Re-Volvo-lution

A British Broadcasting Top Gear motoring show video welcomed members of the press early that morning, and merely watching Tiff Needell – Top Gear’s host who’s also a former F1 driver – hurl the Volvo S60 around twisty backcountry roads at insane speeds could actually make one throw up breakfast. Needell was definitely driving that Volvo for all that it’s worth, tossing and flicking the car every which way with tire-squealing abandon.

Now the good thing about it was that shortly thereafter, we, too, were behind the wheel of an S60–but of course, sans any tire-squealing theatrics. (Yes, we’re keeping mum.)

The event is the press preview of the Volvo S60 2.0L, where official local Volvo distributor Viking Cars Inc. let the press drive the S60 from its showroom in Makati to the posh Tagaytay Highlands. Held last April 20, the ride-and-drive affair to Tagaytay was an excellent way for Volvo to demonstrate the S60’s prowess both in highway driving and twisty mountain roads, which by the way, was quite similar to where Needell drove.

The newest Volvo in the country, the S60 is the Swedish carmaker’s take on the sports sedan genre. A car that cleverly mates sports car handling and performance to the passenger- and luggage-hauling practicality of a sedan, the S60 is also stunningly lovely to boot.

Styling credit once again goes to Volvo design director Peter Horbury, who also penned the equally exquisite S80, the S60’s bigger sibling. In fact, the styling of the two cars mimic each other, the S60 rendered on a smaller scale.

Also, much of the inspiration of the S60’s design is from the company’s sensuous C70 Coupe, although in the S60, the design must have four doors. The result is a low, sloping profile that says "coupe", four doors notwithstanding–and combined with short front and rear overhangs and strong, pronounced shoulders that run the length of the car–says "fast" too.

And it is. Under the hood lies a transversely mounted, 20-valve, two-liter, five-cylinder motor that produces 180 horsepower at 5300 rpm. Maximum torque is rated at 240 nm at an interestingly broad range of 2200 rpm to 5300 rpm. With max power available from such low engine revs to relatively high revs, the S60 is certainly capable of spirited motoring in real-world driving conditions, perfect for stop-and-go city driving, overtaking maneuvers and uphill climbing chores.

This oh-so-sweet powerplant is mated to a silky smooth five-speed automatic transmission and Volvo reckons the car’s top speed at 210 kph, but we’re guessing it’s either a conservative rating or the car’s top speed is electronically governed.

Suspension duties, meanwhile, are ably handled by MacPherson struts and lower wishbones in front and fitted with both anti-dive and anti-lift functions. At the rear, an independent multi-link unit mounted on an aluminum subframe takes care of things. Anti-roll bars are also fitted at the front and rear. Volvo adds that the key factor in the S60’s precise handling and stability is its very wide track, boasting the car has the widest in its class. The S60 2.0L rolls on large high-performance 215/55 16-inch Michelin MXMs.

Of course, safety is the hallmark of any Volvo. And the S60 has loads of both active and passive safety features; anti-lock brake system, electronic brake force distribution, driver and passenger SRS airbags, side airbags, inflatable curtains for added head protection, head restraints that offer whiplash protection, three-point safety belts with pretensioners and automatic height adjustment–the list goes on with more mundane but still essential features.

Not to be missed is the S60’s interior where comfort and luxury are the order of the day. The S60 is, after all, a Volvo luxury car, so there’s not one bit of tacky design element inside.

Also doing away with the boxy, "Ikea" lines that define Volvo interiors of yore, the S60’s interior has crisp lines combined with softer, rounder contours. There is leather on almost everything inside with just the right touch of wood inlays. Power windows, locks, side mirrors are standard and the driver’s seat has power-operated controls too. A superb eight-speaker audio system with steering wheel mounted remote controls further pampers occupants, and B-pillar aircon vents and rear seat foldable armrests are thoughtful touches.

But in this day and place of cell phone craze, the main attraction in the car’s interior for most folks must be the S60’s dash mounted cellular phone. A speaker and microphone system is fitted in the driver’s seat headrest, but if the call is of a more illicit nature, a conventional telephone headpiece mounted on the center console is at hand.

At a price tag of P2.195m, buyers get a car that a former F1 driver deemed impressive. Hey, and at that price too, folks get the best cell phone there is; one that’s attached to the Volvo S60.