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Volvo S60 variants
Total price
Monthly payment

Finance representative example (PCP)

Total cash price £20,399. Borrowing £18,359 with a £2,040 deposit at a representative APR of 10.9%.

48 monthly payments
£340.92
Fixed interest rate
10.9%
Total amount payable
£26,057.93
Cost of credit
£5,658.93
Optional final payment
£7,654.00
Purchase fee
£10.00
Annual mileage limit
6000 miles

Volvo S60 buying guide

There are a handful of trim and engine choices for the S60. We'll break them down here so you can choose the perfect version for your needs and budget.

What Volvo S60 trim levels are there?

R-Design is Volvo's sporty trim similar to BMW's M Sport and was the entry-level option for UK cars built until the end of 2022. You get alloy wheels, cruise control, keyless entry and starting, automatic lights and wipers, auto high beams, climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats and sports suspension. You also get a digital driver's screen and an infotainment system with built-in sat nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth. Safety kit is generous as you'd expect from a Volvo – automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist plus a wealth of passive safety tech comes as standard.

Polestar Engineered is like R-Design on steroids. You get larger alloy wheels, a heated steering wheel, electrically adjustable driver's seat with memory function, and an upgraded Harman/Kardon stereo. Polestar, Volvo's former performance arm, also upgrades the brakes, suspension and engine tuning for better performance.

Inscription was previously a luxury trim level for the S60. This version gets a crystal gear shifter, special wood inlays, extra gloss black and dark-coloured styling details, and adjustable suspension.

For 2023 cars, these three trims have been renamed Core, Plus and Ultimate – the Plus losing the Polestar-specific parts since that brand has now been separated from its Volvo parent. You have the option to specify either a Dark or Bright package if you choose Plus trim – Dark adds gloss black styling details to the body and front grille, while Bright brings chromed details instead.

What's the Volvo S60's interior and technology like?

Taking a seat inside the Volvo S60 reveals one of this model's greatest strengths – its cabin. Gone are the sensible Volvo designs of yesteryear, replaced by a new, neat and ultra-minimal style that could easily have come from a car one or two classes above the S60. Leather upholstery is standard across the range and you get to make the most of it thanks to large swathes of the material being used across the dashboard, uninterrupted by panels full of buttons.

Naturally, with fewer physical controls, the infotainment system controls most on-board functions. Sadly, that does mean the heater and air-con controls have been shuffled off to the screen, so they're not as easy to adjust without taking your eyes off the road for a longer period of time. It's also annoying that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are an option on most S60s – having only recently become standard equipment. That said, the infotainment setup itself is powered by Google software so, if you're a Google Maps user, for example, you won't need to mirror your smartphone to benefit from this service.

Space inside the S60 is good but not stellar – rivals like the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 do a slightly better job of accommodating passengers. Rear seat legroom and elbow room are acceptable if there's just two people seated back there, but the rear-centre passenger will have almost no space for their feet or elbows. Rear headroom is fairly limited in all seats, so six-footers might find their heads brushing the roof. There's little to complain about in the front seats, however – you get plenty of adjustment and the seats themselves are some of the most supportive in the whole auto industry. The boot is about average for the class, though the T8 plug-in hybrid loses less boot space to its battery pack compared with the equivalent BMW 330e.

Volvo S60 engine range explained

There's only petrol choices in the S60's lineup now. Both offer plenty of power but the upgraded T8 engine has a few extra tricks up its sleeve to mark it out.

Volvo S60 T5 petrol

This was the entry-level petrol engine offered until 2020-2021. It's a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit making 250hp – enough for a hot-hatch baiting 0-62mph time of just 6.5 seconds. That's quite a lot of performance for an entry engine so there's not much reason to upgrade unless you want the T8's plug-in hybrid abilities.

