Build it and they will come. That’s the rationale behind Volvo Australia’s decision to fund the development of a 50-car run of a Polestar-enhanced S60 sedan that Carsguide believes will cost around $115,000 when it arrives in late June.
It’s a calculated toss of the dice for both the local arm of the Swedish carmaker and the Polestar performance division. If they get it right, Volvo won’t just be seen as a maker of safe cars and Polestar will have graduated from motorsport specialists to a factory performance outfit along the lines of RenaultSport.
The rest of the Volvo empire is closely watching the Australian pilot programme to see if they too want a piece of the Polestar pacesetter.
VALUE
The cost of the car has yet to be finalised but Braid says the price will be well north of $100,000. That buys Volvo’s top-spec S60 T6 R-Design with added drivetrain and suspension upgrades that have to be driven to be appreciated. Interior updates are limited to the steering wheel and seats.
Polestar acknowledges the inside needs a more upmarket look to differentiate the product but says the first step is to concentrate on how the car drives, rather than how it looks. Audi’s S4 sedan is the closest competition at $120,000 … and with less Nm than the Volvo it lacks the mid-range surge of the Swedish car.
TECHNOLOGY
This is the first Volvo to carry a Polestar badge on the front grille. Polestar has previously fitted its discrete blue-square logo on the rear of vehicles that have undergone ECU and transmission software upgrades but they can’t compare to this S60.
The (manually) adjustable Ohlins suspension and chassis updates - a stiffer strut brace and upgraded anti-roll bars - have transformed the car into a seriously quick steerer without affecting compliance around town. The ECU upgrades and a bigger turbo endows the S60’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine with 257kW and 500+Nm and the transmission tweaks have accelerated the shift times of the six-speed auto in sports mode.
The Haldex all-wheel-drive system has also been tuned to send more torque to the rear wheels and helps give the Volvo a 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds using the launch control program.
DESIGN
The custom wheels, black side -mirror covers, front splitters, a boot spoiler and rear diffuser are the visual cues this isn’t a regular S60. It is all fairly discrete to the point the “doof-doof” crew that pulls up alongside in a locally built V8 won’t have much of an idea they’re about to be hosed by a Volvo. The seats have more bolstering in the sides and a grippy alcantara covering to stop backsides from shifting on the seat.
SAFETY
The S60 is one of the safest mid-sized sedans on sale and Polestar’s upgrades have only enhanced that reputation. Improved suspension and brakes should ensure features like the six airbags and ultra-strong passenger cell aren’t needed. A “City Safe” collision prevention assistance program visually and audibly warns the driver of imminent crashes with vehicles in front.
DRIVING
This is one attractive Swede, visually and viscerally. Hit the starter button and a muted snarl announces this Volvo has an attitude, an impression that is only reinforced by the off-the-line acceleration. The surprise is that’s the least of this show pony’s tricks. Polestar doesn’t want to challenge Benz’s AMG or BMW’s M divisions in terms of outright power, or what Braid calls “brochure bragging rights”.
They do want a car that is more refined for day-to-day driving but can stick with the above duo when the roads start to wander off the straight and narrow. It will take a comparo to show if that’s the case but a seat-of-the-pants assessment indicates Volvo might just manage it on the right stretch of tarmac.
Track days will be a different story though. The transmission is the weak link in an otherwise race-ready package. Having already limited the amount of torque the Polestar crew is prepared to pump out of the engine, the auto isn’t quick enough to kick down on hard corner exits.
Manual mode isn’t much more responsive and the shifter is counter-intuitive, with a push towards the dash to grab a higher gear and a pull back to drop down the cogs. Polestar is already looking at paddle shifters and a dual-clutch transmission but that will take time, given the company’s insistence on testing to OEM standards. And at this stage, Australia is the only country to request the car, which limits the development budget.
VERDICT
Polestar’s take on building a driver’s car has produced what is probably the most family friendly four-door sedan doing the rounds. It lacks the feral ferocity of its European rivals but the AWD system gives it an edge in marginal conditions and in the right hands it will embarrass some of its better-known competitors.
FACTOID
A Northern Territory man is the first to stake a claim on the S60 Polestar, having rang his local dealership to put down a deposit within hours of the first story appearing on the internet.
Volvo S60 Polestar
Price: $115,000 (estimate)
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km
Service interval: 12 months/15,000km
Capped price servicing: No
Crash rating: 5 stars
Engine: turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder, 257kW/500+Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto, AWD
Thirst: 10.2L/100km, 243g/km CO2
Dimension: 4.63m (L), 1.82m (W), 1.48m (H)
Weight: 1648kg
Spare: Repair kit/space-saver
Volvo S60 2013: Polestar
| Engine Type | Turbo V6, 3.0L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 10.2L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $16,830 - $21,560 |
| Safety Rating |
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