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Not every car is sexy. Edsels for example, had as much ooh lah-lah as people named Ethel (no offense, Mrs. Mertz). And the K-Car was about as come hither as Special K cereal. Although safe and reliable, the venerable Volvo has never exactly been the stuff of James Bond lore, unless of course he was traveling with a baby spy tucked into a booster seat in the back.
But Volvo channels its inner beast with the introduction of its 2011 S60. "The S60 is Volvo's answer to the BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C Class sedans," says Tucker McFarlane, sales associate at Volvo of Danbury. "It's fast, aggressive, great to look at and it's a kick to drive," he says.
The redesigned S60 returns for 2011 after a yearlong hiatus from the production line. Now this sleek luxury sedan "blends power and performance," says Tucker. But for all that swagger, the Swedish car manufacturer hasn't forgotten its roots in safety. The all-new 2011 S60 features Volvo's cutting edge safety technology. It features the Pedestrian Detection system, which, with onboard radar and cameras, can "see" pedestrians who are at least 31 inches tall. When engaged, the system applies full braking power to avoid a collision even if the driver takes no action. At speeds from zero to 21 miles per hour it brings the car to a full stop. And at higher speeds the system slows the car to lessen the severity of impact.
The S60 is available as a sporty T6 model, with a 300-horsepower turbocharged inline-6 and all-wheel drive. Later in the model year, Volvo will offer it with a little less horsepower and front wheel-drive.
Volvo is marketing the S60 as its "naughty" alternative vehicle, but Tucker views it somewhat differently. "Well, I'd just call it anti-conservative," he says with a laugh. "It's safe but it's also just really fun to drive."
What car do you think of as "sexy?" In what car would you like to drive to your high school reunion? What car would you never think of driving? Start a discussion here, or email me, at jcurtis@mainstreetconnect.us.
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