equipped with the turbocharged T6 engine. Displacing 3.0 liters, it has been improved with lower internal friction and is the most powerful six-cylinder engine currently offered by Volvo. It now puts out 300 horsepower and a stout 325 lb.-ft. of torque. Maximum torque is achieved from just 2,100 r.p.m. and remains available throughout the rev range. New valves and lower friction in Volvo's second-generation, six-speed automatic Geartronic trans-mission mean faster gear changes than before.

If this all sounds like tech spec from a certain German rival that has built its reputation on all-wheel-drive sport sedans, it's probably no coincidence. Volvo is clearly out to change your perceptions of the brand with the S60.

Volvo's designers took an evolutionary approach to the car's exterior, building upon the now-familiar S60 profile and applying today's trendy coupe-like treatment to the C-pillar. The result is a vehicle that is instantly recognizable as a Volvo--but with a contemporary, athletic look. Due, in part, to the double wave in its character line.

This treatment extends from the front cornering lights (given an eyebrow treatment), up the A-pillar, across the roof, through the defining and dominating LED tail-lamp assemblies, and down to the trunk and returns along the opposite side of the exterior... in a continuous line. A secondary line above the rocker panels draws your attention, giving the S60 a hunkered-down look. Overall, the look is both appealing and distinctive.