Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) has officially launched the CKD locally-assembled Volvo S60 T8. The third-generation Volvo S60 was launched here in October 2019 as a CBU import, in T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid form with the R-Design package, and the CKD variant is similar.
Also similar is the price. The 2020 Volvo S60 T8 CKD is yours for RM295,888 on-the-road without insurance. It rolls out from Volvo’s factory in Shah Alam, which is Malaysia’s oldest car plant and currently its regional production hub. Specs wise, it’s largely the same, but with Park Assist Pilot now available. More on the minor differences below.
The T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain under the hood consists of a Drive-E 2.0 litre supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine with 320 hp/400 Nm, a crankshaft-integrated starter/generator and an Aisin eight-speed automatic transmission.
While the internal combustion engine drives the front wheels, an 87 hp/240 Nm electric motor at the rear provides all-wheel drive and a claimed total system output of 407 hp and 640 Nm. The S60 T8 does 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 250 km/h and claimed official fuel consumption of two litres per 100 km.
Speaking of top speed, there’s no 180 km/h limit for this first batch of cars, but moving forward, the second batch will have the cap.
The PHEV battery is a 11.6 kWh lithium-ion unit located in the transmission tunnel, providing an electric range of up to 49 km. VCM’s MD Nalin Jain described the S60 T8 as a rare enjoyable thing that’s not sinful. The car comes with an onboard 3.7 kW charger with a Type 2 connection – it’ll take about three hours for a full charge at an outlet that puts out 3.7 kW or more.
As with big brother S90 and Volvo’s popular XC SUVs, the third-gen S60 is underpinned by the company’s modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform. However, it’s significantly smaller in footprint and more dynamic in appearance than the S90, which is fitting as it goes up against the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4, among other compact execs.
Compared to the S90, which has a straight belt line, the S60’s sides are more sculpted and the rear haunches are rather pronounced. At the back, the license plate is back on the boot lid for a more conventional and sporty look; it’s flanked by distinctive “E 3 shaped” LED taillights.
R-Design styling includes an aggressive front bumper with a larger lower intake and blacked-out fog lamp housing. The same gloss black treatment is also applied on the pin-like mesh insert for the grille, which gets a silver surround. The window surrounds and side mirror caps are also in black. The aggressive rear bumper has a body-coloured trim and prominent twin exhaust outlets. The wheels are the same 19-inch alloys with 235/40 tyres.
Specs wise, the CKD car retains the CBU’s Dynamic Chassis with passive damping, Sensus Connect infotainment system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, 14-speaker 600-watt Harman Kardon sound system, panoramic sunroof and the full suite of safety and driver assistance systems that you’d expect from a Volvo. As mentioned, Park Assist is a new addition.
The other spec differences are minor. We asked and VCM says that the CKD sedan’s rear seats don’t fold, but the centre pass through hole is still there. Also gone are the 12V socket and netting in the boot, as well as the Birch Light exterior colour option. Once again, the price is RM295,888 on-the-road without insurance.
Will there be further S60 variants? Not for now, says Jain, as VCM will study the market with this sole version. Click here for the CBU’s launch report and here for our review of the S60.
GALLERY: 2020 Volvo S60 T8 CKD
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CKD price=CBU price. We all voted for this Bravo!
Volvo Car Malaysia announced very early on that the CBU and CKD S60 models would be priced the same (this is through CKD bridging programme and VCM’s own cost projection plans). Please don’t politicise everything.
Words of wisdom from Hafriz. I hope those whom criticising take heed of this advice.
What Raja said is facts…it is Volvo malaysia offers the wrong price strategy for cbu in the first place
So… You’d rather they have priced the CBU cars higher, so the first adopters would be hit with bigger depreciation as soon as the CKD cars went online?
Haf bro. Dun need waste time with them, just use ur admin mod powers to filter them out. Settel!
Sez the resident politikus troll
Hafriz has no need to be a political troll. He is the admin here. Get it right dude.
Wasting my time to wait for CKD
Pre-reg units 220k incoming
haiya it’s not like you were planning to buy it also… let alone be able to afford it
Launched to fail
It is only your time wasted.
Since this price is similar as CBU Volvo S60, even though S60 and 3 series are better than honda accord.They will rather get longer life, high safety and more exciting feel which is Bmw 3 series sport that cost RM243k rather than overpriced Honda accord that feel so boring and Honda quality is too poor.
The 3 series dont even have vast safety features like a corolla let alone the accord
Both cars have self driving capability whereas the G20 only has autobrake and blindspot which they just implemented recently.
I agree with the driving feel and such
Bmw 3 series sport comes with vast safety feature
https://paultan.org/2020/04/08/g20-bmw-320i-sport-now-with-aeb-rm248800/
vast safety feature is not auto brake and blindspot
That is standard literally all car brands have that now
A CX5 has better features cause it also comes with lane assist compared to the G20 which only has warning
depending on what type of safety features of car manufacturers are they making. You may not know that G20 that uses BMW Driving Assistant package which has high tech if you test drive one day.
Bmw 5year free servis too
Masa susah ni, kalo jual RM195,888 laku la kot
Not only accord is very expensive. It is also because quality and aftersales services is bad. That’s why everyone boycott honda malaysia
Very soon will see you at MCMC or jail for posting fake news.
