Volvo S60 (2019 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]
Summary
The Volvo S60 is a premium medium-sized saloon, the estate version of which is called the V60. The current model was unveiled in mid-2018 and arrived in the UK in early 2019. It is also the first Volvo to be built in the USA, while the V60 estate is built in Volvo’s home country of Sweden.
As well as being the first Volvo to be built in America, the S60 was also the first modern Volvo not to be offered anywhere in the world with a diesel engine. Although some fleet-based media sources expressed doubt at this strategy, it quickly proved to be a prescient decision as diesel’s market share collapsed and the UK government started bringing forward the dates by which new petrol and diesel car sales will be banned.
The Volvo S60 has received generally good ratings from the UK motoring media, if not quite as strong as its acclaimed V60 estate sibling. Our unique Expert Rating aggregator has analysed 38 different UK reviews of the S60 (as of September 2021), with an overall Expert Rating of 69% that puts it about six points behind the V60.
The S60 has received widespread praise for its design (both exterior and interior) and outstanding safety ratings. However, it is not considered as rewarding to drive as rivals like the BMW 3 Series or Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Key specifications
Body style: Mid-sized saloonEngines: petrol, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £39,160 on-road
Launched: Spring 2019Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
The Car Expert
Model reviewed: (range review)Score: 8 / 10“The Volvo S60 can’t quite match some rivals for on-the-road dynamics but is a high quality, efficient all-round alternative in a more striking visual package.”
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Model reviewed: (range review)“The S60 is an excellent alternative to current and forthcoming German rivals. It’s well built, beautifully finished and looks good out on the road.”
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Auto Express
Model reviewed: Polestar EngineeredScore: 5 / 10“The new Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered promises 399bhp and 104.5mpg, but the overall experience somewhat misses the mark.”
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Model reviewed: T5 Inscription PlusScore: 8 / 10“The Volvo S60 T5 Inscription may not be perfect, but it’s a credible alternative for buyers after a comfort-focussed compact executive saloon.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Volvo S60 piles on the style, but lacks the extensive engine and trim line-up of the highly-rated V60 estate.”
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Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Volvo S60 looks fantastic inside and out and every model is powerful and well equipped. It’s exceptionally safe and comfortable, too. It’s a worthy rival for the A4, 3 Series and C-Class, but although the hybrid models have very low emissions the S60 is rather costly to buy and run.”
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Autocar
Model reviewed: S60 T8 Polestar EngineeredScore: 8 / 10“The S60 T8 Polestar Engineered sits comfortably among the ranks of its German peers. In fact Audi, BMW and Mercedes could all learn a thing or two from Volvo about fusing comfort with control. Design, too. Not a bad mix of talents, is it?”
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Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 7 / 10“Super-sophisticated, closely damped ride and first-rate body control.”
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Model reviewed: T8 Twin EngineScore: 8 / 10“Want a fast executive saloon but don’t want to shout about it? Volvo’s new S60 T8 could be for you.”
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Model reviewed: T5Score: 8 / 10“There’s a decent-sized boot and plenty of space in the back for grown adults to sit behind the same in the front.”
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Business Car
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5 R-Design EditionScore: 7 / 10“Fundamentally the Volvo S60 is a good car – actually, it’s a great car. But for it to be a good company car, we need to see the lower CO2 alternatives. We also hope the plug-in hybrid offering extends beyond the high-performance T8 to include something with a bit less power and lower costs.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid T8 PolestarScore: 9 / 10“Volvo’s design department has been producing some of the best-looking new cars in showrooms of late, especially the S60’s sister car, the V60 estate, and this latest is no different.”
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Car
Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8 / 10“Our pick of the bunch, however? That’ll be the T8 R-Design, as it has all the power, with all the comfort you’d expect.”
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Model reviewed: (range review)Score: 8 / 10“It looks good, and once you’re up to speed with operating the screen, it’s a comfortable and restful place to spend time in.”
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Car Keys
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5Score: 8 / 10“The latest S60 is a big step forward for Volvo. The stunning interior and class-leading refinement feels like a rival to the class best, while the styling also now looks crisp and modern.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol-electric plug-in hybrid T8 Twin EngineScore: 9 / 10“It’s safe to say that even though the design is very similar to many of its siblings in the Volvo line-up, it is yet another great car to come from the Swedish manufacturer. If you’re in the market for a saloon at the start of 2019, the Volvo S60 should be very near the top of your list of options.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8.6 / 10“The Volvo S60 is an impressive all-rounder but the hybrid models hold the most appeal, particularly as company cars.”
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Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 6 / 10“The Volvo S60 is a safe and stylish saloon car with a plush interior and decent cabin space, but alternatives are more fun to drive and can be had with a wider range of engines.”
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Company Car Today
Model reviewed: T8 plug-in hybrid automatic R Design PlusScore: 7.9 / 10“Volvo’s moves to a plug-in hybrid version of each model in its range continues, and the S60 delivers PHEV efficiency in a high-quality but high-price package.”
