Driven by design, yet underpinned by its core value of safety, Volvo’s renaissance is no news as the Swedish manufacturer has been quietly re- establishing itself.

Volvo’s latest S60 T8 R-Design marks the next phase for Volvo, which started with the award-winning new-generation XC90. The Volvo S60 packaged all the recent developments into a stylish, classy sedan that sits with the league of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

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The S60 knows how to make an entrance and wears the Volvo design language exceptionally well. The model receives a visual freshening by way of an aggressive R-Design front bumper with a gaping lower intake that matches the clean, contemporary line and swoopy roofline.

It is no exaggeration to say it stands out from every angle and looks particularly great upfront with its imposing grille alongside the dynamic and futuristic “Thor’s Hammer” headlights.

Following in the footsteps of its siblings with the Volvo Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the all-new Volvo S60 looks set to once again lead its segment by bringing class-leading safety along with handsome good looks — key elements to the original model’s success.

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On the safety front, the list is comprehensive with six airbags (front, side and curtain), CitySafety (autonomous emergency braking), Lane Keeping Aid, Front & Rear Collision Warning & Mitigation Support, Driver Alert Control (DAC), Run-Off Road Mitigation and Cross Traffic Alert.

The Volvo’s intelligent use of space and attention to detail work together to create its top-notch minimalist Scandi interior. In comparison to the muscle-bound German offerings, the S60’s tasteful minimal stands out with a neat dashboard highlighted by a smart and sharp-looking 9-inch portrait central touchscreen with important buttons made clearly visible while non-essential knobs are packed away. The front seats are also designed to keep drivers comfortably supported.

In addition, the sedan comes with all the best-in-car technology of voice control, a 14-speaker audio system by Harman Kardon, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for an upscale, daily driving experience.

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The best detail lies in the Volvo S60’s electrified 2.0-litre twin-charged Drive-E petrol engine, delivering a combined output of 407 hp and 640 Nm of torque. The eight- speed automatic transmission (with shift paddles) allows the car to dash from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds, with top speed reaching 250 km/h. Like other plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the S60 T8 runs on the electric motoral one and in th ezero-emission mode, it could travel up to 49km. Depending on the charging outlet, fully recharging the battery pack takes around three hours.

The Volvo S60 T8 proves that sedan cars are fun to drive — press the drive button and it gets up and handles effortlessly. The front wheels react obediently and consistently while taking corners. Although the light steering was lacking in feedback, it does not compromise on precision. With a chasis that strikes a balance between comfort and control, the S60 offers most of what performance drivers need for their daily drive.

A downside is the surprisingly fast, complete drainage of the battery in 90 minutes when too much time is spent in Power mode and have to rely solely on combustion. On the bright side, if the car is charged regularly, there could be significant savings on monthly fuel bill (and exhaust emission) although it would still be dependent on the driver’s use.

The sophisticated Volvo V60 S60 T8 R-Design is dripping in quality and packed with understated luxury, — the reassurance behind the wheel that could only come out of Gothenburg.

This story first appeared in the October 2020 issue of Men’s Folio Singapore.