Volvo presents brand new S60 with two PHEV options

Volvo has taken the wraps off the long expected S60 series that marks the end of diesel or better, the beginning of the electrified era at the Swedish carmaker as the S60 comes in two plug-in hybrid variants. And it is another first as the car is made entirely in Volvo’s new U.S. factory.

The Volvo facility in Charleston, South Carolina is the first outlet for the Geely-owned company in the States as we reported in our newsletter today. Volvo will make the entire V6o series there, including those for export.

The S60 is the first Volvo model that does not feature a diesel engine but two plug-in hybrid options instead. Moreover, the top trim T8 Twin Engine is also available with a performance package by Volvo’s power arm Polestar.

The standard Volvo S60 with T6 Twin Engine delivers 250 kW while the conventional T8 Twin Engine AWD has 287 kW with the Performance version boasting the motor to 294 kW. Volvo has not disclosed any details on range as they probably expect results from the new testing cycles first.

The lines in Charleston are rolling though and after the S60, the U.S. factory will also be charged with producing the XC90 by 2021. In future, Volvo wants to build plug-in hybrid variants in all their global facilities according to their extensive electrification strategy.

The latter has just been reenforced with Volvo confirming that the next XC40 will be the first model to get an all-electric successor. This Volvo EV is scheduled to launch shortly after the all-electric Polestar 2 due to arrive in 2019. On top, the XC90 will be complemented with a purely electric car in 2021 as well.

Including a push for sales of new energy vehicles particularly in China, Volvo aims for fully electric cars to account for half of its total sales by 2025 (we reported).

volvocars.com (S60), autocar.co.uk (XC40 & XC90), volvocars.com (US production)