Volvo S60 vs Holden Calais
What's the difference?

Volvo S60

—

2024 price

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Holden Calais

$9,995 - $27,800

2018 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 6

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2024 Volvo S60

2018 Holden Calais

By Emily Agar

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

V6, 3.6L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

1.4L/100km (combined)

9.1L/100km (combined)

Energy consumption

—

Electric range

90 km

Battery capacity

18.80 kWh

Seating

Likes

Elegant proportions and styling
Feature-laden
Superb on-road driving experience

Plenty of cabin space
Safety gear on-point
Punchy V6

Dislikes

Sedate cabin compared to rivals
Works best as a four-seater
Not a lot of storage options

Fuel use on the high side
Four-cylinder turbo petrol unavailable
Diesel not an option

2024 Volvo S60 Summary

Sedans have long been supplanted by SUVs as the family favourite but they still have their charms for those drivers who like something that feels more dynamic on the road.

Enter the limited edition Volvo S60 Recharge Black Edition which sees the return of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for Volvo’s only sedan.

I’ve been family-testing the PHEV variant to see just how practical a sedan is for the modern family, and whether it's rivals, the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C200 have anything to worry about.

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2018 Holden Calais Summary

If Holden had a dollar for every time someone had criticised the new and international flavour of Australia’s formerly home-grown hero, it would surely have more than enough spare cash to blow the dust of that vast South Australian factory and restart local Commodore production immediately.

Hell, there’d probably be enough left over to relaunch the Camira while they were at it. And maybe even knock out a new Gemini or two.

So we’re not going to do that again here. The all-new Commodore, in this case the Calais Tourer, is now here - granted having travelled further than the one it replaces - and so we’ll be playing this review with the straightest of bats.

Because the truth is, if you peel the badging - and thus the swirling emotion - off its elongated rump, then you’ll find this German-built Tourer is, really and truly, a very good thing.

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Deep dive comparison

2024 Volvo S60 2018 Holden Calais

Verdict

The Volvo S60 Recharge Black Edition proves sedans can still be sexy and an excellent family car, providing your family is on the smaller side. I only have one kid, so it's perfect for our activities and gear. It’s wonderful to drive and has a great features list but it's not without its quirks.

My son thinks it looks cool, and we enjoyed bellowing out a few renditions of the original Batman theme song this week. He has had a lot of comfort in the back seat, too.

Verdict

A best-of-both-worlds option that should have us questioning our SUV obsession, the Calais Tourer delivers plenty of practicality perks and a higher ride height in a dynamic and car-like package. The equipment levels are spot on, including the comprehensive safety package, and it you act smartly, you'll get a hugely long warranty to boot.

It sure is thirsty, though, and we can't help but think plenty of owners would be happier with a smaller, more-efficient engine.

Volvo S60 vs Holden Calais What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Volvo S60 vs Holden Calais
What's the difference?