2011 Volvo S60

During the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show keynote, Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby discussed his plans to shift the Swedish automaker away from the rest of the premium segment. This doesn’t mean that the quality of materials or craftsmanship is going to suffer, but instead of creating products that are specifically engineered to compete with the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Volvo will be working to reaffirm its own unique Swedish brand identity.

The 2011 Volvo S60 points the way forward for the brand’s new groundwork. The ‘naughty’ new sedan is stylish, luxurious and has the guts of a true sporting sedan, but it just doesn’t come close to the sort of precision we find in an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series. Fine, then, that the Volvo has plenty of other impressive qualities to give it a unique edge over the competition. Consider it a premium sport sedan for people who don’t want the stereotypical premium sport sedan.

We recently welcomed a Blazing Copper S60 to the Autoblog Garage to see if Volvo’s recipe for uniqueness has created a delicious dish of Swedish engineering.