2019 Volvo S60 sedan revealed

Volvo has taken a breather from its SUV push to reveal its new S60 premium sports sedan.

Described as a true driver’s car by Volvo president and chief executive Håkan Samuelsson, the second-generation S60 is the Swedish brand’s first modern-day model to be sold without a diesel powertrain, with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) topping the range as part of its 2019 electrification target.

9

The P in PHEV could easily stand for performance with the S 60 furnished with a choice of 254kW turbocharged T6 Twin Engine AWD powertrain and a 298kW supercharged T8 Twin Engine AWD.

Volvo's T5 and T6 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines will also be available at launch, coupled to the same eight-speed automatic transmission as the PHEVs.

A performance handling upgrade wearing the Polestar Engineered branding will be available exclusively for T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid and is a complete offer that swaps the car's wheels, brakes, suspension and engine control unit, boosting combined output to 310kW.

9

The US-built S60 shares Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, active chassis, safety technology and infotainment system with the new V60 premium mid-size estate, launched earlier this year, as well as the top-of-the-line 90 Series cars and Wheels Car of the Year-winning XC60 SUV.

Samuelsson said this makes the new S60 one of the most engaging and safest sedans on the road.

9

Front-end styling is also similar to its SUV namesake, and it features same rising window line, albeit with a sleeker fastback-styled silhouette.

The rear-end is more unique though, with part of the LED-strip tail-light display built into the bootlid, as though to highlight the stretched “VOLVO” branding.

9

Inside, the dashboard adopts styling cues from the Volvo XC40, with a portrait touchscreen flanked by narrow, retro-styled air vents.

Volvo Cars Australia is yet to confirm when its Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series rival will arrive here, and which variants are due first.

9

The S60 launch coincided with the opening of Volvo’s first US factory in Charleston, North Carolina, which is part of the Chinese-owned Swedish brand’s strategy to boost its American market share.