2011 Volvo S60 Wins Automobile Magazine All-Star Award

Dec 16, 2010 - 9:53:29 AM

Rockleigh, N.J. (December 15, 2010) - Volvo's all-new S60 has been recognized by AUTOMOBILE Magazine as a 2011 All Star, marking yet another accolade for the Swedish manufacturer's exciting new entry into the hotly contested C/D premium sport-sedan segment. The AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star Award marks the fourth major U.S. award the S60 has garnered since going on sale in September.

"The S60 is arguably the most important car Volvo has launched in nearly a decade and it simply has to be a home run," noted Doug Speck, President and CEO, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. "The AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star Award is an incredible honor and only helps to illustrate to consumers what a game changer the S60 is for Volvo."

Finding an All-Star is no easy feat. The prestigious All-Star awards recognize ten vehicles chosen by the editorial staff of AUTOMOBILE Magazine. For 2011, there were 271 automobiles for sale in the United States that were eligible for the award. This year 39 vehicles were nominated by the editors to participate. Citing the February 2011 issue of AUTOMOBILE Magazine, the editors noted, "With the S60, Volvo has managed to carve out a distinct product in an impossibly crowded field. The S60 retains its Swedish personality but now challenges the class leaders on refinement and handling."

The award decisions are not made through an instrumented testing process. Rather, the winners are determined by a round-table discussion that results in an All-Star nod.

Aside from receiving the AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star, the all-new S60 has received three additional major U.S. accolades since its North American unveil at the New York auto show earlier this year. Most recently, the T6 engine was acknowledged by Ward's as one of the 10 Best Engines for 2011. Popular Science recognized Volvo's Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake as the "Smartest Safety Feature" in its annual Best of What's New Auto Tech category. Volvo's technology for avoiding low-speed collisions also received the American "Traffic Safety Achievement Award" at this year's World Traffic Safety Symposium in New York in April.

This year's recognition as an AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star marks the second time Volvo has won the coveted award. The exciting C30 earned a similar honor in 2008.

On paper it's easy to see why the all-new S60 has garnered such praise. With 300 blistering horsepower and 325-lb.-ft. of torque available at just 2,100 rpm, standard all-wheel drive, a quick-shifting 6-speed "Geartronic" transmission with "Sport" mode, Volvo's 2011 S60 is the sportiest sedan in the Swedish company's 80-plus year history. Additionally, the turbocharged T6 engine sips fuel, providing 26 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg in the city for a combined 21 mpg.

Sourced from www.swedespeed.com

Revised Volvo T6 Engine Makes Wards Auto 10 Best Engines List

Dec 8, 2010 - 9:32:42 AM

Somehow--and we aren't too happy about it--Volvo has never made the Wards Auto 10 Best Engines list, an annual listing that comes out this time of year for the finest engines in the world. Well that finally ends, as it should, with the new T6 introduced with the 2011 S60 and headed into other models throughout the lineup. But even with this victory, Wards is still showing its biases:

"Volvo Car Corp. lands its first Ward?s 10 Best Engines honor, for the 3.0L turbocharged I-6 in the S60 sedan. Volvo clearly benchmarked BMW in developing the supremely smooth ?T6? engine, based on its delicious mid-range power band and paucity of turbo lag.

This engine is perfectly suited for the all-new S60 and powers it into contention against bigger, better-established luxury entries. The T6 creates a new performance-oriented dimension for a brand seeking to expand under new Chinese ownership."

Benchmarking BMW? We're pretty sure Volvo had a turbocharged version of its straight six long before those Germans. Anyway, we're happy to see Volvo on the list and congratulate all the engineers responsible. Volvo's own press release is below.

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Rockleigh, N.J. (December 7, 2010) - Volvo's hot new S60 sport sedan continues to impress the pundits with the announcement of its powerful T6 engine being lauded as one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2011. With a blistering 300 horsepower, 325 lb.-ft. of torque at a low 2,100 rpm and combined fuel economy of 21 mpg, it's easy to see why.

This year marks a first for Volvo to win the annual award bestowed by the editors of Ward's. In all, 38 vehicles with new or significantly improved engines were tested and evaluated. "Volvo clearly benchmarked BMW in developing the supremely smooth T6 engine, based on its delicious mid-range power band and paucity of turbo lag," noted Tom Murphy, Executive Editor of Ward's AutoWorld in his December 7 article highlighting the awards. "This engine is perfectly suited for the all-new S60 and powers it into contention against bigger, better-established luxury entries."

The T6 engine, internally known as the B6304T, matches the torque of Volvo's V8, but makes its power far lower in the rev range: 2,100 rpm compared to 3,950 rpm. While boasting 300 horsepower, fuel economy figures for the T6 of 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway make it one of Volvo's most fuel efficient engines offered in the U.S. In fact, the T6 engine is 17 percent more fuel efficient than the V8. Aside from the S60 sport sedan, the turbocharged T6 engine is also available in the 2011 S80, XC60 and XC70.

"The S60's T6 engine is simply the best engine Volvo's ever produced," noted Doug Speck, President and CEO, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. "It's powerful, smooth, and gets great fuel economy. We're honored that Ward's is recognizing the T6 engine as one of its 10 Best for 2011."

Essentially a heavily modified version of the T6 originally introduced in the 2009 XC60 premium crossover, the goal for the 2011 iteration was to perfectly balance performance with fuel economy and maintain a low environmental impact. Volvo engineers focused their efforts on reducing internal friction, increasing power output and improving fuel economy.

The B6304T T6 benefits from improved valve tappets, which feature Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating. The carbon structure is extremely hard and has self-lubricating properties. The DLC surface reduces camshaft friction, enabling lower fuel consumption and extending service life. Additionally, a new type of Denso Super Ignition Spark Plug results in increased power output, improved fuel economy, better cold starting performance and longer service life. Highly polished cam shafts also result in reduced friction which helps contribute to the T6's excellent fuel economy and performance.

Volvo also developed new engine management software optimized for fuel economy. The six-speed "Geartronic" transmission received revised mapping software that allowed for a new "Sport" mode. In "Sport" mode, the transmission remaps the shift points, holding the shifts higher in the rev band for improved performance. Other enhancements include revised frame bearings within the crankshaft, a low-friction accessory drive belt tensioner and aluminum water pump housing, all designed with improved engine efficiency in mind.

Volvo will be honored at the upcoming Ward's 10 Best Engines banquet on January 12, 2011 at the Renaissance Center Marriott in Detroit, MI.