2023 Volvo S60 Performance

The S60 may be a luxury sedan, but its focus is not on performance. That said, it isn't a lethargic driver. Even when equipped with the slightly lackluster base B5 powertrain, the Volvo dispatches with the 0 to 60 mph benchmark sprint is a respectable 6.4 seconds for the FWD and 6.2 seconds for the AWD.

Those wanting more potency have to look towards the S60 Recharge, but even with its most powerful T8 Polestar Engineered powertrain, the Volvo can only just match the BMW M340i's sprint times. The hybrid T8 Polestar Engineered model, tuned to generate specs of 415 horsepower and 472 lb-ft, gets the hefty sedan up to 60 mph in around 4.1 seconds, which is quite athletic for a car that focuses almost exclusively on comfort. Regardless of the powertrain you opt for, every S60 is limited to a top speed of 112 mph and rated to tow 2,000 lbs.

The base-level B5 engine is not particularly powerful, but given the size of the sedan, it supplies enough to feel lively. The turbocharged four-cylinder develops 260 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Luckily, it gets the same smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox as the rest of the range. But if you want anything more than just adequate, you'll need to upgrade to the hybrid Recharge.

The hybrid T8 is offered in two states of tune, with the less powerful variant developing 400 hp and 472 lb-ft, while the Polestar Engineered turns up the heat with a combined 415 hp and 472 lb-ft. This engine provides the S60 with by far the most power and the best acceleration, so if you need to be somewhere in a hurry, it's the top choice.

With two powertrain options and two drivetrain configurations, you can expect varying mileage figures. The new base-level mild-hybrid B5 engine pairs with the front-wheel drivetrain to return an EPA-estimated 26/35/30 mpg city/highway/combined - a substantial improvement over last year's T5's figures of 23/34/27 mpg. The AWD drops these estimates to 25/33/28 mpg, which even beats its FWD predecessor. Naturally, the hybrids boast even better fuel economy. Models that rely on the T8 are restricted to AWD, but they still have a combined mileage of 30 mpg, while they get 69 MPGe when using electric power in conjunction with gasoline. The battery on PHEV models takes approximately three hours to charge on a standard outlet, and the max electric-only range is set at 22 miles based on EPA testing. A 15.9-gallon gas tank is standard across the range, resulting in a maximum total range of 510 miles in the Recharge variants. Beware though, as recharging these takes some time, with a household outlet requiring more than 12 hours.