Top Medium/Large Car: Volvo S60/V60

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

The Stuff Top Medium/Large Car for 2020 is the Volvo S60/V60.

Does anyone actually buy medium or large cars any more?

Well, not really, which is why we have combined the two segments in the last few Top Cars awards as the relentless march of the SUV has utterly decimated both the large and medium car segments.

But that in no way means the Volvo won by default, because even if the field was packed with excellent contenders the S60/V60 (sedan and wagon versions of the same car) would still stand out with its gorgeous looks, classy minimalist interior and slick, modern powertrains.

The Volvo V60 wagon looks simply sensational. Luckily it goes pretty well too.

In fact, even in a segment that is still packed with compelling offerings from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi it stands out by offering similar levels of quality and luxury, but for less money.

**READ MORE:

Volvo offers the S60 as a single model, while the V60 wagon has three to choose from.

* Celebrating the best cars of 2020

* Top Compact/Small Car: Toyota Yaris

The interior is a slickly minimalist design dominated by that big infotainment touchscreen.

* Top Medium SUV: Mercedes-Benz EQC 400

* Top Large SUV: Land Rover Defender

Also, have you seen it? It is a handsome thing in pictures, but utterly gorgeous in the metal, particularly the V60 wagon. Although I will admit to having a particular soft spot for wagons…

But it is more than looks that scores Volvo the win here, because this ain’t just a beauty contest.

The S60/V60 twins also offer up a slick and enjoyable driving experience, which isn’t always something you could say about recent Volvo sedans and wagons – the last S60, for example, looked almost as good, but was a vague, understeery disappointment out on the open road.

Not this time around, however, with the S60 possessing an agile chassis that is still distinctly oriented towards comfort over overt sportiness, resulting in a comfortable, composed ride that is deeply impressive over New Zealand roads.

It is more comfort-oriented than its obvious (read: German) competition, like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4, but it certainly doesn't suffer in comparison to them.

Sadly, just as we announce the S60’s win Volvo has quietly dropped the thoroughly sensational 311kW PHEV T8 drivetrain (that featured a supercharger, a turbo AND a plug-in hybrid system) from the range.

However the slick and surprisingly strong T5 2.0-litre petrol still remains, punching 192kW of power and 400Nm of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels.

What else was in the running?

Very little was actually new in the medium and large car segments this year – Skoda offered up a Scout version of the brilliant Superb wagon, but it really only offered a jacked up ride height as the major difference between it and the rest of the range that has been on sale for a few years now. The same can be said of the BMW 3 Series Touring, while the 4 Series arrived too late for consideration.

Audi dropped refreshed versions of the A4 and A5, but with anodyne driving experience and elderly interiors they never really stood a chance.

Essential details: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with 192kW/400Nm, $69,900 to $79,900 (V60), $79,900 (S60).

Safety: 5 star ANCAP across the entire range and it is packed with the latest safety tech, including one of the best adaptive cruise control systems in the game.

At a glance: Stunning looks, high quality interiors and a superb ride mark it out as something special, while the slickly minimalist interior is a wonderfully comfortable highlight.

Who should consider it: That’s a good question, because not many people do consider medium or large sedans or wagons these days, but we would say anyone who buys an SUV in the $70K to $80K range should seriously check out the V60…

Things to consider: The S60’s boot is surprisingly tiny and while it handles better than it ever has before, it is still very much comfort oriented, so don’t come from a BMW 3 Series expecting similar levels of corner-carving ability.

What else could you buy?: The obvious German competition in the form of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C class and Audi A4, but all ask more than Volvo does for the V60 and the sole S60 it offers.

Then there are two wildcards in the segment, both of which scooped up Top Car wins last year – the much cheaper, yet almost as excellent Peugeot 508 and the compelling Tesla Model 3, for those who want to make a break from petrol.