More Than Just A Car – The Volvo V60 SportsWagon
I remember a time, a long time ago, when a station wagon was what people would go for if they needed additional space in a car. Then came the era of the vans, with the Volkswagen Kombi at the top of the desired list, but it was the Japanese makes like Toyota, Mazda and Nissan that popularized the usage of vans by putting in more passenger flavours such as air-conditioning, carpets, swivel seats, and softer suspensions. Malaysian automotive companies in the eighties started ‘customizing’ commercial vans with locally made seats, bringing the costs down to more affordable levels, and as these vans gained popularity, station wagons began to lose out. The market seems to have moved to MPVs – most of which are either 5 or 7-seaters, generally based on car platforms, but purpose-built to carry more passengers and/or baggage.
Throughout this transformation, Volvo always had station wagons in its product line up, as a station wagon is very much a part of everyday life in Europe. From the early days of the Volvo 122, I remember a station wagon version – through the 144, 240, 244, and onwards until today, the station wagon version is always based on a base sedan with the rear extended. That tradition is carried until present day – and last week, Volvo Car Malaysia launched the V60 SportsWagon.
True to tradition, the V60 is based on the very ‘naughty’ S60 - From the front, the Volvo V60 looks just like the S60 sedan, launched here just last year, and from the rear, it looks like a coupe – in other words, the V60 is actually a very mean-looking machine: it not only looks great and classy, but it can go like stink – if you have the urge, the V60 is willing!
The Volvo V60 mechanicals are identical to that found in the S60, and to recap, this means a powerful 2.0 litre engine under the hood, with power boosted to 240 horsepower, and 320Nm of torque – a turbo boosted engine delivers its power from very early in the rpm range, and the power curve remains flat throughout – to the uninitiated, this means you get full power almost instantaneously – translated to the road, it means you can be just as ‘naughty’ in the V60 as you can in the S60.
If you like the S60, but require more space, then the V60 is the next logical step – it makes more sense than putting on a sheepish look on your face when you turn up at a function with a MPV or one of those large gray-import boxes with a fancy name, and say, “I need the extra space because I have a family to take care of now”. With the V60, you can still hang on to your exciting lifestyle – nobody said you have to sober up just because you have two kids, you know.
You can continue to have fun on the road, look good, arrive anywhere in style, and when your loved ones are in the car with you, you can be assured that your precious cargo is in one of the, if not the safest cars in the world – if there is one word to describe a Volvo, it would be the word ‘SAFE’ – you name it, and the Volvo probably has it. I keep on saying, with every Volvo launch, that this is the safest Volvo yet, because Volvo always comes out with something new each time.
I suppose that this time, other than the traction controls, the BLIS, City Safety, plus all the other stuff that is associated with Volvo safety, it would be the Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist and Distance Alert – this system allows you to place yourself behind another vehicle, and you can set the distance you want to follow behind that vehicle – with your cruise control on, your car will follow the speed of the car in front – up to 200 kph, braking automatically when the car in front brakes, and come to a complete stop behind that car, and restart when that car moves. All you have to do is to steer. This is a great feature for long journeys.
The Volvo V60 is the only Sportswagon available here in Malaysia in CKD form – other auto makers here do offer similar types of vehicles, but in CBU form, which makes them a lot more expensive to purchase. The 2.0 litre Volvo V60 T5 retails for RM269k, while the T4, which come with a 1.6 litre engine has 180 horsepower, retails for RM230k.
