Volvo S60 begins to deliver on Polestar promise

A true Polestar model from Volvo South Africa. Currently the S60 is also the only one of its kind on sale and available in limited numbers.

The lines between Polestar Performance Parts and Polestar (WTCC flavour, for lack of higher praise) becomes less blurred with the arrival of the Volvo S60 Polestar on test.

I’m led to believe that multiple Touring Car Champion Thed Bjork had ‘a hand in developing this car’ which due only to a shortage of coverage here in South Africa, doesn’t quite command the same gravitas as Lewis Hamilton saying the Mercedes C 63 AMG was his personal project. Still, it’s a motorsport link for added kudos around the braai and I’m already having chunks of 850 nostalgia during that model’s British Touring Car heyday

Also, this latest S60 bodystyle is probably as old as Thed. Time to see if new engines can cause us to overlook some of the old bits.

We drove the 3.0-litre six-cylinder S60 Polestar roughly 12 months ago as our first real taste of Polestar’s credentials and I’ll save you the time reading it by summarising its mixed bag of avant-garde appeal with a chaotic interface. A glorious soundtrack with safe, predictable speed that suited its family slant.

Now the latest 2016 S60 Polestar has joined the rest of the E-Drive range by deploying a Frankenstein turbo charged/ super charged version of the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine.

Turn ESC off via the menu system (an action that seems clumsy given Volvo’s proliferation of buttons, one of which even folds the rear headrest), stand simultaneously on the brake and throttle before launching 270kW 470Nm  to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds. Presto! The fastest Volvo on sale.

Despite a narrow peak torque spread which starts over 3000rpm, S60 is plenty quick if you watch the numbers spin up on the red centre dial. Less so if you’re expecting some form of drama from the tyres or steering. Fast saloons don’t come more composed than this. S60 is brilliantly stable with the impression that Volvo’s Polestar division has actually greatly over-engineered its drivetrain. Typical Volvo, leaving nothing out to chance.

You really ought to turn ESC off – again some intermediate modes would be nice – to come close to experiencing the BorgWarner all-wheel drive system but even then we were incapable of getting it to exhibit any nasty traits. Few cars instil such a level of dynamic effortlessness without being deemed sterile – and S60 definitely isn’t victim to that.

I’m not convinced it sounds better than the old engine. Flick the gearlever sideways into Sport and the tone deepens to a light burble but you’d have to be holding a microphone close to the exhaust if pops and splutters are your thing. Sometimes it can sound gruff purely for aggression’s sake but it’s not sweet like a BMW’s 6-cylinder or matching the machine gun fire like the A45 AMG.

Shifting gears from the paddles seemed to provide smoother shifts than leaving the 8-speed Geartronic in full automatic mode. While the upshifts in Sport mode are smooth, rapid deceleration has a tendency to cause some rather abrupt, jerky gear cog swaps.

Volvo’s attempt to sprinkle Polestar bits onto an old interior architecture is actually quite successful. The seats are made from a combination of grippy and premium fabrics and although perhaps a little broad and missing adjustable bolsters, could lead you to believe this is an XC90 and not a high performance sedan. A steering wheel covered in Alcantara, chrome pedals and Polestar sills culminate in a bespoke look, even if the screen is small and the controls for it require some practice.

Standard equipment ranges from keyless entry, navigation, 8-speaker Harman Kardon, heated seats and heated steering wheel (bless Sweden’s climate) and bi-xenon headlights. Active safety is grouped with Lane Departure Warning, Front Collision Warning (a row of red lights on the dashboard a bit sensitive for our tastes), Blind Spot Detection, Cross Traffic Alert and Road Sign Information.

When a car arrives in fine Polestar blue, all other visual cues instantly go up a few notches. Volvo Polestar boasts the finest set of alloys you’ll see in your lifetime and the rear spoiler, although subtle, adds rear presence to the twin chromed Polestar pipes. A beefy set of brakes and black mirror caps help in generating road user envy.

This S60 is the springboard from which to grow Polestar into South Africa but we certainly hope bigger numbers and models will follow because this alone is not enough to make a splash against RS, AMG or M Division. Even though the base is a little old and certain signs of age do creep in, one has to recognise that this is a skunkworks division worth keeping a close eye on. If you’re looking for something to stand out from the crowd with deceptive performance, space, great standard specification and safety, S60 Polestar ticks all the boxes.