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" On-Sale Date: Now Price: $42,500  Competitors: BMW 335i xDrive, Audi A4 S Line, Lexus IS350 AWD, Infiniti G37x, Mercedes-Benz C350 Powertrain: 3.0 liter I6, 325 hp, 354 lb-ft; six-speed auto; AWD EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 18/26 What&amp;#039;s New: To endow its halo sports sedan with more gotta-have-it oomph, Volvo enlisted Swedish aftermarket tuner Polestar to squeeze 8 percent more horsepower and 9 percent more torque from Volvo&amp;#039;s inline six-cylinder engine, yielding a finally tally of 325 hp and 354 lb-ft of twist. Increased turbo boost and advanced spark timing are the root of the improvement; they yield greater air and fuel flow while leaving fuel economy unchanged. Handling has been sharpened with a strut brace clamping both suspension towers, and the rear dampers are now monotube units with compression and rebound damping through the same valve. Springs have been shortened by 15 mm and stiffened, rear bushings are 20 percent more rigid, roll bars are thicker and the front tie-blade bushing is 400 percent firmer than the standard S60. The R-Design sits lower than the ordinary S60, and sports a more distinguished look with color-coordinated components, a resculpted front fascia with a piano-black grille, a new rear diffuser and 18-inch five-spoke wheels. Inside, the sport seats promise better grip during high-g cornering. The driver gets a sport steering wheel, gearshift lever, pedals and blue watch-dial instruments. Tech Tidbit: Volvo can boast about performance, but safety is still the brand&amp;#039;s main attraction. The S60 R-Design comes standard with City Safety, which automatically brakes at speeds up to 19 mph when the system detects potential collisions. The optional Technology Package adds Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, which slams the brakes when it senses human shapes in the car&amp;#039;s path. Driving Character: When you&amp;#039;re nestled snugly into the form-fitting sport seats, the Volvo S60 R-Design&amp;#039;s interior feels buttoned-down and somewhat austere, punctuated with a floating aluminum center stack and contrast-stitched leather. Click the shifter down to &amp;quot;D,&amp;quot; and the Swedish sedan delivers on its visual promise of tight driving dynamics. Throttle response is sharp off the line, and the six-speed transmission shifts smoothly but urgently. However, paddle shifters are notably absent from the otherwise sporty steering wheel, leaving manual shifting duties to the gearshift lever, which transfers signals to the six-speed slushbox rather reluctantly. Best to leave this baby in full &amp;quot;Auto&amp;quot; mode. Mash the aluminum-trimmed pedal on the right, and the S60 R-Design launches to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds\u2014impressive for this mild-mannered, safety-obsessed brand. That accelerative crispness also comes through with handling, thanks to tuned suspension components and a torque vectoring system that brakes the inside wheel to help the S60 rotate. The system works so well it&amp;#039;s easy to forget this is an all-wheel-drive car; understeer becomes evident only when the S60 goes hard into a turn and the grippy 40-series tires start sliding. Handling at higher speeds feels a bit looser than in some German sedans, but the S60 nonetheless maintains a sense of composure and competence. The S60 R-Design performed admirably on the road and surprisingly well at Thunderhill Raceway, a 3-mile track nestled in the boondocks of Willow, Calif., that&amp;#039;s known for its turns. Acceleration is satisfying on the track&amp;#039;s more open stretches, and the S60 handles the tighter sections with tossable tenacity. But wannabe endurance racers beware: The R-Design&amp;#039;s brakes aren&amp;#039;t exactly track-ready: After one lap of hard driving their stopping power had faded noticeably, and they were pedal-to-the-floor ineffective by the end of the second (fueled in part by the brake-aided torque-vectoring system, which was working overtime). Though glaring on the racetrack, the inadequacy is forgivable on public roads, where the S60 is unlikely to see such spirited driving. Favorite Detail: The S60 R-Design is decked out with spoilers and aero bodywork, but this Volvo is still an understated sports sedan, hiding its aggressive personality beneath its conservative nameplate. This is a Q-Ship whose performance capabilities\u2014with the exception of its lackluster brakes\u2014defy its safety-oriented reputation. Driver&amp;#039;s Grievance: Forget a manual gearbox: A proper sports sedan should at least offer paddle shifters. Volvo reps say that adding floppy paddles would have meant completely redesigning the steering wheel, which would have necessitated recertifying the car for crash testing. We say, &amp;quot;Too bad.&amp;quot; Bottom Line: Volvo&amp;#039;s S60 T6 turned the brand&amp;#039;s reputation on its ear, and the R-Design iteration is a mightier and meaner looking ride, with a $3000 steeper sticker price that includes a $1500 premium package at no extra charge. Safety die-hards will find plenty to appreciate in the flagship S60 R-Design, while performance enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised with its grunty engine and sharp handling. Though the lack of paddle shifters is a disappointing omission, the S60 R-Design is a well-priced and capable sports sedan that should lure skeptical buyers to the Volvo brand. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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