Volvo S60 T3 Test Sürüşü - Review - English subtitled

We are with the Volvo S60 T3 at Çeşme. The strict followers of the Carviser will remember that I have tested D4 version of the S60 previously at Bodrum. If you have not watched that test or do not remember it, as always, you can click the right upper corner of the screen and take a brief glance of the video from the window that will open. Let’s see what is new in this car. Previously, 1.6 liters turbo charged petrol engine that develops 180 HP and 240 Nm of torque named T4 was functioning. But now instead of the T4, Volvo’s completely own production new petrol engine called T3 has been brought. T3 develops 28 HP less than the T4 it replaced but there is 10 Nm of torque increase. It is not just that, due to the improvements, it is said that the fuel consumption is lowered and its speed is increased even though it has lost some power. Naturally, it is not easy to verify these data that are on the paper in everyday use. But let me share with you, as always, what I have felt about this car on the route that I drove at Çeşme. The power of the engine is very good. It has no difficulty what so ever in coping with the big body of this car. I have driven at normal speeds and high speeds to test the car. I can clearly say that it did not show any deficiency at all. In other words, with this T3 engine you are able to get answers to all your performance expectations. Of course it should be emphasized that this is only 1.5 liters, 4 cylinders unit. Namely, you should not expect excessive performance and excessive agility. The 6 speed Geartronic gearbox is naturally the improved version of the gearbox used in the other Volvo models. That is to say, it has been completely overhauled and upgraded for T3 engine. There is harmony between the engine and the gearbox. But to decrease the fuel consumption, due the top gears being usually chosen earlier, when you want to accelerate, the gearbox prefers one gear lower. This needs a bit familiarity but strictly speaking, I do not think it will be a major problem for the standard driver. To be able to use the gearbox from the pedals behind the steering wheel supports you at sportive driving. Let us consider another object of interest of the T3, the fuel consumption. For one thing, I can say that this engine has potential to be frugal especially when you compare it to T4 because this engine has a mode called Eco Plus. If you put this mode into use, the car’s throttle reactions, the gearbox’s gear change speeds and especially the A/C’s working potential changes to guide the car to lower fuel consumption. For those calm drivers it is important feature. Another advantage of the system is that while you are moving at constant speed, when you take off your foot from the throttle, because the clutch coupling leaves the engine the car advances like a sailing boat in idle mode. And this is an important factor in controlling the fuel consumption. OK if you ask me what kind of fuel consumption I have captured, I can say that I have driven this car from the time I got it at İzmir airport up to now on Çeşme Highway, and on former crooked Çeşme roads and at this moment the trip computer indicates 9.4 liters fuel consumption averages. This value I think may come as high at the first hearing but I must point out in large parts I did not used the Eco Plus and try to observe how the engine answers the whishes by speeding at some points, slowing in others. Therefore, I can say that considering my driving style this value is acceptable and you can decrease this by your driving style and route. These are the points I will refer in the S60 with this new T3 engine. As I have mentioned in the beginning, if you wonder about the other features of the S60 such as driving comfort, quality of the materials used, the living space in the interior and boot capacity you can click to the right upper corner of the screen and watch the S60 with the D4 engine video from the window that will open. See you...