2023 Volvo S60 Recharge makes the leap

Back when crazy Maine tuner Ross Converse was drop the V-8 Mustangs into the Volvo engine bay, it’s funny to imagine a Volvo going 60 mph in less than six seconds. Those were cars for Paul Newman and David Letterman, supercharged sleeper cars with raucous performance that contrasted with the styling of their Bar Harbor antique dealer. Today, Volvo is its own tuning company, typically S60 Charger 2023. Like the 960 modified by Newman’s Converse, the S60 uses forced touch. Unlike the turbocharged snowmobile of the past, this one is turbocharged and charged by a rear-mounted electric motor. With 312 hp from the 2.0-liter inline four up front and 143 hp from the electric motor, the S60 Recharge claims the title of Most Powerful Volvo Ever, with a total output of 455 hp and a torque-vehicle. 523 pound-feet of torque. Sure, that title also applies to every other model that offers this powertrain, but victory is victory.

This powertrain is as complex as it is, but it proves to be very reliable in the process our 40,000-mile test of a 2020 model, with modest service costs. That car, making 400 horsepower, hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. This one, with its extra muscle, passed a few ticks at the time, hitting 60 in 4.1 seconds and completing the quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds at 112 miles. / hours. That quarter-mile time would have been quicker if the S60 hadn’t approached its stingy 114 mph speed limiter during the run, causing it to start cutting power at about 110 mph.

That conflict — the sports car’s acceleration pitted against the party’s speed limiter — is symbolic of the broader contradictions of the S60 Recharge. On the one hand, it seems determined to maintain Volvo’s image of being safe and healthy, to the point of not even having a sport mode. But on the other hand: 455 hp and 60 mph time equates to one Porsche 911 Targa 4S PDK 2014 is quite recent. Finding out that the venerable, dandy S60 Recharge can suck the Camaros off the chain is like discovering that Ned Flanders has been ripped apart. Stupid sexy Flanders.

Aside from the raw power addition, an upgraded hybrid unit allows the S60 to perform perfectly as an EV, which isn’t really the case when it comes to 87 hp of electric power. Now, with 143 hp and a larger 14.9 kWh battery, the S60 can function as a legal everyday driver in EV mode. Its EPA-rated range is 41 miles, and we saw a range of 34 miles during our 75 mph highway test. In traffic, you no longer need to hit the gas to stop the engine from kicking—in fact, if you’re pressing the gas as you turn 90 degrees through an intersection, you can hear a painful howl from behind. tire. (In EV mode, the S60 Recharge is rear-wheel drive.)

The S60’s dashboard includes a display that lets you know how close you are to activating the petrol engine, with a fuel drop (or possibly a teardrop) graphic indicating the point when you enter the mode. combine. It’s easy to stay below that, but if you activate the hybrid mode, the Recharge is still amazingly economical, delivering 37 MPGe in our highway fuel economy test and 28 MPGe total. body. As another bonus of increased capacity batteries, Recharge is now eligible for the full $7500 federal EV tax credit. Since the plug-in powertrain costs $9950 more than the gas-powered S60, the potential net surcharge of $2450 makes the PHEV seem like an undisputed choice.

Outside of extended straight-line performance and frugal economy, the S60 Recharge posts decent numbers but isn’t superlative. (If you want the S60’s chassis to work at full capacity, the Polestar Engineered trim is an option that’s $16,800 over the base Core model and $10,100 more than the Ultimate Black Edition.) Accelerometer. 70 mph requires 178 feet, while stopping from 100 mph stretches that figure to 359 feet. However, Volvo’s brakes tirelessly, don’t blur even after several stops from three digits. S60’s 0.85 g skidpad handle could be taller but limited by TSK tsk of the stability control system. Like a Chevy Chevelle SS ’69, the S60 Recharge prefers towing strips on the road. And like a hybrid Ford Maverick pickup, this sedan is rated to have a towing capacity of 2000 pounds, opening up exciting possibilities in regards to fly and glamping touring trailers.

While the revised powertrain is the top upgrade, Volvo has also updated the S60’s infotainment system, which is now Google-based (including Maps, Assistant, and the Play Store). And the Tested Black Edition—which has black trim and wheels and is only available in Onyx Black or Crystal White metallic paint—was new last year. But most of the S60’s changes are under the skin (still handsome).

That’s probably one reason the S60 is reasonably priced, given its style and performance. The base card of the S60 Recharge is $52,345, so with a $7500 credit you could end up with a net price of $44,845 for a 455-horsepower Swedish truck. Our loaded Ultimate Black, which includes details like heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and a head-up display, costs $62,995. The entire $3,200 of that is a Bowers & Wilkins sound system, which you can skip if you can live with a standard Harman Kardon system. But Volvo’s Bowers & Wilkins system is some of the best factory audio setup you can buy, so look at it this way—like you’re spending a portion of that tax credit on bass and tweeter that you want to display in your living room.

Essentially, the 2023 S60 Recharge looks like the previous cars of this generation, but now it’s completely better at the plug-in task: Charge every night and you can just go with the gas engine for the rides. long walks and red-light races. Most mid-cycle refreshes are cosmetic. This is one of the transformations.