Volvo are certainly trying to throw off the
car for the elderly tag that it inherited from years of
“safe, solid” (and dull) promotions. A toe in the water
exercise in the British Touring Car Championship helped lift
the marque, and the new body shapes continued the trend.
Volvo
s60R
A couple of years ago I tested the new
Volvos and I did enjoy the spirited turbocharged performance
engines, but the suspension was a problem, and getting the
available power to the ground was even more of one. Torque
steer was very evident with any decent application of the
right welly, so much so that one was in danger of taking out
the motorcycles on both sides of the car at the traffic light
grand prix.
The answer to all this is apparently the
new Volvo S60 R, which has just been released in Australia.
According to the auto scribblers down-under it is the most
worked over road going Volvo sedan ever - a car that Volvo
would like you to think of in the same group as the BMW M3,
Audi S4 or Mercedes C32 AMG.
The problems of getting power to the ground
have been addressed in the Volvo S60 R, with this car no
longer being FWD, but now 4WD. With all road wheels delivering
the horses, torque steer has been cured.
However, there are still complaints about
the suspension, according to the Aussie writers. Despite its
high-tech “Four-C Technology” - developed in collaboration
with shock absorber developer Ohlins Racing AB and shock
absorber manufacturer Monroe - and what seems a perfectly
competent suspension design (multi-link at the rear, struts at
the front), the Volvo still lags behind most of the prestige
field.
The switchable, three-mode Four-C
electronics certainly introduce more assertive shock absorber
characteristics when the Sport mode is selected, giving the
impression of an eager, responsive chassis, but the Volvo
never feels as lively as the best of its competition.
The S60 R is probably best described as
secure and predictable. Helped by the Pirelli P-Zero Rosso
235/40 tyres, it will rush around a given corner at decent
speed, to be sure, but much of this is down to the 4WD, rather
than suspension dynamics it seems.
But it certainly has the horsepower. 285
bhp (220 kW) from the 2.5 litre twin camshaft, 20 valve engine
with variable valve timing, dual intercoolers and a 1.05 bar
turbocharger. The downside is a reported turbo lag still
present, and an inclination to stall at the traffic lights if
you take your mind off the jack-rabbit start.
Concentrate hard, and the S60 R will blast
away with Subaru WRX-style acceleration (in fact, the claimed
0-100 kph of 5.7 seconds is exactly the same as the Subaru).
Assisting this kind of rush is a six-speed transmission is
accessed via a quite positive, slick gearshift (Volvo’s
neat-looking “Spaceball”) and the ratios are closely
spaced for an even surge of power.
Part of the S60 R package is a proper high
performance ABS braking system incorporating all the usual
brake assist and electronic brake force distribution,
underpinned by a set of oversized, ventilated discs front and
rear, complete with four piston Brembo calipers.
The negatives return when attempting tight,
parking-pace manoeuvres. The turning circle is not quite of
the Queen Mary proportions, but is still an appalling 13
metres, caused by the car’s 18 inch wheels. U-Turns become 3
point turns in all but the widest suburban streets.
The S60 R’s presentation is a combination
of bold and brassy and nicely restrained. Restrained on the
outside that is, with an almost invisible strip spoiler on the
bootlid, a revised front with larger air intakes and a black
grille with matte silver surrounds, all framed by bi-Xenon
headlights.
The instrument panel dials are blue-faced
and there’s a leather-clad, three spoke steering wheel with
a “slightly elliptical” section that is supposed to
provide a firmer grip. Matching the instruments, the leather
piping on the seats is in blue.
The flagship S60 gets most of the equipment
you’d expect, from climate control air-conditioning, cruise
control, 11 speaker sound system with, four disc CD player and
four 75 watt amplifiers, and a self dimming rear vision
mirror. However, not included in the basic package is
satellite navigation, laminated side windows, power glass
sunroof - or even metallic paint.
The S60 in basic form is an appealing car
to look at and the R version takes that a step further with
its bigger wheels and subtly revised bodywork. Again according
to the pundits down-under, unfortunately the R also inherits
the Volvo suspension so it doesn’t really rate among other
top shelf Europeans in terms of ride or handling - although it
has heaps of road grip.
It does inherit Volvo’s unquestioned
skill at clever packaging with its nicely conceived,
comfortable and relatively spacious interior, and a
load-through boot that makes it a useful cargo carrier.
It is also outstandingly safe - dynamically
and passively - and beautifully built, with great attention to
detail. Pity we probably won’t see one here, as it would be
another performance package that should come in at an
‘affordable’ price. If you have big pockets!
Subaru
Impreza
So
to this week. Again in an attempt to beat the www webcrawlers,
I ask you to look at this photograph. What is it? Clue - it is
not a Cord.
