Running costs

Most S60s registered from 2019 cost £165 a year to tax, with a surcharge (due to £40k+ new cost) of £355 from years two to six

THE same 1,969cc four-cylinder petrol engine is at the heart of all S60s, which is why the servicing requirements are the same for all models – every 12 months or 18,000 miles. Services alternate between Interim and Major, which are priced at £330 and £530 respectively for the first three years of an S60’s life However, once an S60 has reached its fourth birthday, it’s eligible for discounted maintenance, and the two service levels are then priced at £219 and £419. The brake fluid needs to be replaced every two years, and while this is included in the cost of a Major service, on its own it comes in at £80 Volvo’s 2.0-litre petrol engine is also fitted with a cambelt that needs to be replaced every 10 years or 144,000 miles, at a cost of £349

Interior

VOLVO’S interiors are different from anything else on the market, thanks to their uniquely minimalist design, and the quality is impressive, too.

While the large, portrait-orientated touchscreen can be distracting when performing some tasks, the dashboard is generally user-friendly.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, and there’s lots of head and legroom for adults in the back Boot space is okay, at 436 litres, but for the plug-in hybrids this drops to just 390 litres, although versatility-boosting powered-folding rear seats were a cheap option across the range.

Which one?

IF you do lots of short journeys and can charge cheaply at home, a T8 might make sense, despite the higher purchase costs; a more powerful electric motor (143bhp instead of 86bhp) was fitted from November 2021 The T5 is all you really need, although the B5 might be usefully more frugal if you drive in stop-start traffic a lot

The S60 T8 came only in R-Design Plus form; this was also offered for the T5 and B5, alongside an Inscription Plus option All S60s have parking sensors front and rear, a rear parking camera, heated front seats, navigation and LED headlights

The racier R-Design model features sports seats, black exterior trim instead of chrome, 18-inch alloys, lowered suspension (not for the T8) and a black headlining The luxuryfocused Inscription comes with wood trim and electric driver’s seat adjustment

Alternatives

THE three rivals that give the S60 the hardest time all hail from Germany They are the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class, all of which come with a choice of saloon or estate bodystyles, a