5 Must-Know Facts About the 2019 Volvo S60

Revealed with much online fanfare, the new 2019 Volvo S60 is a crucial part of Volvo’s push towards an all-electric vehicle line up. The 2019 Volvo S60 is a car of many firsts for Volvo, and you should know these five facts about it, rather sooner than later. After all, the Volvo S60 is the first step in a continuous electrification effort which will eventually bring about the demise of the diesel engine.

1. The 2019 Volvo S60 is the first Volvo to be built in the U.S.

On the occasion of unveiling the newest Volvo mid-size sedan - the S60, the Swedish company also inaugurated their new factory in Charleston, South Carolina. It is the first Volvo factory on our soil, and it will serve as a production facility for the newest Volvo cars including the S60 which will be exclusively produced in the U.S. Later on, the Charleston factory will produce the XC90 SUV.

“The Charleston plant establishes the US as our third home market,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars. “The sedan segment and the SPA platform’s proven ability to boost profitability offer significant growth opportunities for Volvo Cars in the US and globally.”

Based on top of the SPA scalable architecture, the new Volvo S60 is a global product destined to be exported all around the world from the U.S. Volvo plans to invest up to $1.1 billion in the plant in Charleston, increasing its production capacity to 150,000 cars per annum. Clearly excited about the inauguration and the unveiling of the attractive S60, Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars implied that the S60 is one of the sportiest cars ever made by Volvo. Combined, the launch of the Charleston factory and the S60 is a tell-tale sign of Volvo’s commitment to the U.S. market.

2. The 2019 Volvo S60 is the First Volvo in Decades to be Offered Without a Diesel Engine

In an electrification push, Volvo decided to phase out diesel engines altogether. The recently revealed 2019 Volvo S60 is the first car which follows the curious strategy of reducing the carbon emission footprint and saving a ton of money by ditching diesel engines. However, this might not be the most surprising fact about the diesel, the new S60, or Volvo.

The company is trying to move to electric-only propulsion. Even the hybrids, two versions of which are available with the new S60 sedan, solely pose a transitional solution for the Swedes. Volvo President Hakan Samuelsson was straightforward earlier this year - “our future is electric.”

Interestingly enough, the V60, an interesting wagon version of the S60 revealed only months ago, still offers diesel options for some markets. Most notably for Europe, where buyers can opt for the D3 or the D4 models. Seeing that these two cars are more or less the same, the integration of a diesel engine into the S60 wouldn’t be much of a problem. Yet, Volvo seems adamant in following its transitional plans in spite of the unequivocal popularity of mid-size diesel sedans in Europe and elsewhere.

Right now, this electric car push seems to be slightly out of reach for the company as it obviously does not have any all-electric cars in production. Yet, Samuelson announced five such models by 2021.

3. One engine is Available in four Different States of Tune

The current engine line up for the new Volvo S60 seems rather abundant. The following engines are available right off the bat: the T6 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid, the T8 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid, as well as two turbocharged petrol engines - the T5 and the T6.

Bear in mind that all of the propulsion systems revolve around a modular petrol engine. It is a 2.0-liter unit with the same bore, the same stroke, and the same configuration. Differences between the engines are limited to the addition of a supercharger or an electric motor, a different ECU tune, and some changes outside of the engine.

Back in 2013, when Volvo announced its family of modular engines, the Swedes surprisingly revealed that the engine block will be shared between the diesel and petrol units. Obviously, diesel units are on their way out of the equation, but the petrols are still going strong.

So, for the new Volvo S60, the T5 comes with a single turbocharger and 250ish horsepower. The T6 is a supercharged and turbocharged engine for 310hp, while the T6 Twin Engine and the T8 Twin Engine add electric power to the game increasing the combined output to 340 horsepower and 400 horsepower, respectively. All this thanks to a really impressive base modular petrol engine.

4. The new Volvo S60 is Available via Volvo's New Premium Subscription Service: Care by Volvo

Online presentation of the new Volvo S60 included a couple of minutes of talk about the new subscription service called Care by Volvo. Care by Volvo is a whole new way of using a car without all the hassle associated with actually leasing or buying a car. This service will be available for the latest Volvo S60.

After watching the online reveal and Volvo officials answering questions about Care by Volvo, one sentence stuck in my head:

“It will be almost like using Netflix or Spotify.”

In short, Care by Volvo allows customers to pay a monthly subscription fee for a car. They do not have to buy or lease the car. This service has some clear advantages compared to all other deals out there. First of all, Care by Volvo does not require down payment and the monthly fee covers insurance, maintenance, and taxes. Customers do not have to deal with negotiating prices as Care by Volvo offers digital concierge services. It also allows for car swaps to happen every 12 or 24 months.

Everyone would find this offer appealing, especially as it has already been through the trial and error process with the Volvo XC40. It seems that Volvo cannot produce enough of the XC40 to meet the growing demand, and I have no doubt Care by Volvo helped the cause. Of course, Care by Volvo did not work seamlessly at the start, but Volvo is working out the kinks.

As far as the Volvo S60 goes, you can already subscribe for the S60 T6 AWD in Momentum trim for $775 per month. The S60 T6 AWD R-Design is available for $850 per month. Interestingly enough, Volvo made the sporty Polestar Engineered version available through the Care by Volvo service. Probably as a promotional piece. Nevertheless, apart from the Volvo XC40, the fact that the S60 is included is an obvious indication that Volvo wants to change the way we are buying, driving, or owning a car.

Right now, you have the option to buy, lease, or subscribe to the Volvo S60. Reservations can already be made on Volvo’s website. Care by Volvo is currently available to customers in Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the U.S.

5. The Volvo S60 T8 Twin Engine Plug-In Hybrid Polestar Engineered is Available from the Get-Go

Manufacturers do not usually honor us with their performance versions right from the get-go. Yet, here we are, with the S60 by Polestar Engineered. Actually, this is not a full-fledged Polestar S60. The name Polestar Engineered itself screams that this might be a competitor to an Audi S4 or a BMW M3.

It has been made public that Polestar Engineered will produce parts for Volvo cars which will be integrated on Volvo production lines.

In this case, Polestar Engineered formed quite an appealing performance package, which, apart from suspension and exterior upgrades, infused additional 15 horsepower into the Twin Engine setup for a total power output of 415 horsepower and staggering 494 pound-feet of torque. It is a runner, a fighter which will come close to the premium royalty of the AMG C 43 or the Audi S4.