The 2014-MY Volvo S60.  Photo courtesy Volvo Cars North America.

The 2014-MY Volvo S60. Photo courtesy Volvo Cars North America.

Volvo announced updates to its S60 sedan and XC60 SUV for the 2014 model-year. Key features for these vehicles include an overall new design, new more comfortable sport seats, the automaker’s new Sensus Connected Touch infotainment system and new automatically adjusting high beam lights.

You can view a gallery with more photos of the S60 and XC60 here.

For both models, Volvo said the vehicles feature integrated tailpipes, related window washer nozzles are now under the hood, a gloss black radar cover, no more chrome frame around the front grille and a new, larger “ironmark” badge.

Volvo said it offers a new, optional sport seat design, which provides more support and additional legroom for passengers in the rear seats.

Other new features on both vehicles include an Adaptive Digital Display and optional paddle shifters on the all S60 models and XC60 T6 model. The Adaptive Digital Display allows the driver to reconfigure the display with three themes, Elegance (a “traditional” display), Eco, which features fuel consumption information, and Sport, which shows the amount of power available for driving and other performance information.

The new high beam feature enables the lights to automatically switch from high beam mode to a dimmer lighting mode when the vehicle detects oncoming traffic. Another new lighting feature on both models is the Cornering Light, which lights up the area the driver is steering into. Inside both vehicles, a heated steering wheel is an option. On models with a rain sensor, a heated windshield is also optional.

2014-MY S60

For the S60 sedan, Volvo said it’s offering three chassis choices, Touring, Dynamic and Lower Sport Chassis.

The automaker’s Fedde Talsma, design director, exterior, said the vehicle’s new front end design gives it more of a “road presence” and that the designers emphasized the vehicle’s horizontal lines. Other new features include a wider grille, daytime running lights and a new LED light guide on the taillamps.

Inside the vehicle, the automaker offers new upholstery colors, new wood inlays, a new headliner and silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls. The automaker also offers new wheel choices, in 18- or 19-inch sizes for the S60.

The 2014-MY Volvo XC60.  Photo courtesy Volvo Cars North America.

The 2014-MY Volvo XC60. Photo courtesy Volvo Cars North America.

2014-MY XC60

The XC60 features a redesigned front end with a new hood shape and single-body-color exterior trim. It also features new wood inlays, a new headliner, “textile” B-pillars, and silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls. Corner Traction Control is now a standard feature on the XC60. This system helps a driver avoid understeer (when the vehicle doesn’t turn as quickly as the driver would expect given the angle of the wheels).

The XC60 is available with 20-inch wheels or 19-inch wheels, though the ride height stays the same regardless of wheel choice.

Infotainment

Another new feature on both models is Volvo’s Sensus Connected Touch infotainment system. The automaker said Sensus is the name for all of its human machine interface (HMI) functions.

Sensus Connected Touch features a 7-inch touchscreen display, a connection to the Internet when not driving, access to Internet radio (via TuneIn Radio), Google Maps and search, Embedded Connected 3D navigation with online traffic information and dangerous area warnings, various native, an app store that allows vehicle owners to download updates and vehicle-specific apps, a “Free Parking locator,” weather information, and other in-vehicle native and web applications.

The automaker said the vehicle allows everyone in the vehicle to share access to a Wi-Fi network. Connectivity comes via a car-mounted 3G/4G dongle or the driver's mobile phone.

Safety

Safety features on both vehicles include Volvo’s IntelliSafe, which is a collection of active safety systems and incorporates the automaker’s City Safety technology. This system works at speeds up to 31 mph. Pedestrian Detection with full automatic braking (it stops the vehicle if it detects a pedestrian in the vehicle’s path) is also available.

Other safety features include a radar-based blind spot monitoring system and a cross traffic alert, which detects oncoming traffic behind the vehicle when it’s in reverse. The vehicle also features Road Sign Information, which displays road signs on the instrument display.

The automaker hasn’t yet announced pricing, availability, or powertrain and fuel economy details for the U.S. versions of these vehicles.

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