Geneva Preview: 2011 Volvo S60

The 2011 Volvo S60 is set to make its debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show, and as expected, the automaker's newest midsize offering remains true to the concept that bowed in Detroit last year and comes packing a formidable blend of tech and safety features.

The images in the gallery below speak for themselves, but with a sloping greenhouse and a pedestrian-safe front end, the all-new S60 certainly packs more presence than the outgoing model. A wagon variant is expected to arrive in Europe later this year, but Stateside consumers likely won't get a crack at the five-door model.

Compared to its predecessor, the S60 grows by one inch to 182.2 inches overall, with a 109.3-inch wheelbase (up by 2.3 inches over the last generation) and a one-inch widening up front, along with 1.7-inch stretch in the rear. All told, the S60 is less than 100 pounds heavier than the outgoing model.

Power will be provided by a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six putting out 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, with maximum twist available at 1,500 rpm. Coupled with a six-speed automatic and a Haldex all-wheel drive system, the S60 T6 AWD will run to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and top out at 155 mph. Expect the front-wheel drive model to debut alongside the wagon late in 2010.

European consumers will have their choice of a turbo'd and direct injected 2.0-liter four-pot, along with a diesel and a dual-clutch gearbox. There's also talk of the S40's turbocharged 2.5-liter (T5) making its way underhood later in the S60's lifecycle, which should be good for 227 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.

Three separate suspension systems will be available: Base, Dynamic and Four-C Adaptive. Dynamic will be optional and use stiffer springs and bushings, combined with retuned dampers and thicker piston rods, with the Four-C setup utilizing Volvo's new adaptive damping system.

Naturally, safety isn't left out of the package, and with the S60, Volvo has incorporated it's newest system – Pedestrian Detection – which utilizes the City Safety crash avoidance system, a front-mounted radar unit and mirror cameras to detect pedestrians over 31 inches tall and apply the brakes to prevent a collision.

Source: Indiacar.com Source : http://www.autoblog.com (2/9/2010)