Volvo revealed the new S60 mid-size premium sports sedan at the company’s first US manufacturing plant in Charleston, South Carolina. The combined car launch and factory opening reinforced the brands commitment to the United States, an important market for the company and its new premium sports sedan, the S60, the first Volvo car to be made in the US.

The new S60 is the first Volvo car to be sold without a diesel offering, signalling the company’s industry-leading commitment to electrification and a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine. In 2017 Volvo Cars was the first global car maker to announce its strategy that from 2019 all new models will be electrified. Two turbo-charged and super-charged plug-in hybrid petrol engines will be available in the new S60: Volvo’s T6 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid that generates a combined 340hp, and the award-winning T8 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid that delivers 400hp*. Volvo’s proven T5 and T6 petrol engines will be available at launch.

In a first for its segment, customers can access the new S60 via Volvo Cars’ new premium subscription service Care by Volvo, which offers car access with no down payment via a monthly flat-fee subscription rather than ownership. Care by Volvo makes having a car as transparent, easy and hassle free as having a phone. “The active chassis and drive modes deliver excellent control and an engaged performance that makes this a driver’s car,” said Henrik Green, senior vice president for research and development at Volvo Cars. “It also brings the acclaimed technology from our 90 Series and other 60 Series cars into this segment, making it one of the best sports sedans on the market.”

The new S60 shares Volvo Cars’ own Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, safety technology and infotainment system with the new V60 premium mid-size estate, launched earlier this year, as well as the top-of-the-line 90 Series cars and award-winning XC60, all of which have achieved industry-leading safety ratings. This makes the new S60 one of the safest cars on the road. The City Safety with Autobrake technology assists the driver in avoiding potential collisions, and is the only system on the market to recognise pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. In a world first for the mid-size sedan segment, City Safety now also engages auto braking to mitigate oncoming collisions. The optional Pilot Assist system which supports the driver with steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 130km/h – has been upgraded with improved cornering performance. The S60 also includes Run-off Road Mitigation, Oncoming Lane Mitigation and other steering assistance systems. The optional Cross Traffic Alert with autobrake further enhances safety for people inside and outside the car.