Volvo S60 T8
Swedish rival boasts better performance but a higher price than BMW. Does it make sense?
THE S60 T8 takes Volvo’s Twin Engine hybrid technology and packages it into a junior executive saloon that rivals the BMW 330e. However, is it a better-executed solution than its German rival?
Design & engineering
THERE’S one great difference to the
Volvo compared with the BMW: the price. In R-Design Plus trim to match the M Sport 330e, the S60 costs £49,805. That’s £9,825 more than the BMW, which is significant.
As we’ve seen, the Volvo offers more power. Its 2.0-litre turbo and supercharged four-cylinder engine combines with an 86bhp electric motor to produce a total of 385bhp and 400Nm of torque. But unlike the BMW, the e-motor doesn’t drive the eight-speed auto gearbox. Instead, the Volvo’s electric drive unit is mounted on the rear axle for e-four-wheel drive.
It doesn’t offer any more electric range from its 11.6kWh lithium-ion battery, of which 9.9kWh is usable. Volvo also claims 36 miles on electricity alone, but in cooler test weather, both cars were seeing closer to 26 miles. Using a Type 2 cable (a £50 extra on the Volvo) with a 3.7kW supply, the S60 takes three hours 15 minutes to recharge. Like the BMW, the S60 will take much longer using a three-pin plug.
So the Volvo partly justifies its higher price by the extra power, but it’s no different to the BMW when it comes to quality or kit. The cabin materials are nice and it’s slightly better built than the 3 Series, but you don’t get full leather: half-leather, half-cloth trim is standard. You also have to pay £375 extra for a reversing camera, which is standard on the BMW.
Parking sensors are included, though, along with climate and cruise control, heated seats, keyless operation and LED lights, nav and some other great tech, but smartphone connectivity is a £300 extra.
Side-by-side, the price difference is hard to justify when it comes to quality and tech, so the Volvo looks on the expensive side compared with the BMW.
Driving
WHILE the T8 is obviously quicker thanks to its punchier powertrain, the 330e has more than enough performance, so you’d hardly call the BMW lacking. The Volvo was half a second faster from 0-60mph, taking five seconds, while it maintained this margin from 30-70mph through the gears.
There was nothing to split them from 30-50mph in third and fourth, but from 50-70mph the gap between the Volvo and BMW started to grow in the S60’s favour as you move through the gears.
But this is where its advantage on the move ends, because the S60 is firmer than the 3 Series, so it’s not quite as comfortable. The steering, too, is light and not as meaty as the BMW ’s. Neither offers much in the way of communication, but the 330e has better balance and, actually, equal traction, even though it’s only two-wheel drive.
The Volvo’s engine is coarser when it’s working as well, but otherwise it’s a nicely refined package.
One surprising feature is that the BMW feels like it rolls and pitches more than the Volvo; that’s probably because the difference between a regular 3 Series and this plug-in when it comes to dynamism
is greater. Both cars’ eight-speed automatic transmissions were superbly smooth and rarely got caught out switching between power sources.
Practicality
LIKE the BMW, the Volvo demands a compromise when it comes to boot space. The standard S60 offers 442 litres, while the T8’s battery pack and rear motor set-up cuts this to 390 litres – 15 litres more than the BMW. Both still have enough volume for day-to-day duties, but weekends away or multiple golf bags will test both cars more than their standard counterparts.
Otherwise, there’s very little to differentiate the T8 inside from a normal S60, so the same big, lidded storage tray in the centre console and large door bins give plenty of space for odds and ends. The S60 is as roomy in the back as the BMW, too. If anything, there’s slightly more legroom, but it’s very marginal and you’ll be hard-pressed to notice the difference.
The BMW gets a bag for its charging cables, while the Volvo has space under the boot floor for stowing them when they’re not being used.
Ownership
VOLVO’S safety tech is extensive, and the S60 features lots of active systems to prevent incidents such as going off the road and avoid oncoming traffic. You also get autonomous braking, with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
Lane-keep and blind-spot assist are part of an option pack, as with the BMW, but it only costs £625 here. Both cars scored a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Volvo’s performance in our Driver Power 2019 poll was stronger than BMW’s. It came 13th overall, while its official dealer network ranked ninth. That’s still not a stunning result for a premium brand, though.
Running costs
HYBRIDS are all about running costs, so it was pleasing that the Volvo returned 56.9mpg, which means an annual fuel bill of £1, 266 – £22 less than the BMW.
While the S60 is slightly pricier for business users to run than the BMW, for private buyers the Volvo should retain more money. The T8 is predicted to hold on to 50.2 per cent (£24,997), losing £24,828 over three years or 36,000 miles. The BMW’s residual value of 45.6 per cent (£18,227) equals depreciation of £21,753.
There’s one other point to factor in. Both cars get a £10 break in annual VED due to their plug-in status, but because the Volvo exceeds the £40,000 threshold, you have to pay the five-year subsidy, so it’ll cost £455 a year to tax after the first year.