volvo cars — a swedish automaker owned by a chinese company — today opened its first u.s. factory, where it will build the new s60 sedan for the u.s. and for export to global markets. welcome to the 21st-century auto industry.
along with opening the doors at the new $1.1 billion plant in south carolina, the company had some of its 1,500 new u.s. employees (on the way to a projected 4,000 jobs) unveil the new-generation 2019 s60 due to go on sale in the u.s. late this year. the company also announced pricing for the car and revealed that it also will be offered through its care by volvo monthly subscription service.
the mid-size luxury sedan (gallery below) will be the first product built in the new facility and is an all-new design that moves to the company's latest platform; down the road, the plant outside charleston, s.c., will build the next generation of volvo's big xc90 suv due by 2021.
the sleek new sedan unveiled there presented no surprises — the new v60 wagon version of the car, due in the u.s. in 2019, was unveiled earlier this year. that seems like the natural order of things given volvo's wagon heritage (and if there is any justice, the v60 should attract some buyers in the suv-crazy u.s.). you can see 's v60 wagon preview here with full details and photos, and our video review here.
the star of the 2019 s60 sedan line will be the "polestar engineered" t8 hybrid version developed by volvo's polestar electric performance unit. it's a 415-horsepower, turbocharged and supercharged all-wheel-drive hybrid with gasoline and electric motors that should offer a healthy dose of green fun at red lights. the limited-volume polestar version will be available for order only though the care by volvo subscription app starting on june 28 at a monthly payment still to be announced.
the lesser s60s will start at $36,795 (all prices include a $995 destination charge) for the 250-hp, turbocharged gasoline front-wheel-drive t5 model in the base momentum trim level. there also will be nicer r-design ($42,895 to start) and inscription ($43,895) trim levels. the 316-hp, turbocharged and supercharged t6 all-wheel-drive version offers the same trim levels, which will start at $41,295, $46,395 and $48,395 with destination.
a non-polestar-juiced t8 plug-in-hybrid version with all-wheel drive and putting out 313 combined horsepower also will be offered, but not in the base momentum trim level. the r-design t8 will start at $55,395 and the inscription version at $56,395.
in addition to the t8 polestar version offered through the care by volvo app, the company will make two other models of the s60 available via the all-in, 24-month monthly subscription service that includes insurance and maintenance. as with the current xc40 suv subscriptions, select versions with designated option packages will be offered. for the s60, they include a t6 momentum at $775 a month or a t6 r-design for $850 a month. subscription reservations for these open today here.
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