Volvo S60
The S60 compact luxury sedan was positioned below the flagship S90 in the Volvo lineup, offering a distinctive Swedish design against German, Japanese and American competitors. Available in Core, Plus, and Ultra trims, the S60 featured a powerful turbocharged engine with front- or all-wheel drive (the plug-in hybrid S60 Recharge is reviewed separately). Even the base-level Core comes with an extensive standard equipment list, including a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a nine-inch touchscreen, and a panoramic moonroof, while higher trims get a full leather interior and quad-zone climate control. Not surprisingly, the S60 has a comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assist systems.
Explore the evolution of the Volvo S60
Get our expert take on used Volvo S60 models, or view year-by-year changes.
Third generation Volvo S60
The third-generation Volvo S60 represented a significant upgrade to the sedan, with almost nothing shared with its predecessor. Featuring the Swedish brand’s latest look, the S60 used a more modern exterior design with a wider stance featuring Volvo's signature "Thor's hammer" headlight design. Inside, a new nine-inch vertical display screen was integrated into the dash, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster was added in 2020, giving the S60 a high-tech vibe. Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ were standard, and in 2023, the infotainment system received a significant upgrade to a more intuitive Google-based model.
When the S60 arrived in 2019, Volvo offered it with multiple powertrain options. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine came standard on the T5 trims, while the T6 got a unique 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged engine that produced 316 horsepower. The T5 and T6 engines were discontinued in 2022 in favor of the new B5 mild hybrid engine.
Model highlights
Google-based infotainment (added in 2023)
Powerful turbo and supercharged engine (discontinued in 2022)
Extensive driver-assist features
Apple CarPlay®/Android Auto™ standard
Final generation of the S60
Second generation Volvo S60
After a one-year hiatus, the second-generation Volvo S60 arrived with a completely new look that moved away from the Swedish brand's traditional boxy style. Larger than its predecessor in almost every dimension, the new S60 was more spacious, although taller rear-seat passengers would still find the space somewhat cramped. Multiple trims were offered over the years, including the high-performance Polestar and S60 Cross Country, which featured higher ground clearance, skid plates, and all-wheel drive. Volvo's reputation for driver-assist technology continued with the S60, which was available with adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
The second-generation S60 first arrived with just the T6 engine: a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower (325 in the T6 R-Design) and all-wheel drive. One year later, Volvo added the T5 front-wheel-drive variant with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, adding all-wheel drive the following year. Volvo later offered a twin-charged (turbocharged and supercharged) four-cylinder engine, producing as much as 362 horsepower in the high-performance Polestar trim.
Model highlights
Polestar high-performance version (added in 2017)
Cross Country off-road trim (added in 2016)
Advanced driver-assist features
Seven-inch display screen
No Apple CarPlay® or Android Auto™
Changes by year
Latest generation from 2019 - 2025
2025 Volvo S60
2024 Volvo S60
2023 Volvo S60
2022 Volvo S60
Highlights
Updated engine lineup with standard hybrid components on every trim
Learn more
2021 Volvo S60
Highlights
Upgraded LED headlights
T6 engine discontinued midyear
Plug-in hybrid model name changed from T8 to S60 Recharge
Learn more
2020 Volvo S60
2019 Volvo S60
Previous generation from 2011 - 2018
2018 Volvo S60
2017 Volvo S60
2016 Volvo S60
2015 Volvo S60
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Reliability
RepairPal gave the Volvo S60 an overall reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Above Average. This rating ranks Volvo S60 32nd out of 68 among Luxury Midsize Cars.
RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Volvo S60 is $586, compared to an average of $617 for Luxury Midsize Cars and $591 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
According to RepairPal, Volvo S60 owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 1.5 times per year, compared to an average of 1.4 times for Luxury Midsize Cars and 1.3 times for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 8% for the Volvo S60, compared to an average of 13% for Luxury Midsize Cars and 14% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Perry Stern has been writing about cars for almost 30 years and has been an enthusiast for much longer than that. Contributing to multiple automotive publications, Perry drives almost every new car on the market, ranging from base-level Kias to exotic high-performance Lamborghinis. But his favorite is still the 2006 Mazda Miata parked in his garage.
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