Volvo's S60, V60 are back with another upgrade after three years

Volvo Cars introduced their partially revamped S60 sedan and V60 Cross Country wagon to the Korean market Tuesday, three years after their last update.

Nick Connor, left, head of Volvo Cars for the Asia Pacific region, and Lee Yoon-mo, CEO of Volvo Cars Korea, pose with the new S60 and V60 Cross Country during a media event Tuesday held at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel in central Seoul. [VOLVO CARS KOREA]

Volvo Cars introduced their partially revamped S60 sedan and V60 Cross Country wagon to the Korean market Tuesday, three years after their last update.

The two models are available with a gasoline engine and a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Mild hybrid refers to vehicles with an internal combustion engine that also includes a battery-powered electric motor to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

The S60 has a sharper and more alluring exterior design. The futuristic design comes with 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and LED tail lights.

An air purifier system has been added that blocks ultra-fine dust up to 95 percent. The four-door sporty sedan is Volvo's best-selling vehicle in the global markets.

In the five-seater V60 Cross County, the window is made of laminated glass, which offers more quietness.

The wagon-style vehicles are manufactured at the Torslanda factory in Sweden, the company’s first climate neutral plant that registers no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Nick Connor, head of Volvo Cars for the Asia Pacific region, speaks during a media event Tuesday held at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel in central Seoul. [VOLVO CARS KOREA]

“Korea is an incredibly important market for Volvo,” said Nick Connor, head of Volvo Cars for the Asia Pacific region, during a media event held Tuesday at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel in central Seoul.

“In terms of S60 and V60, their sales in Korea are the third largest in the world.”

Both vehicles can generate a maximum of 250 horsepower and 35.7 kilogram-meters of torque.

They also come with a TMAP Infotainment system, which Volvo developed with SK Telecom. The two companies invested 30 billion won ($21 million) in total to offer various services for Korean drivers, such as battery-charging-level information and locations of charging stations nearby.

Volvo has been selling its vehicles to over 100 countries across the globe, and Korea is one of only two countries for which the company developed its own infotainment service.

Connor also said Volvo is expected to introduce EX90, its new all-electric SUV model, in November, and Korea will be the first Asian country to receive the model.

“In 2013, Korea was just the 28th largest market for Volvo,” Connor said. “But last year, it reached 11th, and we are confident that it will move up to 10th this year.”

An infotainment system developed by Volvo with SK Telecom [VOLVO CARS KOREA]

Volvo Cars sold 15,056 vehicles in Korea in 2021, becoming the No. 5 imported brand in terms of units sold. It is the first time the company beat Volkswagen since it started selling cars in Korea 33 years ago.

Volvo Cars aims to shift 50 percent of its models to full-electric and another half to hybrid models by the end of 2025. Starting in 2030, all Volvo vehicles will be pure electric.

The company is a subsidiary of Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang Geely Holding.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]