The All-New, 390-HP V60 Isn’t Your Hippie Aunt’s Volvo Station Wagon

It’s one badass family hauler.

Yeah, your aunt had that Cheerio-filled Volvo 245 station wagon she hauled your cousins around in, so we all have (mostly) fond memories of rattling around the way-back of one of the Swedish family haulers.

But today’s fresh crop of Volvo V60 wagons brings sleek lines that drivers of the old 245 could never have guessed could come from the once-stodgy company.

“The family estate driver is an important customer for our business and has been for generations,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. “The new V60 honors that tradition, but also takes it much further.”

Indeed, so much further that this new V60 is even a plug-in hybrid-electric, letting you drive on power from the grid rather than gasoline. 

The T6 Twin Engine AWD petrol plug-in hybrid generates a combined 340 horsepower, while the T8 Twin Engine AWD petrol plug-in hybrid cranks out a combined 390 horsepower. Standard gasoline-only T5 and T6 are also available.

Of course, safety is a key ingredient in any Volvo, so the V60 comes standard with advanced driver support systems we’ve already seen on the 90 Series and XC60, making the new V60 one of the safest cars on the road.

These include City Safety with Autobrake, which uses automatic braking and detection systems to assist the driver in avoiding potential collisions, and Pilot Assist, which supports the driver with steering, acceleration and braking on highways.

Infotainment options aren’t what they used to be, as Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system is fully compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 4G, and keeps drivers connected at all times. That sounds better than the 8-track tape player in classic 245s. But you can bet that pulverized Cheerios will still accumulate under the floormats.