Paris 2010: Volvo S60 and V60 R-Design

Volvo has been on an effort to project a new image for itself with the redesigned S60. Volvo has always been noted for safety, but the brand would like to change things up with the S60's "Naugtiest Volvo" campaign.

We don't know about that (it comes off as a bit desperate to us) but we do know the S60 ups the design ante considerably, providing a compelling product inside and out.

The R-Design series is meant to be a sportier take on the S60 formula, providing more visual drama. R-Design starts out with the premise that the existing car is powerful enough - just that there are those who would like the car in a more sporting variety. As such, it is available in all trim levels and guises of the S60/V60 lineup.

Par for the course, the exterior gets a more aggressive front end design and exclusive 18-inch alloy rims . Inside, there is sportier seats - and yes, that is the extent of the changes there. Perhaps more of interest to enthusiasts is the changes to the suspension.

The R-Design series gets lowered suspension (15 mm) and stiffer coils to the tune of the 15 percent, along with firmer bushings all the way around, and a strut-tower brace up front.

Volvo says it spent a lot of time perfecting the balance between comfort and performance and thinks it has found the perfect mix.

According to Volvo, the R-Design trim level accounts for 25 percent of overall sales, and a startling 60 percent (!) of some model lines (we'd like to know which).

That's an impressive figure, and R-Design is a good addition to the S60/V60 lineup. However, we'd be inclined to take Volvo more seriously if they produced a dedicated R performance model with increased horsepower. That could be next!