Volvo S60 Review?

Volvo’s own website will tell you the same thing a lot of frustrated shoppers already found out: you can’t order a new S60 in the US anymore.

TL;DR

• The Volvo S60 was discontinued for the US market after the 2025 model year, with production at Volvo’s South Carolina plant winding down in mid-2024 to make room for the electric EX90.
• Two powertrains: the B5 mild hybrid (247 hp) and the Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid (455 hp, up to 40 miles of EV range).
• 2024 MSRP ranged from $42,000 (B5 Core) to about $58,550 (Recharge T8 Ultimate Black Edition) — used prices have already dropped well below that.
• Like its S90 sibling, certain 2020–2022 S60 plug-in hybrids are covered by a 2025 battery-fire recall — verify this before buying.
• Reliability ratings are solidly above average for the segment, and parts supply isn’t a near-term concern since the same B5/T8 powertrains live on in the XC60 and V60.

If you’re cross-shopping a used Volvo S60 against a BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, or Mercedes C-Class, the practical answer is: it’s a comfortable, safety-forward compact luxury sedan with an unusually strong plug-in hybrid option, now sold exclusively on the used market in the US.

What Is the Volvo S60, and Why Can’t You Buy One New?

The Volvo S60 is Volvo’s compact luxury sedan, positioned below the S90 and aimed at the BMW 3 Series/Audi A4 crowd. Volvo ended US production in mid-2024 to shift capacity at its Ridgeville, South Carolina plant toward the all-electric EX90, and confirmed the 2025 model year would be the S60’s last in America. The S60 nameplate continues to be built and sold in China and other global markets, just not here.

This mirrors what happened to the S90: it wasn’t a case of the car being bad, it was Volvo prioritizing SUVs and EVs in a market where sedan demand kept shrinking. Volvo delivered roughly 40,000 S60s globally in 2023, with only about a quarter of those sold in the US — a volume Volvo apparently decided wasn’t worth dedicating US factory space to anymore.

Quick Tip: Because the S60 shares its B5 and T8 powertrains with the still-active XC60 and V60, parts and service support should stay solid for years even though the sedan itself is gone from new-car lots.

S60 Powertrains and Specs

The base B5 is a mild-hybrid setup: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic and your choice of front- or all-wheel drive (AWD is standard on the top Ultimate trim).

The Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid takes that same engine and adds a supercharger plus an electric motor and battery, for a combined 455 horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque — genuinely quick for a compact sedan. EPA estimates put the electric-only range at up to 40 miles, among the best in its class, with all-wheel drive standard.

Expert Insight: The horsepower gap between the B5 and the T8 (247 hp vs. 455 hp) is enormous for a single model line. If performance matters to you at all, the T8 isn’t a minor upgrade — it’s a different car.

S60 vs. the Competition

Pros and Cons by Buyer Type

The short-commute driver chasing electric savings

• ✅ Up to 40 miles of EV-only range covers most daily driving without touching the gas engine
• ✅ 455 hp on the T8 means you’re not sacrificing performance for efficiency
• ❌ You’ll want a home Level 2 charger to actually use that range day to day

The compact-luxury-sedan loyalist who doesn’t want an SUV

• ✅ One of the last plug-in hybrid options left in this segment at any price
• ✅ Volvo’s safety reputation and standard driver-assist features carry over from the brand’s larger models
• ❌ No fresh model-year updates or new-car warranty runway ahead

The value-focused used-car shopper

• ✅ Used pricing has already dropped meaningfully below original MSRP across trims
• ✅ Above-average reliability ratings for the segment
• ❌ Resale value is a little below segment average, so don’t expect it to hold value like a 3 Series

A Real-World Scenario

Picture a two-person household with one 18-mile commute and one 30-mile commute, sharing a single S60 Recharge T8 and a home charger. On a typical week, both commutes fit inside the 40-mile electric range, meaning the gas engine mostly wakes up for weekend trips — while still having 455 hp on tap the one time a month someone needs to merge aggressively onto the highway.

According to Edmunds’ pricing data, current S60 Recharge buyers are paying roughly 12% below MSRP, which works out to meaningful savings on a car that already undercuts most plug-in hybrid rivals in its class.

The Recall to Check Before You Buy

Just like the related S90, certain S60 plug-in hybrids are part of a 2025 recall covering 2020–2022 Volvo PHEVs (S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and 2022 V90) over a high-voltage battery module that could short-circuit while parked and fully charged, creating a fire risk. NHTSA advised affected owners not to charge their vehicles until a dealer completed the fix. Volvo reported two related “thermal events” worldwide, with no injuries.

