2021 Volvo V60

History/Overview

The second generation of Volvo’s compact station wagon – one of the last of its kind in today’s marketplace – debuted in 2019 wearing handsome design cues shared with the rest of the brand’s lineup. In 2020, Volvo added two trims powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Volvo also makes a crossover version of the V60 called Cross Country, which is covered in a separate buyer’s guide entry.

What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year

For 2021, Volvo has added blind spot monitoring to the V60’s list of standard equipment; last year, that feature was optional in the car’s lower trim levels.

Available Trims

Volvo offers the V60 in Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trim levels. Momentum starts with a T5 powertrain consisting of a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, and can be optioned with a turbo- and supercharged 2.0L/AWD setup called T6. R-Design and Inscription are standard with the T6 powertrain. There’s also a T8 plug-in hybrid setup, which is optional in Inscription trim and standard in the range-topping Polestar model.

Every V60 uses an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Standard Features

Inside, Momentum trim comes with a blond headliner, charcoal leather seating and steering wheel, dual-zone A/C, a panoramic sunroof, and heated/power-operated front seats with lumbar.

Tech treats include a 12-inch digital gauge cluster with road sign information, rear park assist, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping aid, and oncoming lane mitigation.

Outside, there are 18-inch wheels, a hands-free tailgate, roof rails, dual tailpipes, fog lights, and power-folding/body-coloured door mirrors.

R-Design trim gets a charcoal headliner, metal mesh aluminum trim, black side mirror covers, gloss black exterior trim, four-zone A/C, power-folding rear headrests, front seats with cushion extensions and four-way lumbar, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, front park assist, and an upgraded stereo with subwoofer.

The Inscription trim level reverts to a blond headliner and gains driftwood cabin trim, perforated Nappa seats with front-seat ventilation and power side bolsters, and front passenger seat position memory.

Key Options

A climate package adds heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated wiper blades.

The premium pack brings navigation, front and rear park assist, power-folding rear headrests, a garage door remote, and an auto-dimming mirror.

Fuel Economy

Volvo’s fuel consumption estimates for the V60 are 10.0/6.8 L/100 km (city/highway) for the T5 FWD powertrain, and 11.3/7.5 L/100 km for T6 AWD models.

Competition

The V60 faces very little competition these days: Audi’s A4 Allroad and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are the only cars Volvo goes up against in the upscale compact wagon class.