Test drive Volvo S60 2000 - 2004 sedan

To health!

You can’t buy health. You can only buy what protects it. For example, Volvo S60 AWD.
 
The presentation of the S60 AWD in St. Petersburg was more magnificent than the admirer in Frankfurt. And rightly - just a couple of weeks later we managed to use the first car that affected all four wheels of Moscow bridge, and the autopilot takes the courage to say that the S60 AWD is waiting for a great future with us. Since the beginning of the year, 429 front -wheel drive sixty were sold, which is a very solid indicator, given the quotas for Russian dealers. Depending on the configuration, the new S60 AWD will cost $ 5-6 thousand more expensive, but the game costs branded Volvovs. For this money, the owner receives a car that, according to his behavior on the road, will give one hundred points of handicap to his front -wheel drive fellow.
Let us disagree with the advertisement of Trimychi of the free beast. This beast does not need to be tamed, he begins to protect his owner from the first minute of acquaintance.
PACKAGE. So, at our disposal, the pearl-gray S60 AWD with a 2.4 L Low Pressure Turbo engine and the GEARTRONIC automatic box. Outwardly, it is no different from the classical model, only the clearance is increased by 20 mm, and the AWD branded nameplate appeared on the trunk lid. In principle, AWD versions and a mechanical box are available. But the sequential machine gun is so good that I don’t even want to think about something else. Switching occur very smoothly and not too early, as in other cars. The engine manages to untwist to 3-3.5 thousand revolutions and reach almost the peak of its torque. There is an additional merit of a low -pressure turbine. Another observation - the operation of the automatic box on the Volvo S60 AWD is absolutely not characterized by thoughtfulness characteristic of many automatic transmission.
In manual mode, a complete feeling of mechanics is created, you only need to carefully monitor the tachometer. Electronics does not replace the driver and does not transfer the transmission up during acceleration (as, for example, on the automatic transmission Tiptronic from Audi) - the limiter is simply triggered when the revolutions reach the limit. And by ear it is impossible to switch - sound insulation on the S60 AWD is worthy.
Indications. That's lucky, so lucky. The first day of the test drive coincided with the popular holiday-the day of the tin. On the streets of the city - either naked ice, or a night snow rolled to a shine. On large highways, it seems to be clean, but treacherous slippery islands still come across.
The first kilometers we pass carefully. Despite the fact that we initially know - the new system should work much faster than Wyskoft, is the basis of the concept of the Volvo all -wheel drive before the advent of the S60 AWD. After waiting for the flow of cars around us to run out, we decide on the first experiment. After making sure that all the left wheels are on the asphalt, and under the right - ice, we sharply press the accelerator pedal ... the expected did not happen, the car did not wag and did not jerk. He is simply even and powerful - we pressed the pedal with all the stupid power - went forward without the slightest attempt to slip on the treacherous strip of ice near the curb. Agree, the situation familiar to pain in the cervical vertebrae and the sound of crushed iron.
The first symptoms. Overdated by the first success, we continue to ride around the city, deliberately looking for adventures on our heating seats, and neatly go around numerous accidents. Here, for example, is such a situation. A small dead end street, of which there are thousands in Moscow. Nobody is going to clean it from snow (it will melt it in the spring), and the cars have already traveled enough. Under the wheels - polished snow. We carefully stop, and then simulate a sharp start from the traffic light-the Geartronic switch to the manual mode-the first transmission and the pedal to the floor until the engine choke. Or until it expands 180 degrees.
We miscalculated again, although in the first fraction of a second the car made an almost inconspicuous throw by a hood to the left. Then all AWD systems worked, and Volvo restored the strictly straightforward movement. Having done this simple exercise again, we were convinced that when starting from a place on any S60 AWD coating, he scribbles a little in a front, but within a few centimeters. And it is always leveled without the help of the steering wheel.
Exacerbation. Administered by mocking the Moscow ice, the next day we head for Khodynka. Moreover, we are again lucky - at night a plentiful snowfall passed and the ice was covered with a layer of snow. Without fear of counter-transverse transport, we accelerate along the flight field, turn a little steering wheel and send Volvo to the strongest skid. Despite the spikes, the S60 begins to spin in a waltz - too serious provocation, no one will go so deliberately in real life. But our task is not to shame the AWD system, but to see how easy it is the driver, armed with it, will be able to get out of this everyday situation. This is more complicated than to his wife to explain why he lingered at work in the evening until the morning. Therefore, on the next turn we make as taught - the steering wheel in the direction opposite to the drift, and a little gas ... one hundred against one, that only a high -class driver will limit himself in a similar situation with only one movement. The average driver will either turn the steering wheel too cool, or will not calculate with what force to put pressure on the gas. As a result, you will have to turn the steering wheel in all directions, catch the skid and covered with sticky cold later. But not in the S60 AWD. In our case, the car simply drove in the direction where I looked. With an accuracy of a millimeter.
Within a few hours we turned to an impromptu training ground, into which Khodynka turns into such days. And they were convinced of one - S60 with the new all -wheel drive system behaves much more noble in relation to the driver. She not only forgives his mistakes in difficult road conditions, but also elegantly corrects them.
There are no contraindications. Then we learned that on that first day of our test in the city there were 600 accidents, against two hundred ordinary. God merged us. According to rumors, soon a similar system will be installed on all Volvo cars with the AWD prefix. And for the S60 AWD in the near future, a system of dynamic control over the clutch with the road (DSTC) will be adapted in the near future, which even higher raises the bar in ensuring the safety of the driver and passengers. And health is the only thing that no money is sorry for.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo Alexey Ilyin
The car is provided for the test by the Moscow representative office of Volvo Car International AB (095) 745-9780.
       
Electronic control coupling
1. High pressure valve.
2. Oil reservoir.
3. The pressure adjustment valve.
4. Electric connector.
5. The oil pump.
6. The coupling unit (DEM).
7. Motor.
8. Entrance shaft.
9. The valve of pressure restrictions.
10. Oil filter.
11. The battery.
12. Low pressure valve.
13. Rollers.
14. Balancing spring.
15. The output shaft.
16. Roller bearing.
17. Multi -disc clutch.
18. Ring pistons.
        
       
Model/Modification Volvo S60 AWD
Manufacturer/country Volvo Car International AB/Sweden
BODY
Type sedan
Number of doors/places 4/5
ENGINE
Gasoline type with electronic injection and self -diagnosis system and low pressure turbine
Front location, transversely
Working volume (cubic cub) 2435
Number/location of cylinders 5/V-shaped
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 147 (200) at 6000
Moment (nm at about./Min.) 285 at 1800-5000
TRANSMISSION
The drive is complete
Automatic gearbox, 5-speed, Geartronic
SUSPENSION
Front independent, spring, on double transverse levers
The rear independent, spring, multi -link
STEERING
Type gear rack with a hydraulic booster
Min. The diameter of the turn (m) 10.8
Brakes
Front/rear circular ventilated
ABS 4-channel with the EBD system
Dimensions/volumes/weight
Length/width/height (mm) 4576/1804/1412
Wheel base (mm) 2720
Mass weight (kg) 1440
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed (km/h) 210
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 8.5
Economy
Fuel consumption (l/100 km, city/highway) 15.0/8.2
The price in Moscow from $ 34 thousand.
 

Source: "Autopilot"