2019 Volvo S60 T8 R-Design launched in Malaysia – 2.0L PHEV, 407 hp, 640 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 4.4s, RM296k

At long last, the third-generation Volvo S60 has been launched in Malaysia, and customers will be offered in a sole T8 Twin Engine R-Design variant. For now, early units will be fully imported (CBU), with local assembly set to start later on – identical price and specifications as mentioned here. The redesigned sedan was first revealed in June last year, and competes against models like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

Price-wise, you’ll be paying RM295,888 (on-the-road without insurance), which includes a five-year/120,000-km factory warranty. The S60 is available with a choice of five colours, including Fusion Red, Crystal White, Birch Light, Onyx Black and Pebble Grey. It should also be noted that the S60 has a rather long service interval of 20,000 km.

Like the S90, the latest S60 rides on the same Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform but carries a more dynamic and sporty design. Obvious cues that identify it as a distinctively Volvo product include the signature “Thor’s Hammer” LED DRLs at integrated into full-LED headlamps and “E 3-style” LED taillights.

For our market, the S60 is dressed in R-Design trim, which consists of an aggressive front bumper featuring a larger lower intake and blacked-out fog lamp enclosures. The same black treatment is also applied on the pin-like mesh insert for the grille, which gets a silver surround.

2019 Volvo S60 T8 R-Design launched in Malaysia – 2.0L PHEV, 407 hp, 640 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 4.4s, RM296k

Down the sides, you’ll find black window surrounds and side mirror caps as well as a set of 19-inch five triple-spoke diamond cut/matte black alloy wheels shod with 235/40 series tyres. A pair of trapezoidal-shaped exhaust outlets can be found in the rear, highlighted by a body-coloured trim in the lower apron of the bumper.

Inside, the dashboard layout isn’t that dissimilar to the S90, with a large, portrait-oriented nine-inch touchscreen placed front and centre, flanked by vertical air vents. This is linked to a Sensus Connect infotainment system, with audio playback handled by a Harman Kardon 14-speaker, 600-watt sound system.

Beside the primary screen is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display and an R-Design three-spoke steering wheel, while the centre console remains familiar, accommodating the gear lever, engine start switch, drive mode selector, electronic parking brake switch and auto hold button.

Other standard equipment includes R-Design seats trimmed in Charcoal black Nappa leather/Nubuck fabric, Metal Mesh dash inlays, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, Park Assist Pilot, a 360-degree around view monitor, powered front seats with memory function, R-Design pedals and gear lever as well as keyless entry and start.

2019 Volvo S60 T8 R-Design launched in Malaysia – 2.0L PHEV, 407 hp, 640 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 4.4s, RM296k

As the variant name suggests, the S60 we get comes with the T8 Twin Engine AWD powertrain that consists of a Drive-E 2.0 litre supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 320 hp and 400 Nm of torque, a crankshaft-integrated starter/generator (CISG) and an Aisin-sourced AW TG-81SD eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the internal combustion engine drives the front wheels, an electric motor drives those at the rear, providing 87 hp and 240 Nm for a total system output of 407 hp and 640 Nm. With this powertrain, the S60 will complete the century sprint in just 4.4 seconds, hit a top speed of 250 km/h and has a rated fuel consumption of two litres per 100 km. The variant rides on the Dynamic Chassis with passive damping.

Powering the electric motor is an 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that is located in the transmission tunnel, providing an EV range of up to 49 km. As a plug-in hybrid, there’s an onboard 3.7 kW charger, which can be plugged into charging stations via a Type 2 connection – it’ll take about three hours for a full charge with an outlet that puts out 3.7 kW or more.

As this is a Volvo, the list of safety and driver assistance systems is pretty comprehensive, and includes six airbags (front, side and curtain), City Safety (autonomous emergency braking), Lane Keeping Aid, Front & Rear Collision Warning & Mitigation Support, Driver Alert Control (DAC), Run-Off Road Mitigation and Cross Traffic Alert, among others.

We’ve already had a chance to try out the all-new Volvo S60, and you can read our review of the sedan here. Find full specifications of the S60 on CarBase.my.


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