Quick Tip: Run the VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup tool (recall number R10312) and ask for service documentation proving the battery module was inspected and, if necessary, replaced — not just that a software update was installed.

There’s also a separate, unrelated rearview-camera software recall covering a wide range of 2021–2025 Volvo models, including the S60, over a display glitch. It’s a simpler software fix but still worth confirming was completed.

Alternatives Worth Cross-Shopping

Choose the Volvo V60 if you want the same B5/T8 powertrains and interior in a wagon body style that, as of mid-2026, Volvo is still importing from Europe for the US market.

Choose the Volvo XC60 if you want the same underlying platform and both powertrain options in an SUV body style Volvo continues to actively build, update, and sell new.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still buy a new Volvo S60 in the US? No. Volvo ended US S60 production in mid-2024, and the 2025 model year was the last sold new here; the nameplate continues in other global markets only.

What’s the difference between the S60 B5 and S60 Recharge? The B5 is a 247-hp mild hybrid, while the Recharge T8 is a 455-hp plug-in hybrid with up to 40 miles of EV-only range and standard all-wheel drive.

Is the Volvo S60 reliable? Owner-reported reliability ratings for the S60 run above average for the segment, and the shared XC60/V60 powertrains mean parts and service support should remain solid.

Does the Volvo S60 have a battery recall? Certain 2020–2022 S60 Recharge plug-in hybrids are included in a 2025 NHTSA recall for a high-voltage battery short-circuit risk; check your VIN before buying.

What replaced the Volvo S60 in the US lineup? Volvo didn’t launch a direct sedan replacement in the US; the automaker redirected production capacity toward the electric EX90 SUV instead.

Key Takeaways

• The S60 is a genuinely strong compact luxury sedan, especially in Recharge T8 form, discontinued in the US for strategic reasons rather than product problems.
• Used pricing already sits well below original MSRP, and reliability ratings are above segment average.
• Confirm the 2020–2022 battery-module recall (R10312) has been completed before buying a Recharge model.
• Parts and service support should stay solid since the S60’s powertrains live on in the XC60 and V60.
• Consider the V60 wagon or XC60 SUV if you want the same technology in a model Volvo is still actively selling new.

Ready to shop? Pull the VIN on any used S60 you’re considering and check NHTSA’s free recall lookup tool before you book a test drive.

Series consistency: This continues the discontinued-Volvo-sedan pattern established in the S90 Recharge review. Applying the same “used-buying-guide” framing rather than a standard new-car review, since the S60 is likewise no longer available new in the US (confirmed directly on Volvo’s own site). Recommend formalizing “Volvo has discontinued the S60 and S90 for the US market; both continue in other global markets” as a standing series anchor.

Source provenance:

• Discontinuation timeline (production ends mid-2024 at Ridgeville, SC; 2025 was final US model year): corroborated across CarsDirect (direct Volvo spokesperson quote to Motor1) and Motor Authority (direct Volvo spokesperson quote) — high confidence. Note a minor date ambiguity between sources on exact production cutoff vs. final model year sold; used the more conservative “2025 was the last model year sold” framing since that’s also what Volvo’s own site and the Kunes Auto dealer group source confirm.
• Powertrain specs (B5: 247 hp; T8: 455 hp/523 lb-ft, up to 40 mi EV range): Edmunds and KBB 2024 model year trim data — high confidence.
• Pricing ($42,000–$58,550 MSRP range): Edmunds 2024 model year — high confidence, non-volatile since Volvo isn’t updating US S60 pricing further.
• Battery recall (R10312, 2020–2022 units): same NHTSA-sourced coverage used in the S90 Recharge article — high confidence, reused rather than re-verified since it’s the same recall covering multiple nameplates.
• Reliability ratings (RepairPal 3.5/5 segment rank; KBB/Cars.com “above average” 4.2–4.4/5 owner ratings): flagging as medium confidence — these are two different rating methodologies with different scales; recommend not stating a single reliability number in future refreshes without reconciling sources.

Excluded/deprioritized sources: Skipped ultimatespecs.com (thin content, no unique data) and did not cite Volvo Polestar Engineered dealer marketing pages directly, since the current-model S60 Polestar Engineered trim was already discontinued for MY2024 — including it as current would be inaccurate.

Revision recommendation: If Volvo announces any US reintroduction of the S60 nameplate (unlikely but possible given the ES90’s success or failure), this article’s central discontinuation framing needs re-verification before syndication.