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Daily Mail
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5 R-Design Edition“Volvo’s svelte new third-generation S60 saloon is a sportily smooth operator that drives like a delight and marks a few significant firsts.”
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Daily Mirror
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5 R-DesignScore: 8 / 10“Safe, stylish and ever so slightly sporty.”
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Eurekar
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5 Inscription Plus“The Volvo S60 is a car of outstanding ability. The engine is sweet, the dynamics exceptional, the ambience relaxing and soundproofing superb.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic R-Design Edition“The 2.0-litre engine is gutsy and efficient, with plenty of power on tap for strong acceleration from rest or when overtaking, while remaining smooth and quiet. It steers and stops with agility and ability and you never feel the Volvo S60 is getting away from you or you’re over-reaching your limits.”
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Fleetworld
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5 R-Design EditionScore: 8 / 10“The most dynamic Volvo yet isn’t quite up to BMW levels of involvement, but it looks great and drives well.”
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Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic T5 R-Design EditionScore: 8 / 10“The Volvo S60 is what you would expect from Volvo today, a well-designed, comfortable and refined car, and the petrol powertrain has better responses compared to the diesel V60 that we tested recently.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview“Based on the same platform as most of Volvo’s current range, the S60 – unsurprisingly – looks like a saloon version of the V60 or a smaller version of the S90.”
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Motors.co.uk
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think most will agree that the Volvo S60 is one of the best-looking cars in its class.”
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8.6 / 10“Volvo’s 3 Series rival is more than just a leftfield choice”
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The Sun
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol-electric plugin hybrid automatic T8 Polestar Engineered“The Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered is a brilliant bit of kit with epic body control.”
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol-electric plug-in hybrid automatic T8 Polestar EngineeredScore: 8 / 10“This is a beautiful four-door with a classy interior, and first-rate stereo that is capable of beating most other cars away from the lights. Yet it could also save you a packet at the pumps and won’t gas pedestrians along the way.”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: T5 R-Design PlusScore: 8 / 10“Rivals do the sporting bit better but the Volvo S60 will seldom be embarrassed in their company and as a result this T5 version makes a rather lovely machine.”
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Model reviewed: T5Score: 8 / 10“Rivals do the sporting bit better but the Volvo S60 will seldom be embarrassed in their company and, as a result, this T5 version makes a rather lovely machine.”
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Model reviewed: S60 T8 Engineered by PolestarScore: 8 / 10“There’s too much going on under the bonnet (and the boot) for this car to ever be a super-refined super-cruiser, but despite its flaws, the plug-in hybrid Volvo S60 T8 offers an alternative to the German hegemony of performance saloons and is quite likeable as a result.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Everything we’ve come to love about new-age Volvos in a smaller size.”
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Model reviewed: Polestar EngineeredScore: 7 / 10“Sure, it looks just like any other Volvo S60 – that is to say, handsome and understated – but unlike any other Volvo S60 it has a very fancy set of toys.”
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Model reviewed: T5 R-DesignScore: 7 / 10“The foglight housings are more angular, the exhausts more prominent, and the interior is dark and business-y, like Bruce Wayne’s office.”
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What Car?
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 6 / 10“Great to sit in and impressive on the safety front, but rivals are more comfortable, practical and fun.”
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Which?
“The new Volvo S60 is a confident, easy-to-drive car with a decent amount of space for four passengers (five at a squeeze) and their luggage. The interior is smart and interesting, the exterior is striking, and the car generally drives well.”
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Safety rating
Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2018
96%
ADULT OCCUPANT
84%
CHILD OCCUPANT
74%
VULNERABLE ROAD USERS
76%
SAFETY ASSIST
Read full Euro NCAP review
Eco rating
No eco rating
The Volvo S60 has not yet been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP. As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and inevitably the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic.
Security rating
Independent vehicle theft and security ratings from Thatcham Research
Rating: Superior | Good | Basic | Poor | Unacceptable
Relay Attack: Fail
Date: 2019
The Volvo S60 hasn’t specifically been tested for anti-theft protection by Thatcham Research but its sister model, the Volvo V60 estate, has. The two cars share their security technology (along with most other parts) so the same rating would apply.
The V60 automatically received a Poor rating from Thatcham because it failed a relay attack test, which measures the security of a car’s keyless entry and/or keyless start system. The Volvo S60 and V60 are susceptible to thieves intercepting the car’s keyless signal and using it to steal the car.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volvo S60 has received
2019
- Scottish Car of the Year Awards – Best Executive Car
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Volvo S60, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Alfa Romeo Giulia | Audi A4 | Audi A5 Sportback | BMW 3 Series | BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé | Ford Mondeo | Jaguar XE | Kia Stinger | Mazda 6 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | Peugeot 508 | Polestar 2 | Tesla Model 3 | Volkswagen Arteon | Volkswagen Passat | Volvo V60
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Keyword: Volvo S60