Volvo S60
2022 - R-Design, B5 mild hybrid Auto 4-Door
Volvo S60
2019 (69) - 2.0h T8 Twin Engine 11.6kWh R-Design Plus Auto AWD Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
Volvo S60
2025 (25) - 2.0 T8 (455) Recharge PHEV Plus Dark 4dr AWD Auto
Volvo S60
2012 - 1.6 T3 SE Euro 5 (s/s) 4dr
Volvo S60
2012 (12) - D3 [163] SE Lux 4door Geartronic Automatic
Volvo S60
2011 (61) - 2.0 D3 SE LUX 4d 161 BHP 4-Door
Volvo S60
2011 - D3 [163] SE Lux 4dr [Start Stop]
Volvo S60
2016 (16) - 2.0 D2 Business Edition Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
Volvo S60
2011 (11) - D3 SE LUX 4-Door
Volvo S60
2014 (63) - D2 [115] R DESIGN 4dr
Volvo S60
2015 (65) - D3 BUSINESS EDITION 4-Door
Volvo S60
2002 (52) - 2.0T S 4dr
Volvo S60
2016 - D3 SE NAV 4-Door
Volvo S60
2020 - 2.0 T5 R DESIGN Plus 4dr Auto
Volvo S60
2012 (12) - D3 [163] SE Lux 4dr [Start Stop]
If you want a large premium-brand saloon car that stands out from the crowds of Audis, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes, the Volvo S60 is a fine choice. It’s very comfortable and spacious, comes with lots of features as standard and can be very fuel efficient. It also lives up to Volvo’s excellent reputation for safety, with many features designed to protect you in a crash and to prevent one happening in the first place.
The latest version of the S60 has been sold new since 2019 when it replaced a version sold from 2010 to 2019.
The latest version is only available with petrol or plug-in hybrid power and all models have an automatic gearbox. The older version is available with a much wider range of petrol and diesel engines, plus the choice of manual or automatic gearbox.
There’s a wide range of trim levels available on both versions of the S60. The sporty-looking R-Design is most popular, though you may want to look for the more luxurious models, called Inscription on the latest version and SE Lux on the older version. The older version is also available in Cross Country form which, unusually for a saloon car, has a raised ride height and SUV-like styling details. It could be useful if you need to occasionally venture onto muddy fields or gravel tracks.
The latest S60 comes with a very long list of features included as standard. Highlights include a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and sat nav, cruise control, climate control, parking sensors and heated seats. R-Design models have sportier styling details inside and out and Inscription models have luxurious heated leather seats.
Standard features on many models of the older version of the S60 include climate control, cruise control, parking sensors, Bluetooth and DAB radio. Some also have sat nav and heated leather seats.
According to official figures, the latest version of the S60 can give you an average fuel economy of up to 42mpg with a petrol engine. The plug-in hybrid can give up to 400mpg but exactly what you get will depend on whether you can regularly fully recharge the battery and how long your journeys tend to be. Annual Vehicle Excise Duty charges (car tax) are quite low but cars that cost more than £40,000 when new incur extra charges until they’re five years old.
Depending on exactly which model you get, the older version of the S60 can give you an average fuel economy of 44-52mpg with a petrol engine and 47-74mpg with a diesel engine. Vehicle Excise Duty charges generally fall into the lower brackets – annual charges on many diesel models are only £20-£30.
Other premium brand mid-size saloons like the S60 include the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. All of those cars offer a larger selection of different models than the S60, so it may be easier to find one that fits your needs. Plus the Audi has a bigger boot, the BMW feels better to drive and the Mercedes’ interior has more of a wow factor. But the Volvo’s subtle style, generous passenger space and relaxing driving experience may appeal more to you.
In both versions of the S60, the interior is spacious enough for four adults to be very comfortable on a long journey, and a fifth can squeeze into the middle back seat for shorter trips. The boot is on the small side for this type of car but the low, wide opening means loading in big, heavy stuff is fairly easy. Some models also have folding back seats so you can carry longer things, like skis or a flat-pack bookcase. If you regularly need to carry lots of stuff, though, the Volvo V60 estate may be a better option for you.
The number in a Volvo’s name indicates its size – the higher the number, the larger the car. As of mid-2022, Volvo had two saloon cars – the S60 and S90 – so despite being quite a large car, the S60 is the smallest Volvo saloon available. (Until 2012, Volvo also sold the smaller S40). The Volvo V60 is the estate version of the S60 and both cars are similar in size to the XC60 SUV.
The newest version of the S60 was awarded a full five-star rating by safety organisation Euro NCAP. The older version wasn’t assessed by Euro NCAP, although the V60 estate was and its five-star rating gives you an idea about the S60 because the two cars are so similar. The latest version is stuffed full of driver safety features including automatic emergency braking and a system called Run-Off Road Mitigation, which steers the car back towards your lane if it inadvertently drifts over the edge of the road.
The latest S60 is available with plug-in hybrid power in the T8 model. It has a petrol engine and an electric motor powered by a battery big enough to give a zero-emissions, electric-only range of up to 36 miles. According to official figures, it can give you an average fuel economy of more than 100mpg if you regularly recharge the battery. Its CO2 emissions are very low so Vehicle Excise Duty charges don’t cost much. The T8 also happens to be the most powerful model in the S60 range and can give you seriously rapid acceleration when you need to overtake on a country road or quickly get up to motorway speeds.
