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Volvo S60
Following its new, asymmetric strategy (sedans and SW are spaced on different sectors), Volvo, following the representative S80 and a full-sized V70 station wagon, presented the S60 middle-class sport-sedan. The gap that existed in the lineup of the Swedish company is liquidated. And what did these gentlemen from Gothenborg imagine themselves there? What can you produce cars for pensioners and housewives for decades, and then just take and mix cards like that? Audi A4, BMW 3 series, Mercedes C-class, beware! A new player has appeared on your field! No, of course, before the sedans of the 850 and S70 series, there were some advantages in terms of running qualities, but there was still too much from traditional Volvsky suitcases. The fatal disadvantage of external courage was felt even in a very successful C70 compartment in all other relationships.
The newcomer S60, preserving the family traits, is still perceived as the real Drivers Car (car for the driver). The integrity of his appearance is all the more amazing that Peter Horbari did not go along the beaten path. Instead of making a reduced copy of the S80 (was the designers of BMW, Mercedes, and now Audi, creating a new generation of its middle -class models?), He collected together the most winning features of previously released Volvo models. Such symbiosis is rare
it is successful. More often, it turns out to be destructive. But there are no rules without exception! C70 roof abrisa is surprisingly successfully consistent with the forms of the front and trunk, created based on the S80 style. Today, in the middle class, after the loud success of Alfa Romeo 156, many seek to give the sedans the face of the coupe, but hardly anyone expected that it was Volvo that dares to go so far. The shape of the rear rack of the roof S60 will undoubtedly become the envy of Peter Horbari's colleagues in the design workshop. True, skeptics may argue that the configuration of the Zadka chosen by the Swedes is not too practical. Yes, the volume of the trunk S60 does not noticeably reach the canonical class 440 liters, when landing in the car, you notice that the rear doors are narrow, and the roof tailored through the patterns is in dangerous (for the cleanliness of the ceiling) proximity to the head, but, in The end, people also make much greater sacrifices, just to have a beautiful thing. However, the S60 salon itself is perfectly performed. The head of the interiorists Jose Diaz de la Vega managed to combine the luxury of the representative S80, the functionality of the family car and the Drivers Car sports. Then the head will go around, you don’t know what to be surprised anymore. Either how competently reduced on the scale of the front panel of the 80th, or the impeccable sound of the Volvo Premium Sound audio system with thirteen speakers, or the many benefits of all kinds of all kinds, starting from the front headlight for the holder of the garbage container in front rear sofa ...
No, there are still things that are especially dear to the heart of a real driver. What I mean? Yes, at least amazingly comfortable step-blue buckets that are installed on the Dynamic version. Is it Volvo? Incredible! And covered with graphite color with leather (by order is also possible with wood), a three -spitting sports steering wheel! After the Volvo 1800 ES coupe, not a single model of the Swedish company has been awarded this for a quarter century, including C70! And a special chic made of light alloys lever of the mechanical gearbox Spaceball for the version of T5 as an option. It was clearly not without the influence of Ferrari. It would not have been an annoying absence of clarity in the gear shift mechanism, it would be necessary to admit that the students even surpassed the teachers in something. But with regard to the behavior on the road, the S60 is not afraid of comparisons with the most eminent competitors. Modernized 5-cylinder gasoline engines of the RN series with variable phases of gas distribution (in atmospheric, the intake phase is adjusted, in a boost of the release) are not inferior to the in-line Bavarian six. Moreover, with the correlated capacities, Swedish engines in most cases are more economical than German from Audi, BMW or Mercedes. Moreover, the difference in fuel consumption between the weakest (140 hp) and the most powerful (250 hp) versions of the Volvian five are less than 1 liter!
