Curvy S60 guns for BMW

Four-door coupé styling is a radical departure from current S60.

Volvo is taking the fight straight to BMW – and judging by these pictures, it’s well prepared. The Swedish firm has redesigned the normally conservative S60 in an attempt to break into the hotly contested four-door coupé market – and this is the stunning, 3-Series-rivalling result.

We gave you a glimpse of the car’s radical looks in Issue 1,041, when Volvo released a teaser shot. Plus, we reported that the S60 concept would debut at next month’s Detroit Motor Show.

But this racy new study is no pipedream. According to design boss Steve Mattin, the final car will remain close to the concept. The imposing grille and flowing shoulder lines hint at a new design direction for Volvo’s range, while 20-inch alloys, bronze-painted brake calipers, integrated twin exhausts and a retractable rear diffuser show off the S60’s sporting intentions.

Inside is an ultra-modern interior, complete with slim bucket seats and a panoramic roof. The LED headlights project an image of Viking longboats!

But most eye-catching are the doors. The front pair open conventionally, while the rears hinge out before sliding back. As the S60 has no B-pillars, access should prove easy.

The S60 will come crammed with a raft of new safety kit, including sensors that can apply the brakes if a pedestrian steps into the car’s path.

Engines comprise a range of Ford and Volvo units, including a 2.0-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre turbo petrol. The new S60 is set to reach the UK early in 2010.

Volvo S60 revealed

Volvo releases latest teaser shot of its forthcoming 3-series rival.

Volvo is being crystal clear about its future line-up! The Swedish firm has released a new teaser shot of its S60 concept ahead of its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

A photo of the S60’s stunning interior, featuring a crystal floating dash carved by the world-famous Swedish glassworks Orrefors, was released last month. But this is the first chance we’ve had to catch a glimpse of the 3-series rival’s curvy exterior.

The original S60, released back in 2000, was a milestone model for the company marking a move away from Volvo’s trademark boxy design, with its smooth silhouette. And this second generation design looks like it will cause a similar stir with its sleek roofline and muscular haunches. More details will follow closer to the Detroit Expo.

Volvo XC60 S D5

We hit road in Swedish firm’s safest-ever car

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The XC60 is being billed as the safest car Volvo has ever made. And a new system called City Safety promises to cement the firm’s reputation as a world leader in accident prevention.

City Safety’s main aim is to help limit low-speed collisions. The laser-based set-up works at speeds of up to 19mph, and it automatically applies the brakes if it senses an imminent impact. More impressively, at speeds below 10mph it will perform an emergency stop.

As well as City Safety, the XC60 gets a raft of other safety features as standard. These include the BLIS blind spot warning system – which sees electronics alert you when you are too close to the car in front – and lane departure warning.

The kit contributes to the XC60’s 1,825kg kerbweight, and with only 185bhp, the top-of-the-range D5 diesel feels sluggish. While the oil-burner has a 60Nm torque advantage over the petrol T6 model, a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds is a long way short of the latter’s 7.5-second figure.

Nevertheless, the XC60 has a lot going for it. A decent price, reasonable economy and emissions figures – plus sharp looks – mean the newcomer should follow in the successful footsteps of the larger XC90.