Sporty Volvo not so quick

The Volvo on test here comes with a 2.4 litre twin turbodiesel powerplant, there is a 2.0 litre D4 and a 3.0 litre D6 derivative available in the range. On engine capacity, this puts the Volvo somewhere between the Audi and BMW 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre turbodiesel offerings and just above the lone Mercedes-Benz C220 BlueTEC turbodiesel offering that is in fact a 2.1 litre.

Power wise, the Volvo S60 D5 makes an impressive 170kW of power at 4 000rpm and 470Nm of torque between 1500 and 3000rpm, up from a standard 158kW and 440Nm thanks to the optional R10 500 Polestar performance loaded software on the car.

The Audi 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre makes 130kW and 380Nm and 180kW and 500Nm respectively, while the BMWs deliver 135kW and 380Nm and 190kW and 560Nm from their powerplants and the Merc comes in with the lowest of the lot at 125kW and 400Nm.

So when it comes to power the S60 D5 is closer to the bigger capacity machines that the competition offer but these cars come at a price premium that moves them out of the Volvo’s league and more in line with the S60 D6. And then as far as base prices go, the S60 D5 is well ahead of the 2.0 litre A4 and 320d and fractionally behind the C220 BlueTEC. So again, if you were shopping in the 2.0 litre bracket you would look at the D4 Volvo rather.

I really wanted to like the Volvo, I loved the styling and the quality of the finishes and I was also hoping that would be the end of the confusion for me. But it wasn’t I am afraid. I was looking forward to putting the enhanced twin turbodiesel to the test at Gerotek and perhaps these results would let the S60 D5 move up into 3.0 litre territory and then become quite a bargain at the asking base price of R482 700 before you add R8 000 for the R Design body kit and R30 000 for the R Design Premium Plus Package that sees Sat Nav and upgraded sound fitted.

And although the S60 D5 comes with the second-generation six-speed automatic Geartronic transmission that drives power through the front wheel and does a great job in normal type everyday situations, it didn’t do anything to light up the time sheets at Gerotek. 

No launch control means a leisurely 0-100 km/h time of just on 9.0 seconds, the quarter mile in just under 17 seconds, the 1km crossed at fraction over 180 km/h while the top speed came in at 231 km/h true.

To put this into perspective again, these are times that will see this much more powerful car on paper run neck and neck with the weaker 2.0 litre offerings of Audi and BMW and the 2.1 litre of the Merc. I was not impressed to be blunt; the likes of a stock standard 330d will take this car to the cleaners on the road and this is before you fit the BMW Performance Package upgrade.

I am not knocking the Polestar software upgrade as I have no idea how much on the road performance it actually adds as we have never tested a standard S60 D5. We have just had to rely on Volvo’s word that the cars make more power and hope that this translates into better times on the road. The right way is to test the car before, add the software and test again, that way you will know exactly what has improved and what hasn’t.

Talking of improving or not improving, the S60 D5 also did not return anywhere near its claimed average fuel consumption figure of 5.9 litre per 100km by averaging 8.3 litres while we had the car. I still think 8.3 is good but again the 2.0 litres will beat this and this is a number that is more on par with the quicker 3.0 litres. 

Even with this all said, I was prepared to live with Volvo thanks to the cool styling I have already mentioned and because it comes with a full house of safety and technology that includes the likes of new Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection technology with full auto brake, new Driver Alert Control, new High Beam technology that eliminates the need to switch between low and high beam by shading out only as much of the beam as necessary along with new Cornering Lights for better visibility to Enhanced City Safety that keeps an eye on traffic in front and automatically brakes the car if you fail to react in time when the vehicle in front slows down or stops.

But what killed it for me is the drive and handling of the S60 D5. The car looks fast but the suspension was too soft when you wanted it little firmer and then when you did hit a road with bumps on it, the suspension did not damp or absorb the bumps at all well and this made for an unpleasant driving experience.

Staying around town and on smooth straight tar would work for the Volvo but the likes of the more dynamic BMW would get my money. Should you be seriously shopping in this segment, I would also wait for the all new Mercedes-Benz C Class that is about to debut in SA and cause quite a stir and probably check out the Jaguar XF and Honda Accord too.