The 407hp Volvo S60 T8 R-Design is now a Shah Alam local

By daryl, 18 May 2020

The long-awaited Volvo S60 CKD has finally rolled out of Volvo Car Malaysia’s manufacturing plant in Shah Alam, Selangor. The now-localised Swede saloon continues to be sold here in sole T8 R-Design format, priced at the same RM295,888 the CBU used to retailed at. 

Prospects who were waiting out for a price reduction with the locally-assembled S60 would clearly be disappointed, especially when kit count hasn’t exactly grown - the only notable addition is that of Volvo’s Park Pilot Assist feature. However, the S60 T8 R-Design is still the only brand new car in Malaysia that will return over 400hp on a sub-RM300k investment. 

As before, power comes from a 320hp/400Nm two-litre twin-charged engine, with the remaining 87hp and 240Nm coming from an electric motor that reduces the S60’s century sprint to a hasty 4.4 seconds, all while returning 49km of EV range and an average fuel consumption figure of 2.0l per 100km to lighter right feet. 

Although more kit would have been nice given the S60’s unchanged price, its base specifications are still on the generous side, with a Nappa leather upholstery, 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and Volvo’s typical wealth of high-tech safety features all part of the package. 

With no electrified BMW 3 Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class to contend with at the moment, could this be Volvo’s time to shine in Malaysia?