Volvo's new mid-size exec to be shown at Detroit

Volvo has released the first image of the S60 Concept that will be shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

The Swedish company clearly reckons that the new car will be better able to take on premium rivals like the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. The new car shares clear similarities with the new XC60, with a familiar grille and angled headlights.

Volvo’s design director, Steve Mattin, says the S60 Concept will give a “clear indication of what customers can expect of the all-new S60.”

That can be politely regarded as designer shorthand for the fact the finished car will look near-identical. Only more eccentric elements, like the S60 Concept’s ‘hand-crafted crystal centre console’ won’t make production.

The new S60 will get a familiar range of Volvo-Ford engines, including a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol motor. Production will start in 2010.

George Barrow

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