The 2014 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design is all sleek curves and upscale luxury when you open the door and slide behind the wheel, but it forgets all that refinement and lets loose as soon as you press on the gas.
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2014 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design | $42,700 | $49,315 | 325 / 354 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | ||
| Rating: BUY IT! | 18 / 25 Combined 21 | 20.2 Combined |
You don’t really think sleek and sporty when you think Volvo, but the 2014 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design aims to change your mind. You know you’re looking at a Volvo when you walk up to the car, but this one doesn’t smile at you and say hello. Instead it gives you more of a sexy, mischievous grin. Look out BMW, this one is coming straight for you.
The newly redesigned shape of the car is more wedge-like and the R-Design gets upgrades that make it even sportier with a lower front spoiler and polished tailpipes. There are also 18″ alloy wheels and leather-trimmed sport seats that add to its appeal. Nothing dowdy or sedate to see here.
Inside, the sense of sleek luxury continues with a very clean, very Scandinavian design. There’s plenty to look at and it all looks good, but there’s nothing fussy and overdone. The lines are neat and uncomplicated with just enough polished surfaces to give it some punch without being in your face.
This is not a car for the faint of heart, but for those that want more of a driving experience behind the wheel without yelling it to the world. A 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo 6-cylinder will give you 325 horsepower with 354 lb-ft of torque, and you’re going to want to test just what that feels like again, and again, and again.
Having recently spent some time driving the 2014 Volvo S60 T5, I was in for a surprise when I pressed the gas in this car. The two vehicles are entirely different experiences. The 2014 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design has all the punch its little brother lacks. It moves and does so smoothly yet aggressively off the line or at highway speeds.
The car’s smooth, quiet ride was one of its stand out features. You feel yourself pressed back into what are very supportive and well-bolstered seats, but the road and engine noise are always in check. It’s like a stealth sports sedan that doesn’t want to scream too loudly about all its power. How very Scandinavian.
The 6-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly through all gears, but there are paddle shifters if you’re so inclined. I found the paddle shifting less than optimal with the car deciding I didn’t know what I was doing and shifting up for me if the revs got a little high. I’d rather it have left things alone and given me a bit more control.
Power assisted steering is much lighter than in the base model, yet still very responsive. You’ll get plenty of road feedback and will find it nearly effortless on the highway. Once you get off the highway onto side roads with a rougher surface, things become more challenging.
That stiff sport suspension is a little too stiff on a bumpy road and you will feel every pothole and frost heave right through the seat. You’ll also being doing a fair amount of steering to correct for the way those bumps tend to toss the car around.
Despite the stiff suspension, it is at most times a very comfortable ride. This goes for the front and rear seats which are unusually spacious and have enough leg and headroom for even taller passengers. Seating for five is possible, but four is more ideal.
It wouldn’t be a Volvo without a laundry list of safety features, and the 2014 S60 T6 AWD R-Design comes with a big one. Adaptive dual xenon headlights, adaptive cruise control, blind spot information system, cross-traffic alert, collision warning with full brake and pedestrian and cyclist detection, driver alert control and lane departure warning all make this a very safe drive.
You’ll get 18/25 city/highway for a combined 21 MPG which puts it a bit on the low side with the likes of the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series with which it competes. They’ll also give you a much more sport-focused ride with better overall handling.
Pricing on the 2014 Volvo S60 AWD R-Design as tested was $49,315 so it’s definitely not a cheap date, but it’s also not unreasonable. It offers a comfortable, elegant ride with more than enough power to keep sports minded drivers happy.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2014 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design a Buy It!
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
