Without benefiting from the great notoriety of the German tenors, the current Volvo S60 continues its quest without changing its formula centered on its Scandinavian design too much. Its Recharge livery, however, underwent a major overhaul last year to emphasize electric range. Improvements that perfect its performance.

Stylistically, this S60’s grille and bumper are slightly redesigned for 2023 to support a design that remains contemporary and interesting, if not magnetizing.

On board, the storage space in the center console is much too small, so that there is not really room to put your phone there. However, we appreciate the simplicity of the layout.

The plug-in hybrid unit of this S60 has evolved significantly from the 2022 model year. The 2.0L four-cylinder has jettisoned its supercharger for a single-turbo configuration, delivering 312 hp on its own. It is joined by a 143 hp electric rear motor powered by an 18.2 kWh battery. Volvo claims a range of 64 km, but the road test allowed us to easily exceed 80 km without sparing the air conditioning.

But, beyond this very relevant characteristic, it is the smoothness and the marriage between the two engines that impress connoisseurs. The jolts are almost non-existent and the noise level of the combustion engine is much lower than before. The all-wheel drive also offers greater dynamic cohesion. That’s important to taste the 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque that confidently catapult the compact sedan to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.

The livery tested did not benefit from the improvements made to the chassis by the Polestar team. The roll is thus very present and its direction unfortunately seems much too disconnected and light to take its measure correctly.

Never mind, this S60 Recharge takes care of its comfort and is a great alternative to competitors with a very interesting plug-in hybrid group.