VOLVO HAS RELEASED the first handful of images of its upcoming next-generation S60 sedan, a car that’s not only a radical departure from the last S60, but the first taste of the Swedish manufacturer’s future design direction.
The big wheels, glass roof and rear-hinged rear doors of the concept may be gone, but the basic form remains.
There are some tweaks to the front bumper, wing mirrors and headlamp lenses too, but Volvo has preserved most of the concept’s futuristic shape in the production vehicle.
The 2011 Volvo S60 will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show next March, while production is slated to begin mid-2010. Volvo Australia says local deliveries should commence in the fourth quarter of next year.
Precise mechanical details of the new S60 sedan are unknown, but current reports say a direct-injected turbocharged petrol four will feature in the line-up. A range of turbodiesels are a given for the new S60, and a hybrid may be in the pipeline too.
The 2011 S60 will be available with Volvo’s newly-developed pedestrian-recognising crash avoidance system, which can apply the brakes independently of the driver if it detects an imminent collision. The S60 will feature more cutting-edge safety tech, however precise details will be revealed closer to the car’s debut at Geneva.
source: themotorreport
