Compare the2023 Volvo S60VS 2023 Genesis G70

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S60 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Genesis G70 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The S60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The G70 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S60 and G70 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The G70’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The S60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The G70 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S60 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The G70 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The S60 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The G70 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the S60 and the G70 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The S60’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the G70’s (12 vs. 7 years).

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the S60 has a standard 210-amp alternator. The G70’s standard 150-amp alternator and largest (3.3T) 180-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

The S60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 90 more horsepower (455 vs. 365) and 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 376) than the G70 3.3T’s standard 3.3 turbo V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the S60 B5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the G70 2.0T 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the G70:

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the G70:

The S60 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The G70 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the S60 T8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The G70 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the S60’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available T8). Genesis only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the G70 2.0T.

The S60 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The G70 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo S60 higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Genesis G70 (3). This means the S60 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the G70 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the S60 Polestar’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the G70:

The S60’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the G70 2.0T are solid, not vented.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The S60 has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The G70 doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The S60 stops much shorter than the G70:

For better traction, the S60 has larger tires than the G70 (235/45R18 vs. 225/40R19).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S60’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the G70 (113.1 inches vs. 111.6 inches).

The S60 Plus AWD handles at .91 G’s, while the G70 Sport Advanced pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S60 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the G70 Sport Advanced (25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the S60 Core is quieter than the G70 (75 vs. 77 dB).

The S60 has .3 inches more rear headroom and .4 inches more rear legroom than the G70.

The S60 has a much larger trunk than the G70 (11.6 vs. 10.5 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S60’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The G70 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S60 offers cargo security. The G70’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

The S60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The G70 has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist on the S60 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The G70 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the G70 3.3T/Sport Prestige, the S60 Ultimate/Polestar has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

If the windows are left open on the S60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the G70 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The S60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The G70’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the S60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The G70 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The G70 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar’s Park Assist Pilot can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The G70 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volvo S60 and the Genesis G70, based on reliability, safety and performance.