New Volvo S60 Getting PHEV Powertrain With 415PS

Volvo will be unveiling the new generation S60 next week, at a special event held at the Charleston manufacturing facility, in South Carolina.

However, that’s not the only major announcement the Swedish car marque made, as they also spoke about a ‘Polestar Engineered’ range-topping S60 model. The flavor will slot above the R Design variants and make use of the T8 Twin Engine and an electric motor.

The internal combustion lump delivers 400PS (394hp / 294kW) and 640Nm (472lb-ft) of torque, and when paired with the small electric motor that forms a PHEV powertrain, the total output available is 415PS (409hp / 305kW) and 670Nm (494lb-ft) of torque, in US-spec.

According to Volvo, “the software upgrades improve fuel consumption and emissions-neutral performance, and refines the automatic gear selection”. At the same time, the company’s VP of R&D, Henrik Green, describes the model as an “exciting driver’s car”, stating that “all components have been fine-tuned to work together”.

Also Read: Volvo Moves Away From ‘Traditional’ Auto Shows, Will Skip Geneva

“Electric cars are our future. Today starts a new era of Volvo electrified models, enhanced by Polestar’s performance engineering prowess”, added Volvo’s President and CEO Hakan Samuelsson. “This strategy is firmly grounded in our shared belied in an electric future for the car industry.”

Besides offering some details into the oily bits of the car, the company has also mentioned a few other upgrades that will draw a clear line between the S60 T8 Twin Engine and the rest of the S60 family. These are the Polestar badges, black chrome exhaust pipes, specific alloy wheels, Brembo brake calipers with a gold look said to be “the new hallmark color for Polestar Engineered components”, and golden seatbelts.

There’s a Polestar-made multi-link suspension too, on both axles, which stiffens the springs and dampeners while retaining comfort, whereas the strut bar and adjustable shock absorber design are shared with the Polestar 1.

As expected, the new plug-in hybrid powertrain won’t be limited to just the third-gen S60, as Volvo will also offer it in the V60 estate and XC60 SUV. However, the latter two derivatives won’t arrive until next year, when they will be offered globally in limited numbers.