As Volvo sales took off in the 1960s, it was their estate cars that really became the objects of desire. There was not much true competition back in the days of the 145 and 245 models, but even where there was, people just wanted a Volvo as it was practical, robust, safe and pretty much classless. It was a sensible purchase and in Britain it came to signify the affluent middle class almost like no other. Volvo’s unexpected decision to turn this oh-so-sensible and practical car into a force to be reckoned with o the race track, with the 850 T5 and its evolution T5-R and R models that surprised us all in the Touring Car Championship showed us all that there was more to a Volvo than just practicality and unostentatious Swedish elegance and style to the products of Torslanda. Success on the track certainly helped to keep Volvo high in the public consciousness and sales remained buoyant in a far more competitive market than had been the case 20 years earlier. Successive generations of large Volvo estates followed a very similar formula as we moved from cars such as the long-lived rear wheel drive 940 and 960 and front wheel drive 850 into the era where estate cars all started with a V in their name. As the crossover craze got under way in the early 2000, so Volvo entered the market with the large, and hugely impressive XC90, later following it up with smaller models. Whilst these cars may be the ones that everyone thinks of when you say “Volvo”, we should not forget that they continue to build classical saloon cars as well. These days, there are two distinct such models in the range, the S90, which competes with the likes of the Mercedes E Class, and the slightly smaller S60 which is roughly 3 series-sized. We are now on the third generation of model with the S60 name, and the most recent one was launched in 2018. It will surprise to learn that this one is built in Ridgeville, South Carolina not just for the American market, but also for most of the rest of the world where the car is sold, though the S60 is also built in China for Asian markets as well as Australia, places were traditional sedans still find buyers. The third generation of the Volvo S60 is the first Volvo manufactured in the United States. A 2.3 million square-foot (210,000 sq metres) plant was built that can produced over 60,000 vehicles per year for both American and export markets, and capacity could be increased to up to 100,000 vehicles per year if demand calls for it. The facility is Volvo’s seventh, joining two European, three Chinese, and one Malaysian location. The S60 itself is built on the SPA platform and is closely related to the latest V60 estate model, which was launched a little before this saloon and it represents a careful evolution of the long-lived second generation model.

The third generation S60 was launched in the UK, and the rest of Europe, in 2018, but the car remained very much a niche proposition, and was quietly removed from sale back in 2022. In America, a market that still likes traditional three box saloons as the antidote to the ever more popular crossover, the S60 has fared rather better, and the car remains on sale. For years, Hertz in the US seems to have a policy of buying a series of Volvos which stay on fleet for a relatively short time, with a mileage threshold and then they disappear and you don’t see any more for a year or two before the next batch arrives. I managed to source the current S90 when those were on fleet and rather liked it, so kept hoping that the S60 would also appear. And now, it seems, it has. Indeed, with the general difficulty in sourcing any new cars, the batch of mostly pre-owned S60 models that Hertz did acquire are the car you are most likely to receive if you book the premium Sedan category that used to give you a C Class Mercedes or perhaps a Cadillac. My chance to try one came when I spotted an S60 parked up in the President’s Circle area at LAX, so I grabbed the keys quickly before anyone else took a fancy to it. The car I sourced turned out to be a 2019 model year car, so one of the early production cars, but it was still in good shape, some four years later. It was in Momentum trim, which is the cheapest of the four available, and had, I think, some optional features added.

I have to declare that I rather like the look of this S60, which I think combines elegance with modernity in just the right way and so in contrast to the ever more glitzy and showy styling excesses that are to be seen in most of its class rivals. I rather hoped that I would like the car from behind the wheel as well. I had one day to find out if I did. Read on!

The test car was badged T5 which means it has the entry level engine, which is a turbo-charged four cylinder 2.0 litre unit. It generates 250 bhp, which is a decent output for a car of this size and weight, but it did sometimes feel as if you needed to push really quite hard to get the best out of it. An eight speed automatic transmission is standard and this is well-matched to the engine, making very smooth gearchanges and with high gearing in the upper ratios meaning that the engine can spin over at low revs and consequently low noise elves. Indeed, this Volvo was a very restful cruiser on the freeway. But work it harder and the acceleration is actually there and you can get quite decent performance. There are shift paddles if you want to take over selection of the gears. I covered 233 miles in my day with the Volvo and it needed 7.5 gallons to fill it, which works out at an average of 31.07 mpg US o 37.17 mpg Imperial, a decent result.

