Towards the end of the year customers in UK will be able to buy a hotter version of the new Volvo V60. The 2019 Volvo V60 R-Design comes with a lot of extras, but as befits a civilized Swede it is very discreet about it. Improvements are subtle, but effective. So the £35,410 base price is actually not that hard to justify. 

Offered with all current V60 powertrains, the sporty Volvo V60 R-Design features a cool exterior. High gloss trim and 18 or 19 inch wheels are the main highlights. The black treatment covers the mesh front grille, door mirror housings, window frames, integrated roof rails and twin tailpipe surrounds. The headlines inside the cabin include R-Design-style theme with a black headlining, sports pedals, a sports leather steering wheel and gear lever, and R-Design-etched tread plates.

But R-Design is not all about Scandinavian-flavored changes to the aesthetics. It’s also about ride and handling. So 2019 Volvo V60 R-Design benefits from sports-tuned suspension with stiffer spring rates, faster-responding monotube dampers, thicker anti-roll bars and a 12mm lower ride height. Yep, they’re not messing around. As mentioned you can have this car with any of the V60 engines. That’d be 150hp D3 and 190hp D4 diesels, and 250hp T5 petrol.

As for equipment, the R-Design has a long list of features including:  nine-inch touchscreen control system, two-zone climate control, automatic headlights with active high beam, 12.3-inch driver’s information display and a powered tailgate. That’s not enough? You can opt for the R-Design Pro version (£37,660) which adds dark-tinted rear windows, active bending headlights with adaptive shadow technology, and puddle lights, as well as keyless drive, head-up display, hands-free tailgate, and power/heated/memory front seats.