With its new S60, Volvo makes a successful copy. A real alternative premium sedan that will rely on its new 5-cylinder diesel block 163 hp but above all on an arsenal dedicated to security, including detection of pedestrians. What make brand ambitious hopes sell 90,000 units a year worldwide.
After 10 years of loyal service, the S60 is finally renewed. However, even if a lifecycle of 10 years is now very rare, Volvo has not lost time but he only had to manage priorities to best respond to the market during the 2000s. Volvo has done successfully with particular XC90, XC60 and C30. These latter two being on the podium of global sales for the brand with the V50.Sold over 600,000 copies since its launch in 2000, the S60 has fully played its role. With this new generation, Volvo is ambitious. Doubling ambitious same! Indeed, while the average annual sales were close to 60,000 units for the previous generation, but with a peak in 2002 to 110,000 units, Volvo announced today 90,000 units per year. Moreover, since the end of the year, the estate version, called V60, will further inflate the figure of 50 000 units, or an annual total of 140,000 units. While the U.S. market off again but Volvo has naturally big ambitions in China with Geely, which will permanently the owner of the mark in the current third quarter. French bracket, still figures, where the new sedan should represent 1300 units this year and 3,500 in 2011, thanks to the arrival of the DRIVe versions in the first days of January. Equipped with the small 1.6 diesel, it develops 115 hp with a torque of 270 Nm for CO2 emissions limited to 114 g / km. Until this bestseller, the heart of today's S60 range is D3.
The D3 heart of pending DRIVe range
We knew D5, D3 in place today but the new designations mechanical trademark. The petrol engines will be baptized T6, T4, T3, etc.. Diesel and D5, D3, etc.. But back to D3. On paper, the cylinder block 5, derived from D5, 1984 cm3 cube, is rated at 163 horsepower for torque of 400 Nm Announced Its combined fuel consumption is 5.3 liters per 139 grams of CO2 released.In addition, its flexibility and availability, plus the characteristic sound of a 5-cylinder. Indeed, faced with four-cylinder with equivalent benefits, the sound of this mechanism is a real plus. This new block entirely Volvo is known to spread over the renewal, including replacing the 2.0 product of cooperation PSA / Ford. Chapter gasoline, again, Volvo has not done things by half. If the T6 six-cylinder in line, still oversees the range with its 304 hp, the manufacturer now offers a new 4-cylinder turbo engine, developing 203 hp, concealing all the latest refinements including direct injection. This block will, during 2011, declined in a 240 hp version (T5) before one can "small" 1.6 with powers of 150 (T3) and 180 hp (T4). But if the mechanics are important, Volvo has built much of his reputation on the safety of its models and the S60 is no exception to the rule.
Target 2020: Zero dead, zero serious injuries
Volvo is clear: zero fatalities and zero serious injuries in a Volvo in 2020. And to achieve this, the dedicated security arsenal is impressive for the first time, the pedestrian detection with automatic braking in addition to the City Safety Regulator ACC with braking at full power.According to figures provided by the mark, this detection could fall by 20-85%, depending on certain conditions, the number of pedestrians killed. This system of pedestrian detection with a radar, located in the grille, and a camera behind the rearview mirror (both of which are provided by Delphi). With a sweep of the radar with two beams, one with an open angle, which detects up to 55-60 m and a narrower who "sees" up to 150 m, and the camera, which has bendeveloped by Mobileye, the S60 can avoid collision with a pedestrian if the vehicle speed is below 35 km / h. Beyond that speed, and up to 80 km / h, the system will reduce speed and therefore the severity of injuries.
Made in Ghent, Belgium, the Volvo S60 has a great asset to gain ground on a premium sedan market that, despite the context, has increased its market share.
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