Volvo S60 (2000 - TO DATE)   

MODELS COVERED: (4dr saloon, 2.0, 2.3, 2.4, 2.

5 petrol, 2.4 diesel 2.4 Bifuel [ S, SE])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

The Volvo S60 marked a sea change for the Swedish company. Smaller Volvos had never really cut it in the eyes of British customers being viewed with the same suspicion afforded large Italian saloons, peripatetic driveway layers, Eastern European bicycles and 99p all-you-can-eat Cantonese buffets. The S60 was the first compact Volvo to seriously threaten the German establishment a tough nut to crack by any means. As a used proposition, the S60 looks to offer many of Volvos traditionally sensible values whilst injecting a dash of Scandinavian style into the equation.

Should a nearly-new Mercedes C-class, Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series fail to appeal, the S60 should most definitely be on your shortlist.

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
Insurance
Performance
Styling
Value

This is an all-out sports saloon, aimed squarely at prestige compact executive rivals like BMWs 3 Series, Mercedes C-class and the Lexus IS200. British designer Peter Horburys brief was to create a saloon that looked like a Coupe front and rear - in his words "a Ferrari you could get in and out of" and the result is one that should sit snugly in the boardroom carpark amongst the massed ranks of Mercedes, BMWs and Audis. Its unmistakably a Volvo: check the C70-style rear three-quarter view, the V70 front end and the distinctive S80 catwalk shoulders which run the entire length of the car. Yet somehow, theres a sense of style and spirit weve not seen from Gothenburg in the past. Much the same is also true inside, though the cabin draws heavily on the approach already used in the S80 and V70 models. Here however, theres a sportier feel, courtesy of the three-spoke leather-covered wheel, the bucket seats and, on T5 manual models, a spaceball gearlever surround (an aluminium dome that pivots beneath the stick).

Probably more significant than all that however, is the amount of space youll find in the rear, thanks to a cab-forward design which has freed up more space for those on the back seat. Three people will fit but Volvo expects many customers to opt for a special two-seater rear bench with more sculpted, supportive seating for a couple of adults. Safety of course, remained uppermost in the designers minds throughout development: Volvo may have ditched many of its marque values in recent years but it cant afford to lose this one. Hence the inclusion on every model of dual-stage airbags for front driver and passenger, SIPS (the companys patented Side Impact Protections System) with side airbags, WHIPS (the Whiplash Protection System), an inflatable curtain to save your head from smashing against the side glass and five three-point seatbelts.

Prices for the Volvo S60 kick off at around £8,700 for a 2000 X-plated 2.0T S model with SE trim adding another £500. The powerful 2.4-litre cars are thinner on the ground, and expect to budget around £9,000 whilst the first T5 models have suffered a steeper depreciation hit and are currently changing hands at around £9,700 for a late 2000 model.

Prices for D5 diesel models start at £11,300. Insurance for the S60 is inexpensive, due in no small part to Volvos enviable safety record and, to a certain extent, the demographic profile of its customer base. The 2.0-litre and diesel models fall into Group 14 while the 2.

4-litre cars are rated at Group 15 and the rocketship T5 model is rated at a surprising Group 16. Thats one group lower than the significantly less powerful BMW 330i.

Its a Volvo. You tell us.

(approx based on a 2000 T5) Middle of the road prices for this compact executive flier. A clutch assembly is around £190, whilst an exhaust system is in the region of £400. Thin front brake pads will require the thick end of £60, whilst rears are £40 a pair. A new alternator will require alternate plans for £180, but a new starter motor is a fairly reasonable £120.

A replacement headlamp is £180.

As part of Fords Premier Auto Group, Volvo has a responsibility to not only offer class-leading safety and environmental performance the S60 had to be a winner on the road. In certain respects, most notably when considering £ per bhp, it succeeds admirably. Take the entry-level 2.0-litre turbo model, with 180bhp.

Faster and generally better equipped than all of its direct rivals, its also much cheaper than rival German marques: cars like the 163bhp Mercedes C200K or the 170bhp BMW 320i. In fact, you could probably afford to step up to the S60 2.4T and still save money. Here, theres 200bhp on tap, enabling the rest to sixty sprint to be dispatched in just 7.

6s on the way to 143mph: thats a useful improvement on the already rapid 2.0-litre version (8.8s and 140mph). The 2.

5T that replaced it is even more impressive. Next up is the 250bhp T5 SE, capable of sixty in just 7.0s on the way to 155mph. To rival this kind of performance, youll need either a BMW 330i or a Mercedes C320: either way, expect to spend between £6,000 more on a dealers forecourt. And just to drive home this advantage, a 300bhp T5R is available for those who really like their Volvos quick. If youd like to cut your fuel bills you can even opt for an LPG or CNG powered Bi-Fuel model thats dramatically more cost effective and is even greener to boot. The 163bhp S60 D5 diesel version acquits itself superbly, especially as its Volvos first in-house stab at a diesel engine.

Capable of hitting 60mph in 9.2 seconds on the way to 130mph, it will still return an average of 47mpg. But then, weve seen powerful Volvos before. Cars that floundered when it came to the twisty stuff.

The old S70, for example, never really qualified as a true sports saloon, even in its most bespoilered forms. Is this car different? Handling has much to do with body stiffness as anyone who tried to make an S70 change direction at speed will testify. Without it, you can make the springs as stiff as you like: it wont make much difference. Hence the need for a completely new approach, aided by the use of the impressive platform already developed for the larger S80 saloon and the new V70 estate. In the case of the S60, this has allowed for a 70% improvement in torsional rigidity. The provision of such a strong foundation enabled much else to be achieved.

Take the suspension, tuned to deliver progressive movement, rather than lurching forward or back during heavy acceleration or braking. Over and above this, two ride set-ups are available, tuned for either comfort or handling response. Theres also a wheel-at-each-corner design with reduced overhangs that lower the polar movement of inertia, enabling sharper steering responses and a crisper turn-in. Plus there are the usual electronic aids.

All models get Volvos STC Stability and Traction Control system, plus theres the (sadly optional) DSTC active anti-skid programme: enter a corner too fast and it automatically cuts in, reducing the throttle and selectively applying the brakes. If youre thinking of trading a four-wheel drive Audi in for a Volvo S60, finding a model with DSTC could well ease the acclimatisation process, especially in the wet

Like countrymen Saab, Volvo offer a beguiling blend of big horsepower and sound practicality. If youre the sort who understands the subtler nuances of left-foot braking, lift-off oversteer and heel and toe gearchanging, the S60 probably wont be your thing. If youre after solidly built and effortlessly quick transport that makes everything else look a little contrived, the S60 comes up trumps. A basic 2.

0t looks to be the pick of the range, at least until the D5 model starts fetching sensible money.

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