2019 Volvo V60

The all-new 2019 Volvo V60 mid-size wagon will join an exclusive coterie of American wagons. While wagons made up less than 1 percent of total American vehicle sales last year, sales in the wagon category were up almost 20 percent, and are expected to rise further this year with new entries from Buick, Jaguar, and Porsche. Volvo's unique situation – the only automaker to offer two different sizes of wagon in the U.S. – makes us think of blackjack. When a player is dealt two cards with the same rank, they are allowed to split the cards into two hands, doubling their bet. In most cases, splitting either diminishes a winning hand or multiplies by two the horror of a crappy one. But some splits are highly favorable, particularly aces. And after driving the V60 through Spain, we believe that its addition to the automaker's lineup, with the larger V90, is akin to splitting a pair of aces. The V60 has much in common with its big brother. It rides on the same Scalable Product Architecture platform, it sports the same inviting-yet-minimal Scandinavian interior, and it hosts the same 8-speed transmission and twin-charged (turbocharged and supercharged) 316 horsepower T6 motor and all-wheel-drive system. A 250 hp turbocharged T5 front-driver will also be available at launch, and a 400-hp plug-in hybrid will follow. Its biggest differences are dimensional – it is seven inches shorter overall than the V90, though it has only 2.7 fewer inches between the wheels – and stylistic. One on hand, it maintains recognizable family cues in its T-shaped headlamps, tailgate-engulfing taillamps, concave barred grille, and angularly scalloped flanks. On the other, its truncated length and beltline uptick in the rear doors lends it a more spry and athletic demeanor. Also, its broader greenhouse, more upright A-pillars, and flatter cargo hatch provide it with some of Volvo's most familiar, but long vanquished, heritage feature: boxiness. Not that anyone with eyes would mistake it for a vintage 240. No one would mistake the driving experience for that of a vintage Volvo, either. The combination of similar power, shorter overhangs, and around 200 pounds less weight makes the V60 feel sportier than the V90. In fact, it has a genuine liveliness that was particularly expressive on our route through the coast, mountains, and towns around Barcelona. The V60 is plenty quick (0-60 in 5.8 seconds for the T6 AWD), and its reduced length makes it feel more nimble through the Montserrat mountains twisties. Even with the optional 19-inch wheels on the upscale Inscription package car we drove, it was well damped enough for long cruises on the Autovías. Its heavy breathing engine doesn't feel quite as taxed in this application as it does in bigger, heavier ones. We were fortunate during our Spanish sojourn to mostly not have the opportunity to test out the standard safety features integrated into the V60. These are similar to the suite of systems in the 90-series vehicles that prevent it from crashing or being …
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