Why Lease The S60?
The Volvo S60 is a stylish saloon car designed to give Volvo a foothold in the German-dominated saloon market. The S60 comes with good looks, a fantastic interior, and a choice of two hybrid engines.
Rivals to the Volvo S60 include the Audi A4, Alpha Romeo Giulia, BMW 3 Series, and Jaguar XE.
Our Volvo S60 review covers:
- Good-looking exterior with Volvo's 'Thor Hammer' headlights
- Great design featuring premium materials
- 427-litre boot
- Two engines: A petrol and a plug-in hybrid
- Two trim levels: Plus and Ultimate
Pros:
- Premium interior
- Good exterior design
- Plug-in hybrid option
Cons:
- Only two engine choices
- Rivals are better on the road
- Rear headroom limited
In recent years Volvo's exterior design has been taken to another level, and the S60 continues this trend. A typical saloon car shape, the standout characteristic of the S60 is its lights. Up front, you get Volvo's 'Thor Hammer' headlights, and at the back, there are hook-shaped brake lights.
If you plan on using the S60 as a long-distance cruiser, you'll have no issues getting comfortable in the front, as there's plenty of room. However, in the rear, passengers over six feet might find their heads brushing the roof, and the middle passenger has their legroom cut off by the central armrest.
Storage space is good in the S60. There's a big storage area in the front armrest, a small compartment in front of the gears, and decent door pockets. In the rear, there's an integrated central armrest with two cupholders.
The S60 gets a 427-litre boot on the mild-hybrid version, which decreases to 390 litres on the plug-in hybrid version. Although there's a handy electric opening and wide loading area, it falls short of the Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class.
Step inside the S60, and you'll find one of the best interiors in its class. Its minimalist design is superb and features plenty of soft-touch plastics and leather. What's also good is how well it feels put together, which makes the S60 exceed rivals like the BMW 3 Series.
Coming as standard is a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12-inch digital driver display. The infotainment system is simple to use and features sat-nav, Bluetooth, and a DAB radio. It's not as good as BMW's iDrive system, but it still shouldn't cause too many issues.
Two trim levels are available: Plus and Ultimate.
Plus kicks off the line-up with 19-inch black alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a power driver's seat with memory tech, a heated steering wheel, a four-zone climate system, LED headlights, a 360 camera, front/rear/side parking assist, and wireless phone charging.
The range-topping Ultimate adds to this with full LED headlights, headlight cleaning, adaptive cruise control, pilot assist, rear collision warning, a panoramic roof, a power passenger seat with memory tech, and a Harman Kardon premium sound system.
Two engines are available in the S60. The entry-level unit is the 250bhp B5, a two-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol, and the range-topper is the 455bhp T8 plug-in hybrid. Both engines use an automatic transmission.
Kicking off the engines is the B5 mild-hybrid; it comes with a top speed of 112mph, achieves 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, and returns a fuel economy of 41.5mpg.
If you want more power, go for the T8 plug-in hybrid. It achieves 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds and returns a fuel economy of 256.8mpg. It also has an all-electric range of 55.9 miles and can fully charge using a standard wall charger in just over five hours. Annoyingly, it doesn't come with fast charging capabilities to speed up charging.
The S60 is a comfortable ride that's good around town on the motorway, but don't expect any excitement when behind the wheel. If you want this, look towards the BMW 3 Series or Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Its handling is okay, but on a twisty road, the car leans through twists and turns and becomes a tad unresponsive. This is fine around town but is frustrating when you want a bit of fun down a country lane.
The same goes for suspension. At low speed, the S60 tackles potholes and bumps in the road well, but as you up the speed, it becomes quite firm, and bumps become noticeable. If you want better ride quality, go for the R Design trim on the plug-in hybrid or the Inscription trim on the mild hybrid, as they massively improve the suspension.
Prices for the new Volvo S60 start from £55,730.00 OTR* or to lease from Price On Request per month.
Looking to lease the Volvo S60? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers various leasing deals to suit your every need.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change, always check with your nearest retailer.
