Volvo S60 Recharge PHEV (2022-) Reivew

Introduction

Volvo might be the first name you think of when we say the word ‘estates’, but the Swedish brand has historically produced some pretty good saloons, too. In the past 10 years in particular, the brand has pulled some absolutely fabulous four-doors out of the hat, starting with the latest-generation S90 and then this: the S60. Admittedly, Volvo has already announced its saloon cars’ days are numbered, but for the time being you can still lease a new Swedish saloon. The question is, should you?

In the case of the new S60, there are certainly reasons to take an interest – especially if you’re in the market for a plug-in hybrid, which Volvo calls the Recharge PHEV. More stylish than ever before and offering plenty of power, as well as the security of all-wheel drive, is it really a car that can do all things for all customers, or should you look at the healthy collection of premium rivals instead?

At a Glance

Volvo’s styling department deserves a medal. In recent years, the company has produced a fleet of cracking designs, from the massive XC90 to the smaller C40, but the S60 is as good as any. The size, the proportions and the shape seem to lend themselves to Volvo’s design language, and the car manages to look classy and cool without being ostentatious or obnoxious. It’s the sort of car you can park outside a palace or a greasy spoon, and nobody will look twice.

Yet despite that, it’s a stylish and luxurious car inside. The cabin design is unmistakably Scandinavian, with the big central screen and digital instrument cluster complemented by a minimalist wood-and-leather dashboard design. It’s beautiful, and the interior technology works a treat, thanks to its strong connection with Google’s operating system.

It’s also a comfortable place to sit, with great seats that prove really supportive. The suspension isn’t quite so impressive – especially in comparison with the larger S90 – because Volvo has put more emphasis on sportiness with the smaller car, but it’s still as comfortable as pretty much anything else in its class. And though the handling isn’t outstanding compared with the BMW 3 Series or the Jaguar XE, the S60 offers a good balance of comfort and dynamism.

The powertrain is strong, too, with a reasonable electric range and a relatively smooth engine that means the car is quiet and refined whether you’re cruising on the motorway or crawling around town. Yet it’s still more powerful than it needs to be, and the S60 offers a remarkable turn of pace when you put your foot down.

Key Features

Style is a key part of the S60’s appeal, and Volvo has worked hard to make the S60 one of the best-looking saloons you can buy. From the hammer-style headlights to the sculpted rear end, it’s a really classy and attractive car, yet it’s also a car that doesn’t feel pretentious in any way. While it might not attract too many admiring glances by dint of the Volvo badge, it doesn’t attract the wrong kind of attention, either, and you get the impression nobody will key it if you leave it in a supermarket car park.

Despite that, the technology is definitely that of a luxury car. Volvo has worked with Google to produce one of the best touchscreen infotainment systems on the market, with smartphone-like controls and displays that make it really intuitive for drivers and passengers. The inclusion of Google Maps is a particularly useful feature. And we can’t go without mentioning the digital instrument display, which doesn’t look all that fancy, but it works really well and it’s very easy to read, which means it ticks all the most important boxes.

Range & Batteries

The S60 Recharge PHEV comes with an 18.8kWh battery that isn’t huge by the standards of modern executive plug-in hybrids, but it offers ample range. According to the official efficiency test, it’ll provide between 46 and 58 miles on a charge, although you’ll be doing well to get anywhere near that top-end figure. Drive efficiently in urban areas alone and you might manage about 45 miles from a charge, but 35-40 is more realistic. And if you try motorway cruising on the battery you’ll eat through charge surprisingly quickly. It’s much better to use the battery save functions to manage the battery usage and save charge for the most efficient parts of the journey.

Performance & Drive

The S60 is available with a choice of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, with the latter falling under the Recharge banner. There is just one Recharge option, though, and it’s the T8 PHEV, which combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and the 18.8kWh battery to offer electric motoring over short distances.

But by combining the power of the engine and the motor, the Volvo produces a massive 455hp, which goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. That means this unassuming, quiet and eco-friendly four-door saloon can get from 0-62mph in a fraction over four-and-a-half seconds. That makes it one of the ultimate ‘sleeper’ cars, offering a turn of pace that belies its safe, Scandi image.

It drives well, too, although it doesn’t even try to match the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Jaguar XE when it comes to handling. While it’s true that Volvo designed the S60 to be a little sportier than the larger S90, and that meant fitting slightly firmer suspension, the Volvo doesn’t have the handling balance of the BMW or the Jag. But the steering is smooth and precise, and that means you can have fun when the mood takes you. Body control is reasonable, too, so passengers shouldn’t be thrown around too much.

The trade-off is that the S60 doesn’t ride as well as the beautifully absorbent S90, but everything is relative. It’s still a very comfortable car on the motorway, and with those big seats swallowing you whole it’s quite a relaxing way of getting from A to B.

In short, the S60 strikes a really appealing balance of comfort and dynamism, favouring neither one too greatly. So while it is neither the most comfortable car in its class, nor the best to drive, it isn’t too far behind the leader in either race. As a compromise, it’s up there with the Audi A4 as one of the best.

Charging

The S60’s 18.8kWh battery shouldn’t take too long to charge, although it’s only really worth charging at home or on a slow charger. That’s because the car can’t accept rapid charging speeds such as those seen from public electric vehicle chargers, and you’ll be spending more money for a service you can’t make the most of. However, if you plug the car into a domestic ‘wallbox’ charging point overnight, or even while you’re at your desk, the battery should be full by the time you need it again.

