2011 Volvo S60 - 2010 Geneva Auto Show

What is it?
2011 Volvo S60

What's special about it?
Ten years. That's how long ago the Volvo S60 arrived in the United States. It was a bohemian, front-wheel-drive alternative in the premium sedan class, but its star faded when Volvo put off redesigning it. The revamped 2011 Volvo S60 finally comes to the U.S. this fall after an official debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show.

Maybe you've forgotten that Volvo still sells a medium-size sedan between the S40 and the S80, but this car is a big deal to the Swedish automaker, no matter who its parent company may be. Volvo hopes to sell 90,000 annually worldwide. The U.S. is likely to remain the largest single market, as we're expected to buy about 30,000. Bear in mind that the XC90 was the top-selling Volvo in the U.S. for 2009, and we bought only 10,757. We bought just 5,895 S60s in 2009, but Volvo sold us 38,543 of them back in 2002.

Fortunately, the 2011 Volvo S60 is a rather stunning car in the metal. Even with four conventional doors, its exterior design remains true to the S60 concept unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

It's a refreshing departure from the geometric styling formula used for the S40 and S80. The main character line flows down the side of the S60 in a gentle wave, complementing the fast roof line. Also note the downward slope of the hood, which allows Volvo to meet pedestrian protection standards without putting on an enormous grille. If you think these lines would look great on a wagon, well, Volvo already thought of that. A V60 wagon goes on sale in Europe next fall (look for it in Paris), but it probably won't come to the U.S. (because we don't buy wagons).

The hardware underneath the Vibrant Copper showcar is a shortened version of the S80 platform architecture. The 2011 Volvo S60 remains on the small side of midsize, as it's only 1 inch longer (182.2 inches) than the current S60 and it has a 2.3-inch longer wheelbase (109.3 inches). It's 2 inches wider (58.4) than before, with a 1-inch track increase up front (62.5 inches) and a 1.7-inch increase in back (62.4 inches).

Weight gain is negligible, as the 2011 Volvo S60 won't put on more than 100 pounds, even with the addition of a six-cylinder engine. Volvo will launch the car with the most potent version yet of its 3.0-liter inline-6. Equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharger, look for the T6 to deliver about 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, with the latter coming online at just 1,500 rpm.

A six-speed automatic transmission will be standard fare. Early models will have a Haldex-built all-wheel-drive system as standard, but a front-drive model will be added later in the fall. The 2011 S60 T6 AWD will accelerate to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, says Volvo, on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Of course, there are all sorts of efficient drivetrain options for Europe, including a turbocharged, direct-injected, 2.0-liter inline-4, plus a couple of diesels available with a dual-clutch automated manual gearbox. None of these are on track for the U.S. market. We've been told, though, that a T5 version of the company's 2.5-liter inline-5 will return "later in the autumn." Expect it to make about 227 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, as in the current S40.

Volvo officials are adamant that you will be impressed by the handling of the S60, which they call "Volvo's sportiest car ever." It's said to be sportier even than the S60 R (2004-'07), which isn't expected to be resurrected in this generation. For starters, the steering ratio is 10 percent quicker than the S80's, putting it around 14.5:1. The steering column is twice as rigid to provide more direct steering feel, says Volvo.

The company will offer three different suspension setups in the U.S. The base suspension will be softer than the standard setup in Europe because of our issues with "freeway hop," we're told. Final calibrations are still being worked out. Standard for Europe and optional for us is a Dynamic suspension with higher spring rates, stiffer bushings and more rebound damping than on any previous Volvo built from this architecture. Thicker piston rods in the front struts are said to provide a 47 percent increase in stiffness over the S80. The third suspension program is Volvo's Four-C adaptive damping system. You're limited to all-season tires with any of these setups, and they'll range in diameter from 16-18 inches.

Volvo, of course, never forgets its roots, so the 2011 Volvo S60 will also show off the company's latest bit of safety technology, Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake. This is an enhancement of the City Safety collision avoidance system in current cars and employs a front-grille-mounted radar unit and a mirror-mounted camera to detect pedestrians over 31 inches tall.

It goes beyond mere detection, though, as the system applies full braking power even if you take no action. If you're traveling 21 mph or less, it can bring the car to a full stop; at higher speeds, it slows the S60 to lessen the severity of a potential impact. You can, of course, take back control of the situation by steering around the danger.

Other safety tech available on the 2011 Volvo S60 includes a driver alertness system (wakey, wakey), a blind-spot detection system and a lane-departure warning system.

Inside Line says: Hard to say if the S60 will be as interesting to drive as it is to look at, but not every car needs to be a BMW. Also, we want that V60 wagon. — Erin Riches, Senior Editor