Volvo V60 News

The mid-sized newbie is developed from the latest S60 sedan, one of the more-impressive European introductions of 2010, and finally dumps the squared-edged tail-end treatment that has been a Swedish trademark since the 1970s. Volvo has even slapped a sports wagon label on the S60, just as Holden did with its Commodore family carrier, to let everyone know what has happened.  "We've never had this kind of wagon before. It's much more sporty," says Alan Desselss, the managing director of Volvo Australia. "This is not just a wagon conversion on a sedan. It's a totally different car.  These days there are companies who can deliver a fridge for you. There is no need to have a Volvo wagon to carry one around." Mechanical The V60 picks up the same mechanical, technical and safety package used in the S60 - including a pedestrian-detection system capable of automatic emergency braking - and will land in Australia in the first half of 2011. Engine choices will range from a CO2 friendly DRIVe powerplant to a turbocharged 3-litre T6 motor with around 220 kiloWatts, there are six- speed automatic and manual gearboxes, front and all-wheel drive, and Volvo is promising the same enthusiastic chassis tuning as the S60 sedan. "It will have all of the same appointments and safety aspects, and those sorts of things as well,” Desselss says.  "We're pretty confident that it will be a pretty dynamic drive." Pricing and spec Desselss refuses to talk about prices or final engine choices, except to say the car takes the same approach as the S60, which is likely to have a basic bottom line close to $50,000. He believes a deal with Sweden is close, but is not committing to anything on price until the car is nearly ready for Australia. The S60 will be seen first at the Australian International Motor Show in October but Desselss says the Sydney event is too early for the sports wagon.  "The S60, we should get in December. And then the V60 towards the end of the first quarter next year." Styling The design of the V60 is closer to a hatchback crossover than a traditional Volvo wagon, according to global boss Stephen Odell.  "The typical sports wagon customer is an S60 buyer who would like some extra space and flexibility, but without the slightest compromise on sporty design and exciting driving properties," says Odell. "Our sports wagon does not aim to compete with the traditional estate car. For the customer who wants a lot of load space, there is our V70 or XC70," Volvo has done more than just a tail-end job on the V60, although some people say its new nose looks more like an aardvark than anything else in the Swedish range. Desselss says the S60-V60 combination will be a major pillar for Volvo from 2011 and hopes their acceptance in Australia will make a breakthrough for Volvo.  "We desperately need these replacements. The old S60 just wasn't strong enough. It did well at the start, but that was a flash in the pan, back in 2001. "The two cars will be a very significant proportion of our volume. It will be between 25 and 30 per cent, so it's quite a significant move for us because we have not been competitive in those segments. And the bottom line, at least for the S60?  "We are getting closer on price. A call around the $50,000 mark is pretty strong. But it still has to be approved by Sweden." The only bad news for Australia is a likely waiting list, as the sales forecast for the V60 is only 50,000 cars, with 90 per cent tagged for European owners in Sweden, Britain, Holland, Italy and Germany.

He is the head-down boss of chassis and suspension development at the Swedish maker, but it's his flair and commitment to driving enjoyment which have just made a fundamental change to the safety-first brand.The all-new Volvo S60 sedan is a car with the sporty enjoyment of a BMW, as well as ride quality that trumps an Audi. It even comes with a Momo-style sporty wheel, instead of something which feels like it belongs in a Volvo bus.So, how does he do it? Firstly, he has backing from senior management to create cars which sell on more than safety. Secondly, he has the engineering brain and experience to do the job right. Thirdly, he has a suspension team who are better than anyone knew on stuff like the black-art work of shock absorbers, springs, bushes and even the basic chassis design. Thirdly, he cannot help himself.Sallqvist has a wicked sense of humour, rides motocross bikes for fun, and has a bunch of Aussie mates. Then again, he is scared of spiders and snakes, something he realised when he was riding in Australia a while back. "When I was trail riding near Noosa I fell off and the bike went into these bushes. I made someone else pull it out because I was scared of being bitten," Sallqvist laughs.Volvo is doing more and more tuning work on its cars but Sallqvist does not believe in all-out laps at the Nurburgring. Instead, he sends his team to a bunch of B-road twists and turns in Britain, where the bumps and lumps also create unique suspension challenges. "These are the old Roman roads. Some of them have not been re-surfaced in many, many years. They are very tough," he says.He is not a fan, either, of high-tech electronic suspension systems, even though Volvo has them - and driver-adjustable steering loading - in its cars. "You have to get the basics right. You cannot mask things with electronics," he says.The S60 shows what Sallqvist and his team can do and he promises more in the future. He has already done a job on the baby Volvo C30, promising it now has the suspension tweaking to match sporty its looks.Follow Paul Gover on Twitter!