Running Costs & Emissions

If you want to keep the S60’s running costs to a minimum, you’ll need to have a lifestyle that suits the car. Realistically, the zero-emission range of 35-40 miles should be enough to cover most journeys for a lot of customers, but those driving really long distances a lot of the time will want to choose an alternative model with a diesel engine. If most of your journeys are around town, though, and you only occasionally venture out on longer trips, the hybrid system will keep your costs in check. Assuming, that is, you can charge the car up regularly.

But the real advantage of the plug-in hybrid system is the company car tax advantages. Most saloons such as this are bought for corporate use, and the hybrid system ensures drivers won’t have to pay too much tax to drive their car every day. Even if you never really use the car’s electric capability – although for myriad reasons we recommend making the most of it – the tax will be pretty cheap considering the car’s hefty list price.

Interior & Technology

While Volvo’s exterior designers have been doing well of late, the interior designers also deserve plenty of recognition for their efforts. In keeping with the stylish bodywork, Volvo has fitted the S60 with a gorgeous minimalist interior that mixes clean wood and leather surfaces to create a calming and relaxing space. Yes, that sounds like something from an interior design catalogue, but the S60 really does achieve that, with a sense of quiet luxury.

That’s combined with the sort of solid build quality you’d expect from the Swedes, and though there are a few plasticky bits, the cabin is easily a match for the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar.

The tech is good, too, with Google-based software behind the touchscreen infotainment system and the digital instrument display. The latter is a bit unassuming – the display is clean and minimalist, and that doesn’t really show its class – but it works superbly and it’s really easy to read, which are the most important facets. The touchscreen, meanwhile, is even better. The portrait orientation is a slightly rogue choice, but the Android-inspired interface is really easy to use. The inclusion of Google Maps in the touchscreen makes life much easier, too.

Practicality & Boot Space

The standard S60 is quite a commodious thing, with a 427-litre boot in entry level mild-hybrid examples. However, the Recharge PHEV has to make room for its oversized powertrain, and that means there’s a slightly less impressive 391-litre luggage space on display. That’s barely more room than you get from a VW Golf, and because of the traditional saloon shape, it’s a less useful volume for bulky items. It’s fine for suitcases, though, and those who really need the space can always opt for the V60 estate, which has considerably more room to play with.

The V60 also provides a tad more room for passengers, with a little more headroom in the back. Not that the S60 is desperately short of headspace in the first place. Seating four adults in there is easy enough, and nobody will complain about space or comfort unless they’re abnormally tall, but the V60 just offers that little more capacity for the longer-spined rear passenger.

Safety

Volvo has quite the reputation for safety, so it’s no surprise to find the S60 is one of the safest saloons on the road, according to the Euro NCAP crash test. On its way to a maximum five-star rating, the S60 achieved an impressive 96% score for adult occupant protection. Admittedly, the test has changed a bit since the S60 was tested, and it’s now slightly more stringent, but with solid scores across the board, the Volvo remains as safe as houses.

And to help make sure you never need to test its crashworthiness for yourself, Volvo has fitted a selection of driver assistance systems designed to help you stay out of trouble on the road. Obviously, all the usual kit is present and correct, with autonomous emergency braking that can stop the car if the driver doesn’t respond to a hazard, and features such as blind-spot monitoring all on offer. The S60 is also available with adaptive cruise control, which maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front.

Options

S60 Recharge customers are faced with a straight choice of two different trim levels, with the basic Plus joined by the more upmarket Ultimate version. As you would probably expect, both versions are incredibly well appointed, with even the entry level Plus getting 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery and climate control, not to mention the 360-degree manoeuvring camera and the Google-based satellite navigation system. You get a few optional extras, too, including the usual choice of paint finishes and wheel designs and some extra safety features. Or you could just upgrade to the Ultimate version, which comes with a panoramic roof and a Harman/Kardon sound system, as well as the aforementioned safety gizmos. You don’t really need any more than the Plus model provides, but it’s nice to have a few extra goodies thrown in.

Rival Cars

The S60 has rivals coming out of its ears, with competitors flooding the market with classy, upmarket executive models that provide strong alternatives to the Swedish saloon. Chief among these are, of course, the usual German suspects from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Of those, the BMW 3 Series (below) is the one to beat, with its fabulous road manners and classy, high-tech interior. However, the Audi A4 is a monument to build quality and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers a range of efficient powertrains and a cool cabin.

Aside from those models, there’s also competition from the Jaguar XE, which continues to offer stellar dynamics and a much-improved cabin, and the new kid on the block: the Genesis G70. Stylish and well built, it’s a more comfort-orientated car that will give the German establishment real food for thought. However, neither the Jaguar nor the Genesis is available in plug-in hybrid form, which might keep some prospective customers away.

Verdict & Next Steps

While the S60 doesn’t necessarily lead its class in any one particular area, it manages to provide customers with a likeable, classy and yet somehow image-free executive car that manages to feel at home anywhere. Whether it’s parked outside a glitzy hotel or an industrial unit in Barnsley, it will never feel out of place. Yet it will still go like the proverbial excrement from a digging implement, and if you have the lifestyle to suit it, it’ll burn very, very little petrol. The fact it’s a really good-looking car only sweetens the deal to create a brilliant all-rounder that will make a cracking lease deal. But with the S60 leaving the market, you’ll have to move quickly.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Volvo S60. 

**Correct as of 16/10/2023. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments or £6,590.16  (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.