While the S60 was never highly praised, it still remained one of the key cars in Volvo’s transition from one of the most boring brands on the market to one with a little European flair and unique design. And who could forget the high-performance S60 R? While this was no M5 rival, the S60 R still had some pretty nifty features and could easily keep up with many of the performance saloons on sale today. Some highlights included an interlocking chassis system, AWD and a 300hp (225kW) turbocharged engine.
Sales of the S60 were strong following its release in 2000 and remained high until the middle of 2004 when consumer interest started to wane. After this, even an extensive facelift program in 2005 and updates in 2006 couldn't keep the S60 from fading away into obscurity.
Despite its slow march towards death, fans of the S60 shouldn't despair. Volvo plans on reviving the badge next year, and if the new car looks anything like the S60 Concept that debuted at this year's Detroit Motor Show then we should be in for a treat.
In addition to its attractive styling, the concept previewed Volvo’s next-generation engine design that should appear in the new S60 next year. Under the hood was a tiny 1.6L four-cylinder petrol engine with 180hp (134kW) on tap and a fuel-economy rating of 47mpg (5.0L/100km).
