2022 Volvo S60 Review

LIKES

Minimalist cabin design
Potent engines
Available plug-in hybrid
First-class seats
Great standard safety features

DISLIKES

Rear seat won't fit three
Small trunk
Polestar Engineered is pricey

BUYING TIP

The S60 B5 with all-wheel drive can be fitted with all the safety and entertainment features we’d want; the plug-in hybrids don’t pay back the investment quickly.

The 2022 Volvo S60 sedan balances grace with power.

What kind of car is the 2022 Volvo S60? What does it compare to?

The S60 is Volvo’s smaller sedan, with seats for five and a passel of powertrains, including plug-ins; there’s even a V60 Cross Country wagon version, if your weather’s like that in Stockholm. Rivals include the Audi A4 and Allroad, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the BMW 3-Series.

Is the 2022 Volvo S60 a good car?

It’s marvelous to ride in, great to look at, and reasonably affordable and efficient. We give it a TCC Rating of 7.5 out of 10.

What’s new for the 2022 Volvo S60?

Last year’s 316-hp turbo-4 with supercharging has gone away (though it’s still around in the XC60), but the S60 has added mild-hybrid tech for improved economy and gets wireless smartphone charging on some versions.

Otherwise, it’s carried over from last year, still athletic-looking and graced with one of the finer interiors we’ve experienced. The S60 has a toned look that’s just shy of muscly—and the tony interior can be adorned in nappa leather with a pashmina of driftwood draped across it, in a spare but exceedingly elegant way.

Volvo has trimmed the middle powertrain from the slow-selling S60 family, leaving behind a 260-hp turbo-4 with front- or all-wheel drive in less expensive models. It’s

Quick, but either plug-in hybrid will zoom by on the way to 60 mph; T8 plug-ins have 400 hp, while a tuned and tweaked Polestar Engineered edition makes 415 hp. There’s some coarse 4-cylinder noise in the S60, but it’s factored out almost completely by the calm ride and cool demeanor. Even when it’s lowered with a sport-tuned suspension, nothing seems to upset the S60’s responsive but collected feel.

Front-seat passengers have seats that could coddle them for days, once they’re upgraded to nappa leather, heating, and cooling. The rear seats have less head room and fit better for two large people than three. The S60’s trunk checks in on the small side at 11.6 cubic feet—and some versions don’t have fold-down rear seatbacks to expand cargo storage. That’s what the V60 Cross Country, with 23.2 cubic feet of cargo space, is for.

The S60 excels in crash tests, and every version gets adaptive LED headlights, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist, which permits short stints of hands-free driving with brake and steering support.

How much does the 2022 Volvo S60 cost?

It’s $40,295 for the S60 Momentum, which comes with 18-inch wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, and a 9.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Inscription and R-Design packages run $3,000; all-wheel drive costs $2,300. We recommend the $43,295 Inscription for its lovely interior trims, navigation, blind-spot monitors, and Harman Kardon audio; there’s also the utility-driven V60 Cross Country for $47,295.

Where is the 2022 Volvo S60 made?

In South Carolina.

Styling

The S60’s design is understated to the nth degree, but not to a fault.

Is the Volvo S60 a good-looking car?

It’s attractive from every angle, with a sculpted shape that evokes more muscle than it actually puts on display, and an interior that embodies all that Volvo does well. With two points for the interior and one for the exterior, it’s an 8 here.

Some cues are borrowed from the bigger S90 four-door sedan, but the S60 reformats them with the proportions of a sport sedan: its overhangs are shorter, the nose is longer, and the fenders have a more buff appearance, wrapped around 18-inch or bigger wheels. The S60 looks fit and toned, without any needless steroidal riffs. It’s all about balance, from its hammer-shaped LED headlights to the trim vertical bars on its grille. We’re not mad at all about how the V60 Cross Country wagon takes the best of the S60 and drapes a lovely wagon roofline on it.

Inside, the S60 bristles with confidence. Appealing to almost every eye, the cockpit brims with classic and modern shapes that gel around a 9.0-inch touchscreen. Volvo slipcovers the seats in synthetic or real leather, and wraps the dash in ribbons of wood and metallic trim. More dour versions dress in charcoal black, while the opulent versions have panels of blonde or gray driftwood. It harmonizes warmly, without a single hair gone astray.

Performance

Spirited and smooth, the S60 is big on low-key performance.

The S60 can run with the quickest vehicles in its Euro-sedan niche, but it doesn’t lean into the brittle ride and too-fast steering that calls out the most hyper of the bunch. It’s a 7 here, with a point for its ride and one for its turbo-4 drivetrain.

Is the Volvo S60 4WD?

All but the front-drive B5 sedan have all-wheel drive.

How fast is the Volvo S60?

It’s quick in base B5 configuration, which means a 260-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 and an 8-speed automatic, along with a new mild-hybrid system that banks regenerative power to run accessories and to help improve overall efficiency. With 258 lb-ft of torque and front-wheel drive, Volvo spools up a 0-60 mph time of 6.4 seconds. With all-wheel drive, it’s quicker at 6.2 seconds, due to cleaner launches (and smoother, thanks to the mild-hybrid pack).

