Volvo S60 facelift arrives in Malaysia
Volvo Car Malaysia has officially introduced a heavily facelifted version of the S60 sedan sporting a much-changed appearance and further enhancements to its already formidable safety package.
Unlike the recently-launched XC60 facelift, there is no transition to Volvo’s new Drive-E powertrain family yet, meaning the new S60 continues to run on the same Ford EcoBoost engines as its pre-facelift predecessor. We believe this is a transitional arrangement, however, as we know for a fact that Drive-E-powered versions of the S60 are already available in certain markets.
For now, your choices continue to comprise of the 180hp 1.6-litre T4 and the 240hp 2.0-litre T5, both fitted with the Getrag-sourced 6-speed PowerShift wet dual clutch gearbox. Globally, Volvo also offers the S60 with a choice of several different chassis settings. We understand that, like its predecessor, the local product team has opted to specify Malaysia-spec models with the sportier dynamic chassis as standard.
Outside, the S60’s new frontal look is designed project the appearance of added width to the car. The new face is boxier and more angular, with its grille made wider. Attention to detail has been further fine-tuned with small touches such as the relocation of previously visible windscreen wiper washers to be hidden under the bonnet and the implementation of gloss black finish on the front radar cover to give a flusher appearance. An R-Design Styling Package is offered as a cost option.
Inside the new S60, occupants are welcomed into a cabin of familiar surroundings but featuring an improved Volvo Sensus infotainment system with upgraded Bluetooth connection capability; in addition to hands-free telephone conversation, the system now also supports Bluetooth music streaming. Another notable enhancement is the three-mode TFT Adaptive Digital Display already available in the V40 and XC60.
As with other Volvos, safety continues to be a key-selling point of the new S60. Some features are in fact new or significantly improved from what was previously available. New to the S60 would be Active High Beam Control (T5 only), Cross Traffic Alert, and Road Sign Information (T5 only), whilst autonomous emergency braking (City Safety) and blind spot warning (BLIS) has been significantly improved in their execution and calibration. In the T5, City Safety is complemented by pedestrian and cyclist detection.
On-the-road pricing of the facelifted S60 starts at RM221,888 without insurance for the T4 model whilst the T5 goes for RM268,888. Both variants come with Volvo
