Posted on Thursday 22 March 2007
Volvo is busy preparing its entry to the mid-size sedan market in the shape of the S60, which will feature radical new styling under the direction of design chief Steve Mattin. Having already developed the XC60 concept, Mattin’s next job is to give the S60 a bold new face that will compete with the German triumvirate.
Our friends at Auto Motor & Sport Sweden managed to score a peek at design sketches for the new S60 the day before the Geneva Auto Show and their journalist relayed the impressions to a 3D artist, who created these images.
Due to a lack of funds Ford decided to halt production of the S60 for 6 months, but AMS reports that things are back in full swing for a 2009/2010 release date. According to their discussion with Mattin, Volvo wants to make the S60 more unique and an interesting alternative to the usual suspects. The goal is to hit 600,000 cars sold per year in 2010, up from the 450,000 mark at the moment.
Click here to see the illustrations in full.
That strong “muscles” around the waist, windows and mouth, the short tail and 21st century lights… that car is exactly how it should be!
About the “mid-size” thing, I thought that word was reserved for the S80, which is a rival of the 5 Series, E-Class, A6, S-Type, 9-5, 166… The S40/S60 mashup you are suggesting would be around 4,60 metres long, that means a rival of the 3 Series, C-Class, A4, 9-3, X-ype… If the first group is called “mid-size”, then these latter models are compacts.
average looking mondeo.
This prototype disgusts me. Ford is leaving the Volvo styling traits behind in exchange for more familiar (Ford family) body lines. This looks almost like every other Ford produced Fusion/ Mondeo…What a tragedy. If this happens I will never buy another Volvo.
I am not loving the new design direction. It looks cartoonish - I own one this design is not pulling me back into the dealership to part with $$ - the uniqueness of the brand is being swallowed by the ford global platform with some readily apparent decontenting of the product - its a rebadged mondeo note to ford we are not stupid.
The new look is great. Looks fast and muscular. Volvo can count me in. My only hope is for some serious ponies under the hood. At least the V8 the s80 has.
I like the new design; it doesn’t look like any ford or mercury I have ever seen. I hope the production version look like this but with broader shoulders to show the more unique Volvo heritage and finally, Volvo jumps into the 21st century with this redesigned S60. Hopefully, it has the horsepower to backup it new aggressive looks.
Not everything needs to look like Chris Bangle influenced the design to be a winner. I hope that by the time that it goes to production (since there are always changes), Volvo remembers that it’s dealing with a very loyalist-driven brand. You CAN make a successful niche brand and still make money and have respect… not everything needs to be mass-market as these looks are leading me to believe that Ford wants Volvo to become.