If you are expecting your S60 to feel like a sports saloon, then you are probably going to be disappointed. That was not Volvo’s priority in designing this car. The steering is light when you need it to be, but lacking that final precision that you would find in an Alfa Giulia or a Jaguar XE. The handling in this front wheel drive car is nice and safe and predictable, but you certainly have the impression that coping with Swedish winter roads was a far higher priority than something that is Nurburgring optimised. And you will feel the benefit of that in terms of the ride, which is well judged. The test car was on 235/40 R19 tyres which are a similar size and profile to what you would find on its rivals, but this was definitely more comfortable than all of them. Soft and pliant, yes, but not wallowy at all. All round visibility is as good as you get these days, with a decent amount of glass. There are various ADAS aids to help you including the Blind Spot Warning system and a rear-view camera.

Volvo products always excel with both the design and the quality of their interiors. The S60 is not going to disappoint. The car is beautifully finished inside, featuring a lot of top notch materials and also a careful selection so everything looks like it was together in harmony. The matt wood inlay, to my eyes, look so much better than the fashionable carbon fibre effect and gloss black plastic that features so widely these days. There is a chunky leather-wrapped wheel that is nice to hold. Starting the car is done with a twist starter on the centre console where it is easy to see and locate. The instrument cluster contains two large dials with smaller fuel level and water temperature gauges inset. A pair of column stalks, again feeling like quality products that operate nicely, handle indicators, wipers and lights, the last two both having an auto function. There are buttons on the steering wheel boss for audio repeater and cruise control, again, easy to use and not overdone. So it is looking really positive, and then we get to the 9” touch screen. This is portrait style in orientation. Nothing wrong with that, as long as it is easy to use. And sadly, it is not. I am sure you would get used to it, but as a new driver of this car, I found it less than intuitive. There are a lot of functions here and the menu structure means you have to search to find things. Common tasks like changing the radio channel or wave band proved fiddly and the dual zone automated climate control is also operated from here, and can only be accessed when the ignition is on and the system has booted up.  The only physical button is an audio volume knob. You do get Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system which includes navigation, XM Satellite radio, Apple Car Play and Android Auto and there is a good quality a Harman Kardon sound system, so it is not all bad, but the traditional way of doing things would have been easier to operate.

Volvo has long had a reputation for carefully designing their seats to make them not just comfortable but also orthopedically correct. Those in the S60 follow this tradition, and were indeed lovely to sit on. They are trimmed in a nice quality simulated leather. Both front seats have all-round 4-way electric adjustment which includes lumbar support and for the driver’s seat there is a two position memory to store the setting and location once you’ve found it. The steering wheel telescopes in/out and up/down and there are height adjustable belts, so it really was easy to get the optimum driving position. There is a sun roof included in the spec of the car and this adds lots of light into the cabin and does not have any significant penalty in terms of headroom.

Space in the rear is decent space, though there is a high central tunnel which means that it is probably better to think of this as a 4 seater than a 5, not unlike many of the Volvo’s rivals. Legroom is sufficient even when the front seats are set well back. There is also sufficient headroom. Occupants here get the benefit of a drop-down armrest with cupholders in the upper surface, ad there are map pockets on the back of the front seats and bins on the doors for odds and ends. There are no USB ports here which may be a bit of an oversight as most family vehicles over this now. The ISOFIX seat attachments are a bit too prominent, and I found when test-sitting in the rear that it was all to easy to catch your posterior on them, which was not what you would call comfortable.

