the Volvo S60 exhibited little of the understeer expected--even when pushed hard and deep into the turns at speeds that were well above the safe range. If I had to characterize the performance of the chassis, it was more like an Audi than a BMW due to the advantages of its all-wheel-drive setup.

This is certainly not a bad thing, especially if you live in an area where frozen white stuff is a part of your winter driving regimen. The day of our test drive the track was wet, showing the confidence Volvo had in letting the journalists take the S60 out in less than ideal conditions.

I've said it many times: It is almost impossible to evaluate fully the strengths and weaknesses of a new vehicle on a 300-mile test drive. Yet with the all-new S60, it's immediately apparent that Volvo has built upon its core strengths of safety and practicality--while injecting the model with a dose of sportiness that some might see as out of character for the brand.

I don't. Volvo is dealing proactively with the competitive realities of the marketplace. The S60 will appeal both to those cross-shopping its most obvious direct competitors, and to those aspirational buyers coming out of non-luxury family cars like Honda's Accord and Toyota's Camry.

And it is to the latter category of buyers that Volvo might look for its best opportunity to widen the appeal of one of the industry's strongest brands. I look forward to a longer evaluation with what promises to be one of the strongest entries in this all-important segment.

Sidebar

An unconventional Volvo requires an unconventional launch program. At naughty.volvocars.us, you'll not only find the expected new-model information but also some highly entertaining, naughty even, videos of the new Volvo S60 in action. It's well worth a look.