Volvos are sensible, it’s true, but they’re also stylish. The original Volvo S60 debuted just after the millennium, and it’s sleek, aerodynamic shape still looked fresh when it was replaced by the rather anonymous looking second-generation model. In 2019, the S60’s Scandanavian style game returned, stronger than ever, for the third-generation model. 

Since then, the company’s small luxury mainstay has undergone only minor feature tweaks, including some new standard safety technology for 2021. This car’s point of origin is also noteworthy. While Volvo had a Canadian factory decades ago, this S60 is the first Volvo car made in the U.S. The company’s new factory in South Carolina makes them for worldwide export.

The Volvo S60 is clad in timeless styling, with the longer nose and shorter rear overhang of a sports sedan or a coupe and clean, muscular lines throughout. Volvo

We drove the gasoline version, but the S60 also comes as the Recharge, a plug-in hybrid that gets up to 22 miles of all-electric range. For buyers who want more than a sedan, Volvo also builds the V60 station wagon and XC60 crossover on the same platform.

The S60 comes in three trims, starting with the Momentum at $40,295, including a $1,045 destination charge. Both the Inscription and R-Design are $44,340. Their overall features are similar, but the Inscription is more about luxury, while the R-Design gives the car a sportier look.

All start with front-wheel drive, and all can be optioned to all-wheel drive (AWD) for $2,500. Any colour other than black adds $695. Other available options include a Climate Package of heated seats and steering wheel for $750, and an Advanced Package with such items as adaptive cruise control with lane centering, head-up display, and a 360-degree camera. It ranges from $2,100 to $4,200, depending on the trim level.

The S60’s minimalist dash design is elegant, but there isn’t a lot of storage space, and most functions are accessed through the nine-inch touchscreen. Volvo

The S60 uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that makes 260 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission. On front-drive models, the engine is turbocharged. With AWD, the engine gets both a turbocharger and supercharger. 

Both pump extra air into the engine – along with a corresponding amount of fuel – when more power is needed. The turbocharger runs off exhaust gas and takes a moment to spool up, while the mechanical supercharger kicks in almost immediately. This provides peppy performance, along with power to pass at highway speeds. 

The engine includes a mild hybrid system, with a small electric motor and 48-volt battery that’s recharged through regenerative braking, but the S60 can’t run on electricity alone. Instead, the motor assists the gasoline engine as needed, for strong, smooth and fuel-efficient acceleration. The S60 has a higher horsepower rating than much of its competition, and feels stronger than you’d expect from a small engine.

The seats are very supportive, which keeps them comfortable on a long drive, while rear-seat legroom is about average for the segment. Volvo

For those who want more power, the S60 offered a 316-horsepower T6 version for a $3,750 premium until early in the 2021 model year. Those cars can still be found at dealerships, but are no longer listed on Volvo’s website and have unofficially been replaced by the T8 Recharge. The T6 won’t reappear in 2022.

Despite its sports-sedan looks, the S60 doesn’t have the athletic, toss-it-around feel of rivals like the Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series. Still, that’s not a complaint. It’s nicely-balanced around corners, well-planted on the highway, and has a very smooth, larger-car ride. The R-Design can be optioned with a sport chassis for $200, which sharpens the performance but makes the ride very firm.

The optional AWD system primarily powers the front wheels, sending more torque to the rear as needed when driving. It also engages AWD whenever you’re stopped, to provide full traction once you start moving.

Front-drive S60s return an estimated EPA rating of 23 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined, while AWD drops each measure by 1 mpg. That’s about midway in the segment, where the BMW 330i is rated at 30 mpg combined, to the Lexus IS300 AWD at 22 mpg. Like many rivals, the S60 requires premium fuel.

 The telltale electrical cord signifies this as the T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid S60. We review that models separately, but it looks almost identical to the regular model. Early in 2021, buyers could still order the 316-horsepower T6 in the regular S60s, but the T8 has no replaced that model. Volvo

Like all of the current Volvos, the S60’s cabin is handsomely styled and a model of Scandinavian simplicity. This thoughtful minimalism looks great, but does present some issues. The slim center console is ergonomic and visually striking, but doesn’t supply much small-item storage.

The Sensus Connect infotainment system is housed in a vertical 9-inch touchscreen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. But with hard buttons for only a few functions, most items are in the screen, including the climate controls. The system can be laggy, and you can’t heat or cool the cabin until it’s fully loaded.

You must slide or tap to adjust the temperature, or use voice commands, which is more distracting than spinning a dial. The screen has a hard button for the home page, and from there, you swipe to access other functions, including driver assist features, or optional items such as the head-up display or wireless charger. Everything is straightforward, but there’s a lot of eyes-off-the-road glancing.

The seats are supportive and stay comfortable on longer drives. At 37.4 inches of front-seat headroom, the S60 is virtually the same as the Audi A4, but slightly trails models like the BMW 3 Series at 38.7 inches, or the Genesis G70 at 39.7 inches. However, it compensates with more rear-seat headroom than most. Front and rear legroom, at 42.3 and 35.2 inches, are about midway for the segment.

The S60 isn’t as sporty as it looks or as enthusiastic a driver as the BMW 3 Series, but only the most demanding drivers will really feel the difference. It’s a composed handler, even if it’s biased more towards comfort than speed. Volvo

At 11.6 cubic feet, the S60 has more trunk space than the Lexus IS or Genesis G70, but trails the Audi Q50 at 13.5 cubic feet, and the BMW 3 Series at 17 cubic feet. At least “fashion before luggage” is better than “fashion before comfort.”

Features on the entry-level Momentum include two-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding mirrors, 18-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, driver’s memory seat, “leatherette” upholstery, emergency front braking, lane-keeping assist, rear parking assist, and blind-spot monitoring. In addition to its many standard active-safety features, the S60 earns five stars from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, so it does not let down the traditional Volvo values.

The Inscription adds such features as four-zone climate control, LED fog lamps, navigation, front parking assist, leather upholstery, rear-door power child locks, wireless charger, and premium stereo. The R-Design adds similar functions, but with leather-and-fabric seats, sport pedals, aluminum accents, and contoured sport seats.

Though the process was already well along when the original S60 bowed, Volvo has evolved into even more of premium brand ever since. Thanks to its driving performance, quality cabin materials, and elegant styling, the S60 stands out from the crowd visually and holds its own on value and performance. If you’re shopping the compact luxury segment, it should be on your test-drive list.