Volvo S60 B5 petrol

The B5 engine replaced the T5 around 2021. It's essentially the exact same 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine but now gains a mild-hybrid system. This recaptures energy when braking or slowing down and can reduce the strain on the engine while accelerating – it cannot drive the car on electricity alone. This has essentially the same 250hp output and performance figures as the T5 it replaced.

Volvo S60 T8 AWD PHEV

At the top of the S60 engine range is the T8 plug-in hybrid. Again, there's a 2.0-litre turbo petrol under the bonnet but it's now backed up by a powerful electric motor and a big battery pack. That means you get a total of 310hp between the two power sources and a rapid 4.6-second 0-62mph time thanks to the electric motor's quick responses. Keep the battery topped up and you can cover more than 50 miles on electric power alone.

Volvo S60 FAQs

There's just one version of the Volvo S60 – a four-door, five-seat family saloon. Equally popular is the Volvo V60 estate, which has a little more cargo room, along with the Volvo XC60 SUV. If you fancy a little more passenger space, there's the slightly larger Volvo S90 luxury saloon.

The S60 competes in the same class as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class. It's broadly the same size as these premium saloons, coming in a fraction longer than the BMW and Mercedes and a hair shorter than the Audi.

That means the S60 won't be the easiest car to park in congested city centres. To make the task easier, however, all versions come with front and rear parking sensors, and many also have reversing cameras to keep track of your car in the space.

Entry-level T5 and B5 engines – the latter being renamed after gaining a mild-hybrid system – both have around 250hp. That's a healthy figure in a car this size, so there's very little reason to upgrade to the much more powerful plug-in hybrid. Most buyers will be better off saving the money and choosing one of these basic petrol units.

That said, if you have access to an EV charging point at home or at work, the T8 PHEV's electric running ability means you can complete most of your commute without starting the engine. Plus, once you fire up both the T8's power sources, it's nearly as fast as a BMW M3 so is a genuine thrill on a motorway slip road.

We think so!

Volvo has enjoyed something of a rebirth since being taken over by China's Geely company. This has brought entirely new engines and technology, along with a bold new styling language that's both elegant and understated.

Of course, the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 are equipped with a similarly broad selection of talents, but the Volvo's jaw-dropping looks and strong plug-in-hybrid performance might be enough to sway you.

Volvo's performances in recent reliability surveys have placed the brand somewhere towards the middle of the pack for dependability. They're mechanically well designed but, like so many rivals in this space, the S60 comes decked out with a wealth of on-board technology, which can mean more things that could potentially go wrong.

You can specify an extended warranty when you buy your Volvo S60 for greater peace of mind. This will insulate you from the costs of an unexpected mechanical or electrical failure during the coverage period.

Yes. The rear seats on the S60 fold down in a 60/40 fashion, giving you the flexibility to choose between extra cargo room or an additional passenger spot.

Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available as an option for the S60 until 2023 when wired CarPlay became standard equipment. Android Auto services were discontinued in the car because the Volvo infotainment system already uses Google-based services – essentially eliminating the need to connect your Android smartphone.

All-wheel drive (AWD) is available on the top-sped T8 plug-in hybrid engine for the Volvo S60. All other versions – the T5 and B5 – are front-wheel drive only.

Cars with all-wheel drive enjoy better grip in off-road situations but most drivers will be fine with the front-wheel-drive models.

You can enhance your car's grip and traction in snowy or icy conditions – regardless of how many driven wheels it uses – by fitting a set of winter tyres over the colder months.

That's more a question of perspective than anything else. The S60's cabin is trimmed in soft leather and decked out with the latest technology while, on the road, it's quiet and comfortable. All those are classic hallmarks of a luxury car so you've every right to feel like a boss when sat in your Volvo S60.

Very picky people, however, might contend that only the largest saloons such as the Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7 Series count as luxury cars, with everything else simply labelled 'premium'.

For us, we'd just like you to enjoy your car and not worry about what other people categorise it as. If it feels like a luxury to you, then go ahead and enjoy it!