Eh, if it were not yet the difference in price of 18 thousand dollars ... although, to be honest, T5, of course, is a damn incendiary thing, but 250 horses are still difficult to get along with the drive to the front axle. In Volvo they are aware of this, and therefore next year they prepare the option of an option with a 4x4 wheel formula. And then we'll see! In the meantime, two engines (2 liters and 2.4 l) with a boost of low pressure appeared the most delicious. The characteristic of the torque of both resembles a dining room of the mountain, at the foot of which Cape Town is located. The first retains maximum traction (245 Nm and 285 Nm) in the range from 2000 to 5300 rpm, and the second is from 1800 to 5000 rpm. Here you can not remember the existence of a gearbox! Well, if you recall, then neither mechanical (with the exception of a small lack of a small lack of a small lack of a small lack), nor automatic 5-speed S60 checkpoints will disappoint. The latter belongs to the adaptive family, that is, it is adjusted to a specific driving manner, and besides, in the GEARTRONIC version, it allows you to switch the transmissions manually. However, today it is a norm for sports sedans.
The presence of the anti -boom system, the dynamic stabilization system, ABS and EBD in combination with four disc brakes (front ventilated) are not surprising. Considering that the maximum speed of all versions of the Volovsky Drivers Car above 200 km/h, such a large -scale use of active security systems looks quite reasonable. The S60 chassis, of course, is one of the best among those that have been met on Volvo sedans. The car is distinguished by truly unshakable stability on straight lines. And there are many reasons that are close to optimal hanging along the axes, a fairly long base (50 mm larger than the S70), finally, the widest rut in the class. But a very short front overhang and the driver’s position put forward (the so -called Forward Cab) make it possible to easily dive into a turn. Having driven the S60 to the military airfield, I, perhaps, will not shout my soul if I say that the behavior of the Swedish sport-sedan in turns is not so much spectacular as reliable. The car without nervousness perceives the redistribution of the load between the wheels. He owes this, in particular, extremely high stiffness of the body torsion (compared to S70, it doubled!). The front and back multi -link pendants also behave in agreement. The only thing that S60 does not like is when irregularities are under controlled wheels in the bend. But there is nothing to be done. McPherson is McPherson. Having mounted the suspension on the subframe through the hydraulic power plants, you can increase the comfort of driving when moving in a straight line, but in a turn, congenital shortcomings will make themselves felt.
The steering S60 is not as uncompromisingly sharp as the Alfa Romeo 156, but you can’t call it more than three revolutions from the stop to the stop. The reactive force significantly depends on the dimension of the tires (the range here is large enough from 15 to 18 inches), and nevertheless, the steering wheel never becomes cotton, empty. In short, the two -way communication of the driver/car driver works with the S60 with a rare uninterruption for Volvo.
In relation to passive safety, S60 is one hundred percent Volvo. Sportability is sports, and human health is above all. You can, of course, go into the transfer of diverse systems designed to protect us, or you can do it easier. Enough to say: the Swedish sport-sedan is equipped with all the security means available today, including inflatable side curtains and active backs of front seats that prevent cervical vertebrae injuries when impact in the back.
Protecting others, S60 is able to stand up for itself. Even if the hijackers knock out the side glass, the Deadlock lock lock will not allow them to open the door from the inside. And having ordered laminated glasses, you can block this way to access to the salon. The built -in alarm has a motion sensor. It will work, which is equipped with an optional roll sensor, and when trying to find a car (which is not easy, since the S60 serial set of scraps are included) or drag it to the platform. Well, let's summarize. So, such a bright, memorable, dynamic car in the Dolvo segment, Volvo still did not have. Now the lineup of the Swedish company looks balanced more than ever. There is even a mathematical confirmation, if you want. Take the digital designations of the three latest Volvo models (S80, V70, S60) and, discarding zeros, we will fulfill the addition. What do we get in total? 21. Blackjack, gentlemen! Black Jack!
The word pragmatics
This is the case when you can afford to be brief. Despite the presence of the 5th series of the Kaliningrad assembly on the Russian market of the BMW (which, by the way, complicates the life of the same Bavarian threele), Volvo S60, taking into account its price from 28 to 46 thousand dollars, has every chance to conquer a certain percentage of young people from the German triumvirate. buyers. The Swedish sport-sedan is suitable for self-expression, which is important for this part of the clientele and for use as a family car for every day.
El Newventike
Photo of the manufacturer
Source: Avtopanorama magazine
