SPYSHOTS: 2019 Volvo V60 R seen for the first time?

The new Volvo V60 which broke cover in February may soon get a performance-oriented version, possibly bearing the famous R moniker. With Polestar now being a standalone electric car manufacturer, there’s a good likelihood that Volvo is planning to reintroduce the proper R range.

Based on this set of spy photos, the fully-camouflaged V60 seems to be fitted with larger disc brakes, with slotted rotors up front that could be clamped by a six-piston caliper. Of course, all other design elements are completely masked, and it’s likely that the production version will come with more aggressive body styling, and perhaps a wilder colour palette as well.

For powertrain, it’s unclear whether the V60 R will get a twin-charged 2.0 Drive-E engine or an uprated version of the T6/T8 plug-in hybrid setup, so we’ll have to wait and see. In any case, expect the handsome wagon to either match or exceed the T8 PHEV’s 390 hp and 640 Nm mark.

To recap, the new V60 is built on top of the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which also underpins its SUV brethren, the XC60 and XC90.

It’s available with the usual crop of Volvo’s Drive-E engines, but new to it is the T6 Twin Engine variant which drops the supercharger from the 2.0 litre engine. On its own, the gasoline mill produces 253 hp and 350 Nm, and it’s married to the same hybrid gubbins as the T8.

The T6 Twin Engine’s total system output is rated at 340 hp and 590 Nm, but has the same combined fuel consumption figure of 2.1 L/100 km, the same 45 km all-electric range and the same 4.8-second 0-100 km/h sprint time. So, dear readers, anyone excited for a Gothenburg R-evival?

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