The all-new Volvo S60 will be unveiled in the coming weeks and is set to become the first offering by the automaker in the modern era sans a diesel engine! This marks the start of Volvo's ambitious electrification era and highlights their “commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine.” Is this a safe move for a car that always had a diesel engine?

Volvo Gleefully Embraces Electrification

According to Hakan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo, this Scandinavian sedan will not feature a diesel engine. “Our future is electric, and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines. We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.” he said. Samuelsson also said at least 50-percent of its new car sales by 2025 will be made by electric vehicles. He described the company's plans moving forward as “the most comprehensive electrification strategy in the car industry.” Well, it looks like the future is already here for Volvo.

So, What is the New Car All About?

The new S60 will be based on the company’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The T5 and T6 will be launched initially with four-cylinder, gasoline Drive-E engines as well as with two petrol plug-in hybrid versions, and mild hybrid versions will follow next year. The electrified variants, shared with the V60 wagon, will be the T6 Twin Engine, all-wheel-drive setup with 340 horsepower, and the T8 Twin Engine, all-wheel-drive setup with 390 horses and 472 pound-feet of torque. The production of the new S60 will take place only at Volvo Cars' brand new manufacturing facility outside Charleston, South Carolina, and will be exported worldwide.

On the outside, the car will definitely get the company's signature Thor's Hammer LED daytime running lamps, a wide grille similar to the V60, and the C-shaped LED taillights inspired from the S90. The cabin, on the other hand, will be largely similar to the V60 and will feature new soft-touch materials, premium plastics, and a massive touchscreen infotainment system.

Our Take

Volvo has been very vocal with its plans moving forward. The new launches are all getting electrified, and the older models will, sooner or later, follow the same path as well. All new Volvos from next year will be available as a mild gasoline hybrid, a plug-in gasoline hybrid, or a battery electric vehicle. While Volvo will carry on selling the diesel cars currently in its range, it will install hybrid systems in the vehicles as soon as they are ready, and will cease investment in a new range of diesel engines, before phasing them out completely. Will this affect Volvo's sales figures? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

References

Read our driven review of the 2016 Volvo S60.

Read our full review of the recently released 2019 Volvo V60.

Read more Volvo news.