2012 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design Review

Volvo's S60 T6 R-Design's 3.0-litre turbo puts out 325 horsepower and scoots to 100 kilometres an hour in 6.1 seconds.

The R-Design takes the stock Volvo S60 T6, which is not a bad-looking car in the first place, and adds to the appeal in all areas. The body kit, which counts a more aggressive nose and a rear diffuser, lends a louder style, while the work beneath the hood ramps up performance. The end result is a car with more purpose and certainly more substance.

The S60 T6 R-Design is a seriously quick car, and it boils down to the work Polestar, a Swedish racing and performance company, did to the stock motor. Tweaking the engine management system and increasing the turbo's boost pressure bumps the 3.0-litre's output to 325 horsepower (up 8%) and 354 pound-feet of torque (up 9%) at 3,000 rpm. This is enough to spirit the S60 to 100 kilometres an hour in 6.1 seconds, while it accomplishes the more important 80-to-120-km/h passing move in four seconds flat.

Power is put to the pavement through a six-speed manumatic transmission and all four wheels. The transmission, which features Normal, Sport and Manual modes, is a refined unit that slips through its gears seamlessly, yet it kicks down quickly when the throttle is hammered.

When I tested the mortal S60, I lamented the lack of paddle shifters — in the R-Design, it is a bigger oversight. Given the added alacrity, the ability to drop a cog or two without taking one's hands off the wheel would be preferable — alas, this is not the case.

by: Graeme Fletcher for National Post and MotoringTV.com