Spy Photos: 2011 Volvo S60

Looks pretty good to me! No more "Boxy But Good". :)

The Forte certainly does not have a "Civic shape." I'd agree about the headlights (somewhat; they evoke Civic at first glance, but look at the two and you'll see the details are different), but everything behind the windshield is different.

Agreed that the Forte looks different. I think you might need to see it in person to understand how different it looks. The 3/4 angle, which seems to be in most media photos, is the only one that looks like the Civic.

PS this Volvo looks great. Don't see the Civic resemblance.

Looks nice.
Civic doesn't.

I dig those wheels..they look super easy to keep clean. :)

Nice evolution from the current car. It's a real shame that Volvo's quality went so bad through the late 90's. They lost a huge part of their faithful customer base. It's always garder going uphill!

I think the biggest problem is price. Volvo's cost so much money nowadays that its more sensible to go with a Subaru instead.

Gorgeous, Gorgeous Car!

@dougtheeng:

It's the sloping backlight/short deck thing plus the boomerang taillight shape that's Civic-sourced, not to mention the fact that this car really isn't much bigger than a Civic. The profile's actually pretty difficult to get right, and Kia cheaped out on the Forte by not specifying a steep enough windshield rake.

Volvo got the profile right - look at that C-pillar! Gorgeous. They could've minimized Civic comparisons, I think, if they had gone with a different taillight setup.

looks really nice, i like it a lot

I think the "Civic" shape has something to do with the tail lights that the Civic has...which were basically lifted off an Audi...lol.

But also it has to do with "design" and aero-dynamics. Using the same flow software will lead to similar looking designs.

i agree with the civic comments...the rear looks like a civic sedan

I hope they build an "R". My '05 S60R is a blast to drive with AWD, adjustable suspension, 6 speed manual, and great stereo. I still love the looks and this new version looks like a proper evolution of the marque. If the civic resembles this car then sI'd say that's a compliment to volvo... the civic is a well designed car albeit targeted to a different buyer. I love the forward thinking design: The aggressive stance and the promise of advanced engineering (like getting 300hp out of a 2.5 liter engine that delivers 28 real world mpg with awd...something subaru can't match). I have put 64,000 trouble free miles on my S60R and love looking at it and driving it...and look forward to the day this model becomes available...

http://media.photobucket.com/image/bad%20ass%20s60r/VMPhil/s60r.jpg

At a glance the rear quarter panel with the C pillar does looks like the 2009 Civic, especially the hybrid. But it is a coupe, so just like a convertible car, every cars look like a car without a roof.

i think it looks great. really nice update of the current model -- just wish they would lose the stupid blind spot camera warts under the mirrors and paint it a color that doesn't look like something that happens after i drink too much tequila

Looks great. Too bad Volvo stopped building R models. Maybe the new eventual owner will reverse that decision.

Picture this with a more aggressive front end, huge wheels and quad exhausts out back. Wrapped around a 400+ hp turbo 6, I'd have this on my want list.

Stunning. Hope they come out with a plug-in hybrid version like they're been demoing elsewhere.

The front looks nice, but the tail end is too much like the Audi / Ciivc. One question I have- why is Volvo moving away from station wagons?

I'm glad that Volvo is doing away with the boxy shape of old and embraced the contemporary, modern shape. It reminds me of the shape of a Honda Civic. Even the taillight is similar to the Civic. I think it's okay because it's tastefully done. The front fascia has some similarities to the Lexus GS. With it's sloping back design, I'm afraid getting in and out of the back seat may involve a little bit of caution. Don't hit your head against the door sill! Overall, it good!

"By starbird on September 8, 2009 2:21 PM"

I second that!

Wow! I am really impressed Volvo. I agree that it looks like they are embracing comtemporary styling. I'm going to agree with starbird in the fact that Volvo still need to work on pricing. But Subies and Volvo's are for two totally different customers.

P.S. Can we please stopping wipping the "dead horse" Civic comment. . . .

That is for the first time a decent looking V.

The current S60 is a decent car... we had one as a loaner (it was a 2010 2.5T AWD) for when our Odyssey went in the shop a few months ago... it was fine from the passenger seat... but as far as driving the damn thing was concerned it was the most hideous thing (dynamically) that i have ever driven... and ive driven 9 cars in my lifetime... that throttle and brake... it was fine til we got to a stretch of stop and go traffic... once i got there the car made me wish i had my beloved Pilot SO BADLY... you push down on the throttle lightly... and the car seems like it doesnt even wanna get out of its own way... then you push past a certain point, and the turbo picks the exact WRONG moment to kick in... so i had to back off the throttle.. which made the car lurch... then i hit the brakes... at first theres not much bite... but then i push past a certain point and the brakes bite so hard the car damn near sends my head into the steering wheel. The Pilot is far more better in this regard... you can't fault the buttersmooth engine for predictable throttle tip in... and the brakes are superb. I dont have to put up with this BS with my car which makes me a very proud owner.

Very nice. I like the Audi A5 body line. I'm so glad they left that nasty, deep feature line out of the side. This is a Volvo I would actually want. If they get the AC/Radio/Nav center console to a normal state.