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Volvo’;s double pumper.
We have a lengthy and checkered history with the present-generation Volvo S60. Initial it lost to the Buick Regal GS in a head-to-head comparison test. Then, given a chance to redeem itself in a 5-auto sports-sedan comparo in which it was spotted a 60-hp advantage, it completed last. We signed on for a extended-termer anyway, and the car wound up requiring a brain transplant to complete its 40,000-mile test. Now the S60 returns—this time with a new heart [see New Tech for 2015].
A 2.-liter, direct-injected 4-cylinder mated to an 8-speed transaxle with stop-start off types the basis of a goofy new appellation, “Drive-E.” (Note to Volvo: Put the internetty vowel just before the word.) All future Volvos will be powered by these new 4s, which, oddly, retain the T5 and T6 badges of their 5- and 6-cylinder predecessors. The base T5 Drive-E is turbocharged to 240 horsepower, although the T6 Drive-E is each turbocharged and supercharged to make 302 horses and 295 pound-feet of torque. That’s an impressive quantity of energy from 2 liters, but Volvo says even far more is forthcoming, with hybridized versions capable of sitting in for V-8s.
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We’d like to say that doubling the forced-induction adders transforms the S60. But the T6 Drive-E runs the quarter-mile in 14 seconds flat, the exact same as the last 6-cylinder T6 AWD model we tested. The Drive-E’s zero-to-60 split is a tenth more quickly at 5.4 seconds, but the steering gets so light under full throttle that the advantage is as pyrrhic as it is modest. The whining blower does boost transitional throttle response when revs are beneath 3500 rpm, even though the 8-speed automatic has a higher effect in smoothing out power delivery. Paddle shifters are now common.
Braking functionality of the T6 Drive-E suffers thanks to a change in tire spec. Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season tires replace the Continental ContiProContacts, and the stopping distance from 70 mph extends to 193 feet, 11 longer than before. Why are we so convinced it is the tires? Due to the fact these Pirellis also undermine the braking capabilities of the BMW 3-series.
Of course, the impetus for all of this is fuel economy. And in the eyes of the EPA, Volvo succeeds. The T6 Drive-E is rated at a combined 28 mpg, 7 mpg much more than our 2012 extended-termer. Highway fuel economy is a lofty 35 mpg, impressive for any 300-hp vehicle.
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Whilst doubling down on forced induction can enhance efficiency, it also offers heavy-booted drivers higher opportunities to burn fuel. To wit: More than 500 miles, we managed 24 mpg in the T6 Drive-E, 1 mpg significantly less than we saw for the duration of our long-haul test with the 6-cylinder model. Your mileage might vary, indeed.
The S60 got a new front end and a new instrument panel last year, but neither of these upgrades nor this new engine actually moves the bar. And a person at Volvo should recognize this, since for the time getting, Volvo will sell the new Drive-E models alongside the old turbocharged 5- and 6-cylinder vehicles. We’re already on record with regards to those.
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