LOANER REVIEW: 2019 Volvo S60 T6 Momentum

What happens when you take an engine from a big SUV and drop it into a sleek sedan weighing nearly 500 pounds less?

You’re darn right it goes faster.

That was the big takeaway after spending two days with a 2019 Volvo S60 T6 Momentum that we received as a loaner from our local dealer while Patti’s 2008 S80 was being serviced.

As you probably know, Volvo uses the same engines across its product lineup these days, meaning the S60 sedan and the XC90 SUV, in T6 trim, are both powered by the same turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine cranking out 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

In the XC90, that engine makes for perfectly fine if not heart-thumping acceleration. In the S60, it makes spirited driving easy and fun. Test reviews indicate that the car can be slung from 0 to 60 mph in a tick under 6 seconds. Sure, you can find faster sedans in this class, and if that’s really important to you, then yes, you may want to look elsewhere. Might I suggest Volvo’s own T8 Polestar variant of the S60, which adds an electric motor to the T6 power plant and charges to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. I don’t need that, but maybe you do.

Anyway. This was our first drive of the new-for-2019 S60, and I was impressed. Compared with the previous generation of the car, this S60 is 4.9” longer, making for noticeably more generous leg room for rear passengers. The steering is communicative, the handling sharp. And the car looks great. Gas mileage for the T6 is fair; it’s rated at 21 mpg city, 32 mpg highway. Slide down to the front-drive 250-hp T5 model, and those numbers bump up to 24 city and 36 highway. It also will take you a second longer to get to 60 mph, but you’ll save you several thousand dollars when you settle up with your sales associate.

Five-minute verdict:
The new S60 has an awfully lot to offer. I’m a fan.