The V60 Cross Country wagon comes with the B5 powertrain and all-wheel drive; its heavier curb weight pushes 0-60 mph times to 6.4 seconds.

Last year’s 316-hp turbo-4 with supercharging has been dropped. But the S60 can be configured with the plug-in hybrid T8 setup, which powers the front wheels with the turbo-4 and supercharger, and adds a battery pack and electric motor to power the rear wheels for a net of 400 hp. Volvo says that’s good for 22 miles of electric driving and a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds.

Finally, a Polestar Engineered T8 churns out 415 hp and 494 lb-ft of torque from the T8 setup. It’s rare, and overshoots the S60’s mild-mannered mission, but it hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, Volvo says.

Beyond the powertrains, the S60 has a similar steering and suspension design, across the board, with different tuning for milder base versions than the stiffer Polestar setup. With strong on-center feel, well-tuned electric power steering gets more hefty in Dynamic mode, but still offers good road feedback for the driver. The independent suspension in the S60 feels planted and pliant on badly paved roads; it’s more taut in R-Design versions with a lowered suspension, though adaptive dampers keep the harshness that the tuning and big wheels could induce. The BMW M3 and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio have nothing to fear here: the S60 lacks the ferocious edge honed into those cars. It’s simply satisfying to drive, pleasantly shorn of the relentlessly stiff damping of the Alfa, and the slightly vague steering of the Bimmer.

Comfort & Quality

Front-seaters get coddled, while two fit well in back.

Volvo fits its vehicles with accommodating cabins, but the S60 has less room to lavish on back-seat passengers. We give the S60 a score of 7 for utility and comfort, with points for its fit and finish, and for its front seats.

Those power-adjustable buckets are form-fitting and thickly bolstered. Even though they sit low in the car, which sits lower than a crossover, it’s easy to find a great driving position. Volvo’s real leather costs more, but it’s worth it versus the synthetic stuff that’s standard—the hides come with more adjustment, including better lumbar padding.

With 35.2 inches of leg room in back, the S60 finds space for tall passengers and their feet, but it’s not quite wide enough to carry three large people across.

Most S60s have a fold-down rear seatback that expands the small 11.6-cubic-foot trunk. The V60 wagon version doesn’t really need the help: it sports 23.2 cubic feet for cargo behind the rear seats, and 50.9 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks out of the way.

The S60 has typical Volvo attention to detail. The color combinations offer subtle beige and gray leather and wood, screwed together well; make ours an Inscription with the silvery wood and soothing palette.

Safety

It’s nearly flawless.

How safe is the Volvo S60?

Very safe. The IIHS calls it a Top Safety Pick+, and the NHTSA gives it five stars overall—though the latter score includes a four-star rating for front passenger protection.

It’s a 9 here thanks to good outward vision and a safety roster that includes active lane control, blind-spot monitors, adaptive LED headlights, and automatic emergency braking and active lane control. The S60 also comes with the Pilot Assist driver-assistance suite, which allows brief periods of hands-free driving with acceleration, braking, and steering support.

Features

The S60 slathers on technology and luxury.

The 2022 S60 sedan comes with a long list of standard features and options, user-friendly infotainment, and a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, which includes free scheduled maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles. That’s a 9 here, missing only a point for value.

The $40,295 S60 Momentum kicks things off with synthetic leather upholstery, 18-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, a sunroof, and a 9.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A Premium package adds wireless smartphone charging (except on the Recharge), navigation, a split-folding back seat, and front parking sensors. All-wheel drive costs $2,300; Inscription and R-Design packages run $3,000.

Options include a head-up display, a surround-view camera system, 19-inch wheels, and Harman Kardon audio.

Which Volvo S60 should I buy?

Take the $43,295 S60 Inscription, which comes with navigation, and Harman Kardon audio, with options for 19-inch wheels, a sport suspension, and automatic park assist. It’s $51,695 in plug-in hybrid form.

The V60 Cross Country costs $47,295. It’s equipped with T5 AWD running gear, leather upholstery, and 18-inch wheels.

How much is a fully loaded Volvo S60?

The $65,845 Polestar Engineered S60 plug-in hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels, Bowers & Wilkins audio, a surround-view camera system, and adaptive cruise control.

Fuel Economy

The S60’s efficiency star is the plug-in hybrid.

Is the Volvo S60 good on gas?

It’s fine for a mid-size sedan. Cutting-edge drivers will want the plug-in hybrid Polestar edition, with its 69 MPGe rating and 22 miles of all-electric driving (it’s 30 mpg combined, when the electric’s run out).

But more common is the all-wheel-drive S60 sedan with the B5 drivetrain. It’s EPA-rated at 25 mpg city, 33 highway, 28 combined, which earns a score of 5 here.