The Volvo S60 is a saloon version of the V60 estate. Euro NCAP has verified that the results of the S60 are as good or better than those of the V60. Accordingly, the rating presented here is based on the assessment of the Volvo V60.

The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger.  Volvo showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the neck and chest was adequate for the rear passenger, and protection of other critical body areas was good.  For the driver, protection was good for all critical body regions.  In both the side barrier impact and the more severe side pole test, protection of critical parts of the body was good or adequate.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused.

In the frontal offset and side barrier tests, protection of the 6 and 10 year dummies was good for all critical body areas and the car scored maximum points in the dynamic tests.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  All of the restraint types for which the car is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car, except for those in the universal category in the rear centre seat.

The S60 has an 'active' bonnet.  Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet to provide greater clearance to stiff structures in the engine compartment.  Volvo showed that the system worked robustly for different pedestrian statures across a wide range of speeds.  Accordingly, the car was tested with the bonnet in the raised position.  The protection provided by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was good over nearly all of the bonnet surface, with some areas of poor protection only on the stiff windscreen pillars.  The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs at all test locations.   Protection of the pelvis was mixed.  The AEB system is able to detect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.  The system performed well in tests of these functionalities, with collisions avoided or their severity mitigated, even at night-time in the case of pedestrians.

The S60 has a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats.  The AEB system performed well in various tests of its functionality at highway speeds.  A standard-fit lane-keep assist system helps to keep the car from drifting out of lane and can also intervene in more severe emergency situations.  A camera-based speed assistance system informs the driver of the local speed limit, allowing the limiter to be set appropriately.