There are many hybrids on the market, but none of them can match the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid.The world's first diesel plug-in hybrid is Volvo Car Corporation's most technically advanced model ever - an electric car, hybrid car and muscle-car all rolled into one. At the mere touch of a button you can choose which of your three cars you want to drive at any given moment in time.
Car Advice have published a review of the Volvo XC60 T5. 'There's a tad of torque steer if you're accelerating hard around large roundabouts, or turning sharply at a T-junction, being evident particularly as the weight transfers from front to back under power, but it's not too distracting. If wet, the ESC catches any power-on understeer pretty quickly making it quite safe in all conditions. It's not a particularly sharp handler, especially with its tall-profile tyres in base specification, but the XC60 T5 does hold onto the road well, and offers a ride which is quite comfortable and quiet. In fact, comfort describes the rest of the car rather well. The front seats are excellent in both shape and padding and are a wonderful place to spend the daily home-to-work-and-back-again grind, while the back seats offer enough legroom and plenty of headroom. Like other models in Volvo's lineup, the outside pews of the back bench feature integrated boosters for two different weight/size ranges.'
Reg Hardware have published a review of the Volvo S60 DRIVe. 'Putting small capacity turbo-diesel engines in large cars seems to be becoming all the rage, so hard on the heels of Peugeot's 508 e-HDI comes Volvo's take on the concept, the S60 DRIVe. On paper, the similarities are clear: four doors, a 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine; six-speed gearbox; low emissions - 114g/km here compared to the Pug's 109; and very solid economy: over the EU combined cycle, the S60 should return 65.7mpg, slightly ahead of the 508's 64.2.'
CNET have published a review of the 2011 Volvo S60 sedan. 'The new S60 represents the ongoing transformation of Volvo into a modern car company. And as such, it has also been through a couple of ownership changes, most recently ending up in the hands of Chinese automaker Geely. But the S60 was developed and built under the auspices of Ford, which largely let Volvo be Volvo. The direction represented by the S60 should surprise fans of the earlier Volvo cars, as this vehicle is nothing short of a BMW 3-series competitor. Its turbocharged straight six delivers an abundance of power, its suspension gives the car nimble handling, and all-wheel drive increases grip. The main area where it falls short is the fact that it cannot be had with a manual transmission. The S60 is a very good-looking car, with a strong beltline and curved roof. The designers sculpted out areas in the front to house the headlight casings and unique marker lights. The grille juts forward, almost aggressively.'
The USA Today have published a review of the 2011 Volvo S60. 'Volvo gave its redesigned 2011 S60 T6 compact sedan the sweetest drivetrain Volvo's had on the street in a very long time, maybe ever. It also restyled the exterior without losing the smooth and sensuous flow of the original S60. Ditto inside. Still elegant, still extraordinarily comfy seats. Two inches more legroom in back (but still tight back there). Chassis is similar to the Euro-market setup, so it should satisfy the cornering cadre while not alienating people who drive where roads resemble the aftermath of a naval bombardment.'
Pocket-lint have published their review of the new Volvo S60. 'Designed with safety in mind, but also with the idea that you'll want something that looks good, the Volvo S60 features smooth curves and plenty of swish. It's not completely rounded however and you'll soon notice that the front bonnet is both high and square, while the rear of the car swoops upwards, but not dramatically. It's a design that is safer says Volvo (a higher bonnet for example means more flex when you hit someone, which in turn means they are likely to survive), but one that isn't going to get you stick when you pull up to a meeting or be overly polarising in that you'll either love it or hate it.'
The Garage Blog have published a review of the Volvo C70 convertible. 'The C70 is offered in the US and Canada with one drivetrain only. A 2.5L turbocharged inline five delivers 227hp, coupled to a five-speed automatic. This is the same drivetrain in the Volvo C30 that The Garage reviewed earlier this year. While we were a bit underwhelmed with the C30, the drivetrain suits the C70′s personality perfectly. You have power available whenever you need it, but no one will mistake the C70 for a sports car. We enjoyed our C70 over a balmy Fourth of July weekend where I live in coastal Connecticut, and it was the perfect car for top down cruising and good fun.'
Paul Tan have published their review of the Volvo S80 Turbo sedan. 'The S80 is a significant car for Volvo. The first generation S80 made its debut more than ten years ago as the first Volvo to ditch boxes for curves, and the marque's design department hasn't looked back since. Today, with its latest models like the XC60 and the new S60 (to be launched here later this year), Volvo is a fully paid up member of the Scandinavian brand of industrial design alongside the likes of Ikea and Bang & Olufsen. But while sleek and neat, this generation of S80 never had a strong presence to this writer, looking more like a more bloated version of the old S60.'
Inside Line have published their "test driven"review of the 2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD. 'The 2011 Volvo S60 had a rather strange conception. Designed in an interregnum between Peter Horbury's first and second stints at the helm as Volvo's design director, the S60 actually was penned by Steve Mattin, the British designer responsible for the original Mercedes A-Class and the pre-face-lift version of the current-generation Mercedes SL. Horbury was busy running Ford's North American design team at the time, but returned to Volvo after Mattin left last summer. This game of musical chairs has left the S60 in a strange position. It is supposed to establish a new design vocabulary for the brand, but some of those cues might.'
A review of the 2011 Volvo C30 T5 R-Design has been posted over at LeftLane. 'Slotted below the S40 sedan and V50 wagon, the C30 takes its general flair from Volvo's iconic P1800 ES three-door wagons that debuted back in 1972. Those shapely wagonbacks only lasted for two model years, but their legacy has made them cult collector's items. The C30 was first introduced to the United States as a 2008 model (small car-friendly Canada got it a few months earlier as a 2007). Quirky and unique from the tail end, the C30 was virtually identical to the much more sedate S40 up front. To rectify this stylistic confusion, Volvo gave the C30 a far more daring front fascia for 2011.'
