Volvo S60

Competing head to head with premium, upper medium sedans such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, the new production S60, which sits in the Volvo range between the S40 and S80 sedans, was previewed by the S60 concept shown at the NAIAS last year. As that concept was developed during Steve Mattin's tenure as Volvo's Design Director, it seems safe to assume that this design can also be attributed to him.

The most striking aspect of the S60 is the wave-like side feature crease that gently, arcs up and down and up and down in a way similar to that of the Audi A5. This line delineates a near flat lower flank surface and a near flat shoulder surface also: the antithesis of the strongly rounded shoulder resurrected from the classic 60s and 70s Volvo designs and used on previous generation vehicles. And it is the car's most contentious feature. Most designers we spoke to were uncomfortable with it, although it does seem to convey a level of modernity and distinction that the design would otherwise lack.

Similarly, the car's short rear overhang, dynamic DLO and near fastback profile lend the car a distinctive and contemporary quality. The front aspect, we feel, is the car's weakest aspect, with lamps that wrap around the corners instead of being recessed in from the front plane as on other Volvos - as if the brand is moving from carnivore to herbivore and in the process losing a distinctive part of its design identity.

The interior is less innovative than the exterior with much the same theme as other recent Volvos - a comfortable and handsome environment, but no more.

With Peter Horbury back at the helm as Volvo's Design Director we would expect the surface language that the S60 introduces to be a cul-de-sac. But the S60's proportions and form will make this a distinctive proposition in the market.