2015 Volvo S60 T6 review

Just the day I was about to drive the S60 T6, Volvo India announced plans to bring the S60 Polestar to India in 2016. The Polestar will be all-wheel drive and will pump out about 45 horsepower more than this T6, so my first thoughts were, isn’t the new T6 very quickly going to be just the fast sedan that’s got a faster sibling. And in that case, should you go for this front wheel drive ‘performance’ car now? Nevertheless, with a fast car in hand in this beautiful Rebel Blue paint job, thoughts of the Polestar can wait for another day.

Engine and Performance rating_4.0_rating

We’ve driven the S60 before and the full review - exterior, interior, et al can be read here. The hero of the S60 T6 is the engine, so let’s start right away.

What’s new in the T6? Volvo briefly in the past sold the T6 variant in the pre-facelift model. It had the requisite six cylinders and turbocharger bolted on to get tagged as a performance car. It was all-wheel drive and went like stink. Sounds great? Well this T6 doesn’t have that engine. Volvo’s new direction with downsized engines brings us to a maximum of four cylinders now, and while this engine is turbocharged, it is supercharged as well. So the supercharger gets you up and going and the turbo joins the party higher up the rev range. You get 306PS to play with but slightly lesser torque than the previous T6 at 400Nm. 

There’s a new 8-speed torque converter automatic too, replacing the slow and lazy six-speeder. It sends power to the front wheels only now so although shifts are quicker, all-wheel drive traction isn’t there anymore. If you want a proper corner carver then, the S60 Polestar coming up next year should be more up your alley. This T6, though, is fast without the drama. It’s the soothing way in which the engine delivers its performance all through the rev-range that you will love. 

The 8-speeder has its ratios sorted for easy driving too. You can cruise on the highway at 80kmph in eighth gear all day, or you can drop five cogs and shoot past slower cars without being overwhelmed by the performance. 

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Ride and handling rating_4.0_rating

Volvo hasn’t given the T6 the sporty R-Design pack that the diesel D4 trims get. So besides the delicious five spoke alloys on the R-Design trim, you also don’t get the stiffer strut braces from the D4. Yet the S60 feels athletic due to the stiff suspension and low 136mm ground clearance. It corners flat and grip from the Continental rubber is fantastic. The torque vectoring system works well to keep all the 400Nm in check and use. There is noticeable torque steer under heavy throttle though progressive throttling can curb that. 

The S60 T6 could have been a fun car to drive if the steering wheel cared to communicate a bit and the exhaust note had at least a light throaty rumble. It doesn’t, and that robs the S60 of the fun-to-drive character that any sporty car with over 300 horsepower rightly deserves. The ride is reassuring at high speeds but low speed ride is too stiff. The S60 could do with more sophisticated adjustable suspension too, to get balanced damping.  

Verdict Rating_4.0_rating

There is no doubt that the S60 T6 is a fast car. The engine performs well through its rev range and high speed ride and grip from the tyres are quite good. Dropping the AWD system denies the S60 of strong corner carving abilities though. It also feels like a fast mile muncher over anything else because the steering isn’t communicative and despite all of 305 horsepower packed in, none of them want to create a ruckus. There are no such offerings to compare the S60 to in India though. Ideal competitors would be the Audi S4 and BMW 335i had they been on sale in India, so if you want a petrol sedan with 300 horsepower under Rs 60 lakh, you can only buy one – the T6. 

At Rs 42 lakh (ex-showroom), the S60 T6 seems like a bargain. It’s not an enthusiast’s car but I strongly believe the S60 Polestar will be, and it should come under Rs 50 lakh. Go for the T6 for its styling, strong engine and composed nature; wait for the Polestar for a more thrilling drive.