If MCMC was working, we wud see Sg Buloh bursting with Kunta and his countless dupes lorr.
Spot on john!
What the crap are you talking about. BMW and Volvo are considered as luxury cars, unlike Accord. Please do not let your hatred towards certain brand makes your statement worthless.
…judging by the dashboard design, its gonna be hard sell for this Volvo at almost RM300k
Come on, Volvo. You could design better, right?
Any news on V60 coming to our shore? I would like to see them on the road
Can we have T5 please?.. simplicity with dinosaur juice only
rear seats don’t fold? seriously?
better to lose that useless park assist than the very usable folding seats
i think you havent seen any hybrid or phev car before most phev and hybrid cant fold their rear seat because they have their battery or motor at the back.I own a bmw 530e which the seat also cant fold.
lol ur 530e seats cant fold because bmw malaysia remove that option to cut costs, not because it can’t. seriously.
and, the cbu s60 t8 came with folding seats, read the article la!
Hybrid or non-hybrid has nothing to do with whether the rear seats are foldable or not. Hybrid battery is usually located at the spare tyre compartment or under the rear seat. So, the battery won’t obstruct the seat foldability.
People that owns luxury cars will appreciate the ease of park with Parking Assist, and if they wanted to move something long, they will pay movers to do that job for them.
ppl that can afford luxury cars can hire people to drive for them also. unlike you.
Lol! If I have a luxury car, I certainly wouldn’t want to dirty or damage it by hauling 8x4s. Sorry but you don’t sound convincing.
exactly, you don have a luxury car. go back to your rapidkl.
Exactly why Semi-Value don’t understand how rich people use their luxury cars.
@Semi-Value, neither do you. I have a luxury car and I think nothing like you do. It isn’t to haul things.
I have a 740Le, an X5 and a Boxster, but I don’t have a driver. Sometimes people who own luxury cars would rather drive themselves.
Spot on bro!
ur hot wheels collection dont count bro.
You speak a lot for someone who has neither. lol
Seriously don’t know what’s the hype about this car. Performance looks top notch on paper, but in real life? Not so much, M340i with lesser hp beat it easily in drag race.
No doubt it’s a good car, and a handsome one. But volvo fans just keep praising it like no tomorrow is what made it likely to be the next Civic LOOLL
But Civic is already Failure Quality. So why volvo owners should downgrade with boring honda. Be logic bro.
The hype comes from how well this car is specced compared to it’s competitors, especially in the safety department. Plus this car is so heavy with its hybrid batteries, of course the M340i can beat it. But for this price point, you can’t ask for more. M340i would be 400+k easily, as with the C43
Sure, if I can get the M340i for less than 300k with the same safely packages, why not?
Might as well get a Civic. Better dashboard, younger and looks better. Save the balance for X70 for the maid.
All Honda cars are getting too expensive because keeping on changing spare parts & while Honda RV is too low.
It is better to wait S50. Then you can save up to 30K. Better dashboard, younger, look better with high spec safety compare to ketam Civic with outdated specs and looking Ah Beng
Young age adults prefer X70 but reject Civic, Older age adults prefer Civic but reject X70!
Agreed. The gearbox is from Jurassic time and you can watch drag race where m340i easily beat s60 T8 in the drag race (in Carwow youtube). However based on experience owning 1st gen S60, it is somehow a very special car. Only Volvo enthusiast or current owners can appreciate it. Love the soundtrack 5 cylinder engine with blow off valve sound everytime i eased the throttle. Unfortunate the gearbox is the main problem. Hope the new S60 can last a little longer.
But there is no M340i here, and even if there were, it will be well over 300k
hmm, surprised there is no price drop but i understand why they did it.
protect first batch CBU buyers from price drop in resale.
still, a value for money car. great spec, great design, great value.
yeah protect 1st batch of CBU buyers and lose buyers for CKD who is expecting price drop. Anyway think they probably will.give discounts or sell unde the guise of pre-reg ….. how many have you guys seen on the road let’s be honest S60 at RM295k
just see the sales figure by Paultan.org.
seeing on the road only give shallow judgement.
sales figures are for Volvo none by model anyways sales are taken up my dealers and then become pre reg sales …
Not seen any cbu s60 on the road. You sure got cbu buyers?
Never seen a single New Sante Fe on the road yet.
Hyundai Sante Fe can sell Meh???
Same goes for the ugly new Hyundai Sonata before launching here is already dead..
But I only saw two Hyundai Santa Fe so far in Klang Valley
Because there are only 100 CBU S60 T8 came to Malaysia, the 295K is a no brainer at the first place(what we guessing is perhaps Volvo received a special incentive from government for this CBU batch )
How can it be higher spec, higher horsepower, and more technological advance than BMW330i but why price is about the same as CKD 3 series?
That means CKD price is actually fair, is the CBU price that is too SPECIAL!
Most people who can afford a Volvo T8 sedan (S60 and S90) will not be buying one. No snob appeal and those technologies are outright scary.
Good. Don’t buy a Volvo T8 sedan. Leave it to those people who can appreciate the beauty of the hybrid and safety technologies.
Keep it exclusive to those who dare.
I think most commenting here probably have no intention aka can’t afford to buy it anyways (me included) haha
All are just jealous Beemer salesmen.
These volvo haters are from mercedes salesmen but not from beemer salesmen