New Volvo S60 hybrid focuses on luxury and craftsmanship

VOLVO has extended its S60 range – the third generation of the firm’s premium mid-size saloon – to include an all-wheel-drive, petrolelectric hybrid and a trim level that focuses on what the company calls ‘Swedish’ luxury and craftmanship.

The existing T5 turbocharged 250hp petrol unit has been joined by an all-wheel-drive T8 twin engine plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining a 303hp petrol engine with an 87hp electric motor for a total output of 390hp. Driving through an eight-speed automatic transmission it provides suitably electrifying performance with the 0-60mph sprint taking less than 4.6 seconds.

The 11.8kWh battery provides an electric-only range of up to 36 miles, with CO2 emissions from just 39g/ km. Fuel economy on the WLTP combined cycle is up to 176.5mpg, according to Volvo.

The R-Design Edition launch trim level has been replaced by R-Design Plus and is joined by the new Inscription Plus variant offering buyers the choice of sporting or luxury focussed models respectively.

Prices of the sporty R-Design Plus start from £37,935 for the 250hp T5 version with the new all-wheeldrive, T8 twin engine hybrid carrying a premium of almost £12,000 at £49,805. For now, the Inscription model is only available with the T5 engine with a sticker-price of £38,835.

Standard equipment across the range includes touchscreen and voice-activated control system, adaptive LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, hands-free boot opening, sat-nav and Volvo’s City Safety autonomous emergency braking system.