Volvo is a brand very near and dear to the heart of American families. During the time when crossovers were practically nonexistent, school kids were shuttled to school in either a minivan or a Volvo. They were spacious and easy to drive, and had good road manners. And with the new S60 made in the United States, Volvo literally gets nearer to the hearts of American moms.

The new S60 is the first Volvo car made in the US in the company’s new Charleston, South Carolina, factory. This represents Volvo’s commitment to the US market, which the brand’s bosses say is very important to them and their new sports sedan. Of course, that also means more job opportunities and a positive impact on Charleston’s economy.

Another first for the S60 is that it is the first Volvo car without a diesel engine option. Volvo envisions a fully electrified product line by 2019 and a future beyond the traditional internal-combustion engine. With this, the new S60 is available with a choice of conventional and hybrid petrol engines. Aside from the popular T5 and T6 turbo engines, potent plug-in hybrid powertrains are also available. The T6 Twin Engine AWD variant generates 340hp, while the award-winning T8 Twin Engine AWD variant delivers 400hp.

And for kids who want to get to school before anybody else, optional upgrades by Volvo’s Polestar performance arm are available for the T8 hybrid variant. These include wheels, tires, brakes, suspension and a slight bump in power to 415hp.

The Care by Volvo premium subscription service will also be available for the first time with the new S60. Instead of the traditional purchase or lease agreement, Volvo essentially allows customers to subscribe to the use of the car for a no-down-payment, monthly subscription fee. This subscription service has maintenance and excess wear coverage, and gives subscribers an allowance of 24,000km per year.

Volvos are always bristling with the latest in safety technology, and the new S60 is no different. It shares safety and protection systems with the V60 wagon, the XC60 SUV and the range-topping 90 Series cars—all of which have achieved industry-leading safety ratings.

The City Safety with Autobrake technology provides advisories on potential collisions, and automatically engages the brakes to mitigate imminent ones. This system is the only one in the world to recognize a variety of obstacles such as pedestrians, cyclists and large animals, and the S60 is the first in the midsize sedan segment to be equipped with this.

The optional Pilot Assist system that supports the driver with automatic steering, braking and acceleration input on well-marked roads has been upgraded for improved cornering performance. Quite crucial when Volvo guarantees the system’s functionality at speeds of up to 130km/h. The new S60 also comes equipped with Run-Off Road Mitigation and Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which provide automated steering and braking input to avert off-road excursions and head-on collisions, respectively.

The new S60 also gets the huge iPad-like infotainment system from the 90 Series cars, which Volvo calls Sensus Connect. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and has 4G network access. And just like in the higher-end Volvo models, this screen controls vehicle functions, navigation, Internet-related services and in-car entertainment.

The minivan and the crossover may have taken over the American family’s preference in vehicles, but with the new S60 being produced in the US and with all the tech it carries, Volvo just might win back the hearts of parents and kids alike.