commutes, each from a cold start. Volvo's own on-board trip analysis bar chart – available through the trip computer – revealed exactly that point, with the first few kilometres of cold-start operation heavily skewing the fuel economy average higher.

The S60's eight-speed automatic transmission will slip into a higher gear at really low revs and the car will hold that gear on moderately steep hills before it kicks back down a cog. There's some labouring audible when the engine is running under load at that sort of speed, but otherwise the powerplant is very refined. It's plainly a diesel four when accelerating, but it will spin reasonably high into the rev range and is quiet as the grave at cruising speeds.

The eight-speeder also contributes to the S60's performance, and pretty much ensures there's a gear for every occasion. Unlike a certain nine-speed automatic recently sampled in another brand's machine, the automatic in the S60 rarely hunts around – which must be because it's calibrated to make use of the engine's prodigious torque. On those occasions it does kick down, it inevitably finds the right gear immediately.

There's a sequential-shift facility available, via the lever, and changes can be affected fast and easily, but most owners would never bother with it. The kick-down function is there when you need immediate urge, but the only reason otherwise to shift down manually would be for engine braking.

In that regard the autobox is a bit clueless, in contrast with some. It will hold higher gears for the sake of conserving fuel, rather than shift down on hills. It's generally a smooth unit that worked well with the S60's idle stop-start facility. Unlike other cars with the same sort of fuel-saving technology, Volvo's system would actually stall the engine while the car was still moving... albeit at less than walking pace.

In most cars the driver has the option of relaxing the foot to actuate the idle stop-start system, or keeping the foot poised lightly on the brake will leave the engine running for a fast start. There is no such option with the Volvo in its ECO mode. Indeed, on a downhill run the S60 could crawl slowly forward under brakes, without the engine restarting. To its credit, of course, the Volvo system restarts very quickly when it has a mind to do so.

For many prospective buyers – not your hard-core track day aficionados – the Volvo's ride/handling compromise is pretty well sorted. Ride quality is cushy enough around town, grip in the corners is commendable and there's some feedback through the wheel.

The new EPAS system – a fully electric/electronic steering set-up – replaces the previous electro/hydraulic system in S60 and V60 variants since the upgrade to DRIVE-E engines. It's a fairly dramatic improvement after driving the five-cylinder diesel S60 during its local launch late last year. This new four-cylinder (DRIVE-E) model – with the new steering system – provides more convincing feel and the car points more precisely as well.

The seats are as welcoming as I recall from the local launch of the facelifted S60 last October (with DRIVE-E engines introduced earlier this year). The driving position is very much to my liking and the various displays are restful on the eye, but clearly legible. They may take a little while to get to know but if you're familiar with Volvo's ergonomic conventions you'll have little difficulty with comprehending the information displayed or locating and operating the switchgear.

The design is also fairly simple if you're making the migration from a different prestige brand. My one gripe is the reversing camera display, with its disproportionate picture ratio. Everything in the display looks unnaturally narrow, which creates an illusion the car is closer to objects either side while backing-up.

Rear-seat accommodation is comfortable for adults, although headroom can be marginal for those of average height or taller. There's also not that much room to spread out behind a driver using the optimum legroom and steering wheel reach.

Mostly, of course, packaging for the S60 is identical to that of the facelifted model released late last year, which means frontal styling remains a hurdle for me. I personally prefer the pre-facelift design, but the S60's styling is probably the one and only retrograde step that might be a deal breaker in the showroom.

Despite that minor misgiving, the S60 D4 Kinetic DRIVE-E should find a small but steady stream of buyers who recognise the fuel-saving qualities of diesel power and the level of driveability that goes with that – something a hybrid may not match.

Also consider:
>> Audi A3 e-tron
>> BMW i3
>> Lexus IS300h