2019 Volvo V60 First Look: Making Wagons Cool Again

Crisp, angular, and lush, Volvo’s V60 midsize wagon redesigned for 2019 is everything folks want in an SUV—just without that elephantine ride height and abundance of vertical sheetmetal and glass. Can’t folks just get over themselves already? Red Dawn ain’t happening.

Wagons can be cool. The 2019 V60 is lithe, sexy transport with the versatility to carry five people and lots of their stuff.

We’ve already seen Volvo’s excellent Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform at work with the XC90 (a Motor Trend SUV of the Year winner) and the midsize XC60 (a SUVOTY finalist). We also liked its iteration in the sleek, substantial V90 wagon. Now Volvo has shrunk down its big wagon—that’s the “scalable” part—from full-size to midsize.

Although the platform is downscaled, the V60 itself has grown considerably in wheelbase and overall length over the outgoing model, while its lower height makes it stealthy in appearance.

This is the first vehicle from the Volvo barn that will offer every trim level in electrified form. Shoppers will have a choice of the 340-hp T6 AWD gasoline plug-in hybrid or the T8, which delivers 390 hp. The T6 comes with a supercharger and turbocharger to boost the 2.0-liter gas engine’s power on top of a mild-hybrid setup; the T8 tacks on two electric motors to boost performance (although with some weight penalty). Both powertrains have a claimed 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds.

On the safety side, the V60 will come with automatic braking and detection systems that recognize pedestrians, cyclists, and large animals. On well-marked roads, semi-autonomous steering, acceleration, and braking is possible up to 80 mph. Lane departure and cross-traffic alerts are also part of the safety suite.

Volvo’s tablet-sized infotainment system features Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G connectivity. Possessing a V60 also will be possible via the Care by Volvo flat-fee subscription service.

The 2019 Volvo V60 will go on sale in the U.S. this fall.

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