Test drive Volvo S60. Three opinions on a sedan unlike the others
A cleverly hidden VIN number, a spacious interior, a slightly annoying tablet on the console, absolutely reliable behavior and other notes from AvtoTachki.ru editors about a non-standard premium sedan
It is generally accepted that the Volvo S60 sedan is in the second tier of the premium segment, although its price tag is quite consistent with the first. Basic machine with a 190 hp engine. with. costs $ 31, and prices for the 438-horsepower version of the T249, which can only be all-wheel drive, start at $ 5.
Of the sedans of the big German three, only the Audi A4 is cheaper, but all S60 variants are more powerful than their base counterparts and are certainly no worse equipped. In the case of the Swedish car, the limited configurations and engines are confusing - for example, in Russia there are no excellent diesel engines, and the type of drive is strictly tied to the power unit. But the fact is that in comparable trim levels the Volvo S60 is able to give a strong fight to competitors and in many ways surpasses them.
The evolution of the Volvo brand is sure to be included in some textbooks as an illustration of how from a manufacturer of suitcase luggage for retirees to a company associated with technology and safety. Turbo engines, tuned adaptive suspensions and a whole bunch of safety electronics coexist with unusual design and quality finishes, and this has already become the standard for all models of the brand.
It's another matter that today all Volvo are similar to each other, and it's not only about interior decoration with the same keys, instrument displays and vertical console tablets, but also about a set of on-board systems. And if something can be blamed on Volvo's marketers, it is this internal identity, thanks to which the cars differ only in form factor and body size.
The size and format of the S60 sedan personally seems to me optimal, because I prefer classic forms to newfangled crossovers. But there are questions to design decisions, and they prevent me from loving Volvo as a product that is pleasing to the eye. If the small crossover Volvo XC40 is an original thing in itself, then the solid outwardly S60 sedan turned out to be simple and even rude, and the decision of the stern with the brackets of the lanterns generally seems ridiculous. Plus a heavy rear pillar.
The concave radiator grille with neat headlights on the sides looks good, but the bumper seems too complicated, and you are always afraid to scratch it on the curb when parking. Finally, the salon, built around the tablet, has long lost its originality and has become boring, and the lack of physical keys and the need to dig into the menu are often very annoying.
Only finishing materials allow to put up with this digital economy, which are good both in appearance and in the touch, and besides, they are supplemented with cute details like pseudo-metal notches on the rotary twist - another attraction is the engine start chip. And also - a comfortable classic fit and a decent amount of space in the rear seats, which my overall friends have used more than once.
In general, I am not enthusiastic about the current Volvo, but I am quite ready to perceive the S60 as a modern means of transportation for a financially successful person. The only question is whether such a person is ready to pay more than 3 million rubles. for a well-equipped four-wheel drive car, as it was in our test, if for the same money there is a whole range of cars with a more serious pedigree, all the books about which have been written long ago.
Whenever it comes to Volvo, people argue about its premium. Some say that the brand is getting closer to the German troika and is about to catch up with it, others complain that Volvo will not become a Mercedes in any way, and the brand will carry this non-premium cross for a long time. Both have long annoyed the adequate Volvo buyer, who, firstly, does not need Mercedes-Benz, and secondly, does not care about this status at all.
Moreover, the Volvo owner is rather impressed by the fact that they are in no hurry to put the car on a par with the German troika, because the possession of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi imposes some image restrictions along with the obligation to maintain a premium car. And owning a Volvo means owning a good car: expensive enough to have a good image in a certain environment, but not so "fat" as to bear some special burden of responsibility in this regard.
At this moment, opponents of Volvo may notice that the price of the Swedish models has reached the level of the top three, which means that the requirements for them must be appropriate. But a Volvo buyer is willing to pay this money only because he considers every ruble invested to be justified, and not because the brand itself is expensive. And if the cost of the S60 sedan starts at $ 31, then this means that thoughtful iron, good plastic, soft leather and precise electronics will be in it for exactly this amount.
The current S60 is very spacious inside, cozy to the limit, especially with a two-tone leather interior, and the roof is crammed with modern security systems. Such care for passengers might seem unnecessary if it was too intrusive, but it feels like everything is in moderation, and on the go, the car does not seem to be squeezed by an electronic vice at all.
On the contrary, with a 249 hp engine. with. and with an all-wheel drive transmission, it travels very far to the limits, but does not at all provoke them to look. You just know the capabilities of the car, and you do not need to test them - driving this sedan seems so confident and calm. Given that the set of electronic assistants is now about the same for everyone, it is thanks to this confidence for drivers that the Volvo brand continues to be considered the safest in the world.
The Latvian border guard demanded to show the VIN number on the back, but I just threw up my hands. With a flashlight in hand, we examined together the iron under the hood, sills and body pillars, looked for a plate under the glass, on the doors and even under the trunk mat, but we never found anything. The border guard understood that there was nothing to detain me for, but he was obliged to verify the numbers with the document, and with this there was a hitch.
The solution was found unexpectedly. “Look for the VIN number in the onboard computer,” the border guard advised, and I reached into the lengthy menu of the console tablet. "Settings" - "System" - "About the car" - everything is like in a smartphone, adjusted for functionality. The number finally popped up on the screen, and the border guard resumed the process of registration with a sense of accomplishment.
In a world where it is easiest to pay for parking with an application, buy insurance online, and store the vehicle passport in the cloud, the VIN number in the on-board computer menu looks very logical. With the same success, it would be possible to cancel the STS, and the driver's license, and even the passport: look at the camera, and customs officers with border guards will instantly receive all your data from the global database. The same could have been done with a car.
In this digital universe, only one question arises: what if the data turns out to be fake? Is it possible to "cleanly" rewrite the VIN in the on-board system, or to put some other pig on the owner and government agencies? And where are the boundaries of how much you can modernize the electronic filling, and who exactly has the right to do this?
The answer to these questions in our case was given by another Latvian border guard on the way back. The numbers on the screen of the on-board tablet did not impress him at all, and he climbed to look for the real number on the body. And he found it by pushing back the passenger seat and lifting a piece of carpet, which was specially cut at the factory in a certain place. Then everything was also traditional: documents, passports, insurance, baggage checks and declarations filled in with a ballpoint pen.
Routine checks took an hour and a half, after which the Volvo S60 again rolled merrily along the highway at the edge of the permitted speed. Electronic assistants, who were too zealous to help drive the car, were turned off on the way there, and insurance in case of emergencies in normal modes did not interfere in any way.
The tablet's extensive menu allows you to set up a compromise option at any level, but the main thing is that the car itself, in any case, does not hide behind the backs of electronic assistants. Analog suspension glands are great on the road of any quality, the engine pleases with strong traction, and you don't want to let go of the steering wheel with an adequate and understandable effort.
For a person who is accustomed to driving rather than driving a passenger in an unmanned capsule, the Volvo S60 is still a car with a capital letter, even taking into account the huge half-salon tablet and a deeply hidden VIN number, which is easier to find in the bowels of the electronic filling than on a piece of hardware. It is the same with the driver's electronics, and it is good that it does not interfere with the enjoyment of the driving process.
The editors are grateful to the administration of the Kristall plant for their help in organizing the shooting.
