2012 Volvo S60 R-Design - First Drive Review

“High performance” is not a descriptor typically employed for products from Volvo, the safety-savvy Swedish company previously operated by Ford and now owned by China’s Geely. But three years after cancelling its R-badged performance derivatives of the V70 and S60, Volvo is dipping its toes back into the sporty pool with the 2012 S60 R-Design, a more powerful, more stiffly sprung version of the firm’s mid-size sedan. (The XC60 R-Design, which was introduced last year with an upgraded suspension, also gets a power boost for 2012.) While this higher-performance S60 shares the throne of most powerful production Volvo ever with its sister XC60 R-Design, it has an uphill battle to win over the Euro-sport constituency—it’s priced right up against some serious and well-established competition.

That pricing starts at $43,375. For starters, it nets an engine tune from Swedish racing team Polestar that bumps the turbocharged inline-six’s horsepower from 300 to 325. Torque makes a leap as well, from 325 lb-ft to 354. Polestar didn’t have to do much to hit these numbers. The engine internals remain the same, and the company merely upped the boost to 12.8 psi (from 11.6) and advanced the spark timing. Premium fuel is recommended, while the regular S60 T6 swills regular. Call us lucky, for once: The power boost is specific to U.S.- and Canadian-market R-Designs. EPA fuel-economy estimates are unchanged from the base car’s 18 mpg city and 26 highway.

Changes Down Under for a Car from Up North

The R brings abundant chassis changes as well. Stiffer suspension bushings reduce the feeling of isolation from the road. Coupled with 15-percent-stiffer springs, a front strut-tower brace and a 0.6-inch-lower ride height contribute to taut body control and quick reflexes. Unlike with the Four-C adjustable chassis system available on T6-powered S60s, the R-Design driver doesn’t get to make on-the-fly adjustments to the ride and handling.

Inside the R-Design, blue instrument dials peer through the sport steering wheel while front-row riders sit in more-heavily bolstered versions of leather-wrapped S60 seats. A unique front fascia, rear diffuser, decklid spoiler, and 18-inch R-Design wheels round out the exterior tweaks.

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