Volvo has reintroduced the Volvo S60 saloon to its line-up, now available in four-wheel-drive-form only, after it was temporarily removed from sale last year.
The BMW 3 Series-rivalling executive saloon was originally pulled in October so the Swedish firm could fulfil its existing orders. The car maker blamed the combined effects of component shortages and supply issues as a result of Covid-19 for not being able to meet demand.
Now the hybrid-only saloon returns without a front-wheel-drive option, and with a new starting price: the entry-level mild-hybrid B5 has increased from £44,580 to £46,135. The top-specification plug-in hybrid T8 Recharge has also gone up by £105.
Specification for both models remains unchanged, with the B5 and T8 Recharge using tuned versions of Volvo’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, producing a combined 246bhp and 448bhp respectively.
Volvo said that it would keep the S60 on sale for “the medium-term future”. This would only continue for as long as it had sufficient allocation space and had secured a supply of components to complete orders of new cars to customers.
No further changes were made to pricing or specification of Volvo’s mid-size estate offering, the V60, which shares the same platform and powertrain options as its sibling and has remained on sale.
Volvo would not comment on a potential replacement for the S60 saloon. However, with the brand aiming to become all-electric by 2030, we would expect a fully electric S60 to join its seven-strong line-up in the coming years.
Figures released by Jato Dynamics showed that both the S60 and V60 suffered a 51% drop in registrations between October 2021 and October 2022, representing the biggest fall in Volvo’s line-up.
The current Volvo XC90 is set to be replaced by the forthcoming Volvo EX90 electric SUV. Volvo is also introducing a smaller electric SUV, called the Volvo EX30, in its bid to target younger customers and rival the Jeep Avenger.