Fastest V40 on sale but not a true Polestar model

Volvo V40 T5 R-Design with Polestar Performance Parts is the fastest V40 you can currently buy in Africa

In South Africa the little blue square denoting Volvo’s Polestar emblem is downright confusing. Stuck somewhere between fully fledged Polestar, only available in the S60, and Polestar Performance Parts fitted to our V40 T5 R-Design, Polestar in South Africa doesn’t really know how heavily it wants to commit.

Incorrectly we assumed our V40 T5 R-Design with Polestar Performance Parts was indeed a V40 Polestar because when you run your finger down the specs, they seem to include every conceivable Polestar accessory you could possibly imagine – and yet, for now at least, a rip-snorting V40 Polestar doesn’t exist. Pity.

This latest V40 on test has a staggering amount of optional equipment which lifts its base price up from a comparable GTi price of R489 100 to R639 511. That means it’s only slightly cheaper than the Focus RS (R699 900) but more expensive than the Golf R (R592 580). Do you spot the same problem?

Yet the V40 T5 R-Design with Polestar Performance Parts doesn’t confront either of these head on. Firstly it doesn’t possess all-wheel drive and the outputs are lower. It does however have a beguiling contradiction in its personality, a cabin that appears roomier and interior build quality that’s both interesting and cocooning.

The 2.0-litre Drive-E engine essentially replaces the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine. In normal trim it produces 180kW and 350Nm – outputs that ape the bigger engine but offset by enormous improvements in carbon emissions and fuel consumption. Include Polestar optimization into the mix with the sports exhaust system, new air filter and software tweaks and those figures climb to 186kW and 400Nm, 0-100km/h drops to 6.2 seconds for a barely noticeable gain of 0.1 second.

Which leads me into thinking that currently Polestar is a proxy for cosmetic enhancements more so than outright speed. Viewed like this, it absolutely works providing you have R85 561 to splurge on items like the gorgeous 19-inch lightweight wheels, rear spoiler, diffuser, springs/dampers, mirror caps, gearleaver, pedals and door sills. This is coupled to the car’s recent facelift easily spotted by the stylish new headlights.

The smaller engine doesn’t sound as good as the six-cylinder 3.0-litre we tested earlier this year in the S60 Polestar but it’s still a great engine , favouring silky smoothness over explosive delivery experienced in something like GTi Clubsport. The trend continues with V40 T5 R Polestar Pack being less fierce on the limit than its direct competitors and although we don’t often engage with steering paddles, their omission was felt more than once. Without adjustable dampers, the Polestar springs and dampers need to operate within a wide window and fortunately they excel with exemplary ride quality and taut body control.

For the rest Volvo V40 stumbles in the same areas as the S60 Polestar, predominantly around the car’s stale centre stack, small screen and cluttered buttons. Against the exceptionally modern designs in Volvo XC90, the upcoming S90 and concept versions of 40 Series, the V40 range is lagging behind in presentation.

Polestar needs a clearer idea of what it’s trying to offer to the market because currently it’s not fast enough to threaten the top players and probably has overshot the budget in the process. After seven days behind the wheel, we just couldn’t define this car’s sort of buyer but at the same time its uniqueness is part of the charm.