2012 Volvo XC60

For Swedish performance aficionados who remember the Volvo R sedans and wagons from the ’90s and early 2000s, Volvo’s recent R-Design packages left much to be desired. Rather than increase power, those add-ons were being limited to stiffer suspension bits, flashy wheels, and sportier interior and exterior trim. Somewhere a pale yellow 850R wagon may be cracking a smile, though, as Volvo’s upcoming 2012 S60 R-Design and XC60 R-Design mark the return of power upgrades to the Volvo fold.

Both vehicles gain 25 hp and 29 lb-ft of torque, bumping output of Volvo’s ubiquitous T6 turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six to 325 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. We clocked the 300-hp S60 T6 to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds and a 281-hp XC60 T6 AWD (the XC60 got the 300-hp T6 for 2011) in 6.5; the R-Design models should certainly improve on those figures. All the grunt gets routed to the pavement through a six-speed autobox and Volvo’s all-wheel-drive system. Instead of using a trick torque-vectoring differential, Volvo’s Corner Traction Control uses the stability-control system to help handling by braking the inside wheel during cornering, transferring power to the outside wheel.

Already the most entertaining Volvo steer in some time, the rest of the S60's R-Design-ification includes the addition of a front strut-tower brace, monotube rear dampers, stiffened and lower springs all around, and stiffer rear suspension bushings. The attitude of the lower ride height is matched by a set of attractive 18-inch wheels, a more-aggressive front fascia with a piano-black grille, and a tasteful rear lip spoiler that lives above a pair of larger tailpipes. The XC60 R-Design has existed since last year, albeit sans the more powerful engine, and so it already had the stiffened suspension, quicker steering ratio, and sporty trim bits that are now being added to the S60 version. The interiors of both cars have R-Design steering wheels, icy-cool blue-hued gauges, and more-supportive sport seats.

Of course, the full suite of Volvo’s latest safety tech is available, including Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake and Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake—both radar-based systems can slow or stop the car if it determines a collision with a pedestrian or other object is imminent. City Safety, which can slow or stop the car from up to 19 mph in the face of an impending collision, is standard on both R-Design models. Pricing comes in at $43,150 for the S60 R-Design and $44,025 for the XC60 R-Design. Volvo may have largely turned its back on performance in recent years, but these two R-Designs seem to prove that the engineers in Gothenburg still care about more than avoiding accidents.