A Volvo S60L sedan, parked alongside the road in China. The Swede looked great, washed, and well-maintained. It was painted in Electric Silver Metallic, a light color that looks very good on the S60.
The Volvo S60L was a long-wheelbase variant of the second-generation Volvo S60 sedan. It was manufactured in a Geely factory in Chengdu from 2014 until 2019. Initially, it was a China-only model. By 2015, it was also exported to the United States where it was sold as the high-end Volvo S60 Inscription.
In China, the S60L was sold in various trim levels, from base to luxury. The car we have here is a mid-range T4 model.
The wheelbase of the S60L was extended by eight centimeters. All the extra space went to the passengers in the back for extra legroom. Size comparison:
S60: 4628/1865/1484, 2775.
S60L: 4708/1865/1484, 2855.
The Volvo S60L was available with 1.5 turbo and 2.0 turbo engines in various states of tune. The top model was the 2.0 T5 with 245 hp, the base model was the 1.5 T3 with 152 hp. The T4 model had an output of 190 hp and 300 Nm. The top speed was 230 km/h and 0-100 took 6.5 seconds. The motor was mated to a six-speed automatic, sending all horses to the front wheels.
All China-made Volvo cars under Geely ownership have an extra badge on the back: 沃尔沃亚太 (Wò’ērwò Yàtài), and that means Volvo Asia.
The Volvo S60L was quite popular, competing with other European long-wheelbase machines like the Beijing-Benz Mercedes C-Class L, the BMW 3-Series Li, and the Audi A4L. It was more affordable than any of those, with a price range (2019) of 266.900 to 390.900 yuan.
In 2020, the S60L was replaced by the third-generation Volvo S60, which is made in China, the United States, and Sweden. This time, there is just one wheelbase for the entire world, so there isn’t any China-focused long-wheelbase model anymore.