The boot is a reasonable size, though there are bigger among the Volvo’s competitors. It is not quite as deep as you might expect or as long from front to back but it is nice and wide and there are lots of hooks to help you to secure items. There is a space saver under the floor, but not much in the way of space around it for any small items. Apparently, the rear seat backrests do fold down, but I failed to find this in the test car. There is also a ski flap so you can poke a few longer items into the car, but if you need more carrying capacity, you will need a V60 or an XC60. Inside the cabin, things are better. There is a good-sized glovebox, a small armrest cubby, pockets on the doors and a lidded cubby on the centre console. That’s pretty typical for any car in this class and will meet the needs of most people though if you have any larger items, they probably won’t fit anywhere. But that is not unusual in cars in this segment.

The 2019 Volvo S60 is available in four trim levels: Momentum, Inscription, R-Design and a very exclusive T8 Polestar Engineered model. There are three powertrain choices, starting with the T5 that uses a 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder engine (250 bhp, 258 lb/ft of torque). It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic that drives the front wheels. The T6 has a turbocharged and supercharged version of that engine (316 bhp, 295 lb/ft) that comes with all-wheel drive. The top-of-the-line T8 takes the T6’s engine and adds electric motors (combined output of 400 bhp, 475 lb/ft). It too is all-wheel-drive only and is estimated to deliver 21 miles of electric-only range. The Momentum trim can be had with either the T5 or T6 powertrain. Standard features include 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, automatic high beams, a panoramic sunroof, automatic and heated wipers, keyless ignition, selectable drive modes, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-inch instrument panel display, simulated leather upholstery, heated four-way power-adjustable driver seats, driver-seat memory settings, split-folding rear seats with power-folding headrests, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. On the tech front, you also get a 9-inch vertically oriented touchscreen with Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, two USB ports, and a 10-speaker audio system with satellite radio and an auxiliary audio jack. Advanced safety features include forward collision warning, full-speed automatic emergency braking, run-off road mitigation, lane keeping assist, a road sign reader, a drowsy driver warning system, and remote vehicle controls. The sporty R-Design spices things up with unique exterior design elements, LED foglights, a sport steering wheel with shift paddles, premium leather and fabric upholstery, and the 10-way power front seats. The Inscription builds on the Momentum features by adding the LED foglights, four-zone automatic climate control, wood interior trim, leather upholstery, 10-way power-adjustable front seats with four-way lumbar adjustment, and passenger-seat memory settings. This trim is also eligible for the Luxury Seating package that adds premium leather upholstery and ventilated front seats with power-adjustable side bolsters and massage functions. All trims are eligible for the Premium package that adds a hands-free trunklid, front and rear parking sensors, auto-dimming mirrors, keyless entry, a universal garage door opener, a blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning system with automatic braking, and an automated perpendicular and parallel parking system. Also available on those trims is the Multimedia package that includes a larger 12.3-inch virtual instrument panel, a navigation system, and a 13-speaker premium Harman Kardon audio system. On top of the Premium package, the Advanced package adds adaptive headlights, automatic high beams, LED foglights, headlight washers, a head-up display, a surround-view camera, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist semi-automated drive system with adaptive cruise control. The T8 Polestar Engineered model is limited to 20 units in the United States via Volvo’s monthly subscription service and they’re already spoken for. It’s almost fully loaded with the above features along with a higher-horsepower version of the T8’s plug-in hybrid powertrain (415 hp, 495 lb-ft), 19-inch wheels, a sport-tuned suspension with Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes and an Orrefors crystal shift knob. Some features are available on supporting trims as options. Other add-ons for most trims include an adaptive air suspension, a Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system, a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats.

In the E-segment luxury and sports saloon class, the Volvo S60 is something a dark horse. It is probably the one car that many people would forget to list, as after they had reeled off 3 Series. C Class and Audi A4 they would probably add the Alfa Giulia and now out of production Jaguar XE to the list and perhaps even the Lexus IS. After that. Most would struggle to think of other options. Whilst pretty much all of those try to compete but out-doing each other against the same set of priorities, the Volvo dates to be deliberately that bit different. It certainly does not top the class for being fun to drive, but for a car to take on a long journey, it would almost certainly better all of them, for comfort and relaxed and refined cruising. With the exception of the awkward touch screen, it has no significant weakness and lots of competence. It is a car that whilst never really proving exciting, you would actually love to own. A true Volvo, then!