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NEWBERG, OR – For nearly a decade, the Volvo brand has been trying to shed a stereotype of offering boxy products appealing to customers that skew toward college professors clad in tweed coats with leather arm patches.
But the new ’11 S60 is evidence Volvo Car Corp. no longer is playing it safe. At least not design-wise; the Swedish auto maker still touts its preeminence in vehicle safety.
The midsize sedan is redone this year for the first time since its 2000 debut. The curvy and muscular new model is a looker, a contrast from Volvo’s staid styling of the past.
Volvo executives use provocative words such as “sexy” and “naughty” to describe the new car. “Sporty” and “dynamic” also find their way into the conversation.
“I wanted to make a big statement that this is a new Volvo,” S60 designer Jonathan Disley says, pointing out styling highlights during a media preview here.
“I started drawing at home, playing with a lot of lines to give the feeling the car is wide and low and that something is happening with it,” he says. “Back at the studio, I got the gut feeling the lines should play off each other.”
Meanwhile, engineers went to work to crank up the driving dynamics.
Clearly, the S60 represents a new direction, as Volvo goes after the hearts and minds of driving enthusiasts, and tries to win sales away from fellow Europeans such as BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4.
