Doug Speck, Volvo Cars’ senior vice president marketing, sales and customer service, made the announcement at the New York International Auto Show, indicating the new V60 will come to the U.S. market in early 2014. Pricing and specifications for the U.S. and Canada will be announced at a later date.

No word yet on models availability and if the hybrid-diesel PHEV version available in Europe will make its way across the ocean.

The V60 R-Design on the auto show stand marks the global debut of the R-Design version of the car. It projects, according to Volvo, an elegant, curvy and sculptured appearance that equally straddles luxury and performance.

“The V60 marks a beautiful evolution in design and direction for Volvo,” said Volvo Cars of Canada President and CEO Marc Engelen, “Many Canadian consumers have been asking us to bring this exciting sports wagon to the Volvo lineup and we listened.”

Volvo said the new V60 is for people who want the handling of a dynamic sports sedan but need the versatility of a wagon. Now, forging a new path with the V60, the Scandinavian automaker reaches a new level of design and sophistication, blending styling cues from its best-selling sedan with a sleek, curvy silhouette.

At the heart of the extra versatility of the V60 is its intelligent seating. Rear seats can be folded down in three 40/20/40 segments, allowing its interior space to be configured for passengers and loaded in a remarkably flexible way.

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The world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid will make its American display debut and Volvo hopes it will take center stage at the New York International Auto Show.

The plug-in hybrid is one of three remaining candidates for the prestigious 2013 World Green Car of the Year award.

The winning environmental car, which is selected by 66 top motoring journalists from 23 countries around the world, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show on March 28, 2013.

The Volvo Car Group press conference in the Jacob Javits Center at 10:30 AM on March 28 will also include the world premiere of Volvo’s latest R-Design models as well as the announcement of a new and exciting addition to the North American Volvo model line-up.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid. It includes two complete drive trains and a battery. The driver can select the preferred driving mode via three buttons that give the car three entirely different temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or Power.

“The ingenious on-demand possibility makes the V60 Plug-in Hybrid superior to all other hybrids on the market. Thanks to the Pure, Hybrid and Power modes, the car is the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants to minimise his or her carbon dioxide emissions but maximise driving pleasure,” said Doug Speck, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Car Group.

Per Volvo, pushing the Pure button gives the driver up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) on pure electric power.

In Hybrid mode, the carbon dioxide emissions are 48 g/ kilometers. This corresponds to fuel consumption of just 1.8 l/100 kilometers (NEDC certification driving cycle for hybrids), translating into 130 mpg.

The Power mode releases the combined capacity of the diesel engine and electric motor, creating a veritable driving machine with a total power output of 215+70 horsepower. The electric motor’s lightning-quick torque delivery contributes to the car’s acceleration from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds.

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These changes will trickle down to the sole hybrid model of the brand, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid.

“This is the most extensive development of existing models in our company’s history. Each of the enhancements is designed around our customers’ needs. We have focused on quality and attention to detail in order to give these dynamic models a major boost and sharpen their competitiveness,” said Lex Kerssemakers, senior vice president, Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Car Group. “The S60 and XC60 are our best-selling models in several important markets, and the innovative V60 Plug-in Hybrid has got off to a flying start. We have been listening very carefully to our customers in order to make improvements that ensure that we make these successful cars more attractive.”

Changes have been made to the exterior and interior of the vehicles; for example, the previously visible washer nozzles have been relocated out of sight under the hood; the radar cover has been painted gloss black, which practically makes it disappear in the grille; the chrome frame around the grille has been removed.

Moreover, fine calibration of mechanical components have allowed further savings in fuel consumption.

Following the successful introduction in high-specification “Pure Limited” guise, the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is now available with a full range of colors and specifications, including most of the design and technology upgrades of the standard V60.

“We’ve made the car look more purposeful and dynamic, reflecting its personality. And your every interaction with your car is more intuitive, expressive and customizable,” says Patrik Widerstrand.

The tailgate on the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid still displays the D6 AWD badge. The front wheels are powered by a five-cylinder 2.4-liter turbo diesel engine producing 215 horsepower, all sent through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The rear axle is powered by an electric motor producing 70 horsepower. The electric motor is supplied with power from an 11.2 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment.

The driver selects the required driving mode via three buttons that give the car three entirely different temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or Power.

In Pure mode, the car is powered solely by its electric motor as much as possible. The range is up to 50 kilometers (31 miles).

Hybrid mode is the standard setting whenever the car is started. The diesel engine and electric motor cooperate to achieve CO2 emissions (NEDC, mixed driving cycle for certification) of 48 g/km (1.8 l/100km).

In Power mode, the technology is optimized to give the car the maximum possible power. The diesel engine and electric motor combine to deliver a total power output of 285 horsepower, for a 0 to 60 acceleration time of less than 6.1 seconds.

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