2011 Volvo S60 Spied

For most of it's existence, Volvo has been a relatively staid brand with an image focused primarily on safety. Pioneering safety developments have resulted in positive changes across the board. That said, when it came to design Volvo was never at the forefront.

With new models from the company, that has begun to change. The S60 Concept heralded this change and new direction, with the handsome XC60 crossover successfully following up that look in a production vehicle. The C30 and C70 have also received updates as well. It's the S60's turn to be updated now - rumor was that we'd see it at the Frankfurt Auto Show but reports have said that it has been pushed back (which seems a bit unlikely to me).

Regardless of whether we see it officially though, spy photographers for LeftLaneNewshave caught the car nearly undisguised.  Let me just say it - I'm highly impressed! To me, the proportions and balance are actually better than the S60 Concept, which is a very rare thing to see. The S60 is the sedan counterpart to the XC60, which also debuted with a similar style.  The sedan could have gotten derailed quickly if any of the old Volvo styling elements got mixed in. Thankfully, that's not the case! Safety, looks, technology - the XC60 and upcoming S60 seem to offer a compelling package.

The S60 also will be debuting Volvo's next-generation City Safety system, now ti the ability to detect pedestrians. After seeing these pictures, I'm really looking forward to the official introduction! Hopefully the S60 will be the mainstream hit Volvo needs. For more on the S60, head over to LeftLaneNews.

Image Credit: Brenda Priddy & Co/LeftLaneNews