Sunday Drive: New Car Reviews

By BJ Killeen

Volvo S60 Polestar: Swede with an Attitude

While most folks know that Volvo is synonymous with safety, few know the successful performance partner of the Volvo brand: Polestar. Polestar’s focus is racing, and how development on the track helps improve Volvo vehicles on the road. Polestar’s experience comes via over two decades of running in the World Touring Car Championship. What Polestar has learned from racing and winning can be summed up in the 2017 Volvo S60 Polestar.

Available in Sedan or wagon (V60) models, the Polestar takes all the best safety and luxury features of Volvo and throws in great  performance on top. The sum is a vehicle that’s fun to drive, handles exceptionally well, looks good, and protects its occupants.

Polestar begins with the S60 sedan, and then makes over 70 modifications to transform it to  Polestar status. The first move is to paint it Rebel Blue, a dead giveaway that this is a Polestar model. Yeah, you can get it in a few other colors, but why? Then it tweaks the suspension to give the S60 80 percent stiffer springs, adds Öhlins DVS shock absorbers, six-piston Polestar/Brembo brake calipers, a carbon-fiber-reinforced front strut brace, and lots of power. The 2.0-liter Drive-E (turbo and supercharged) four-cylinder engine makes 362 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque, mated to a Polestar-calibrated 8-speed transmission. That’s 60 more hp over the S60 T6 engine, and 52 more lb-ft of torque. We’re talking serious performance here. More go-fast items specific to the S60 Polestar include a 3-inch stainless steel exhaust system, 20-inch Polestar alloy wheels with summer tires, a rear diffuser with polished tailpipes, and unique rear and lower front spoiler.

Inside, the S60 gets more Polestar attention via Sport Nubuck leather seats, aluminum pedals, carbon-fiber inlay, and Polestar leather steering wheel and shift knob. Lest you think this is strictly about performance, rest easy that the luxury part of the Volvo S60 remains, with 8-way heated seats with power lumbar, dual-zone electronic climate control, Sensus navigation, 650-watt audio system, a power glass moonroof, and lots more.

While we can spend time talking about the safety features, great audio system and convenience items, the Polestar really is about handling. All the experience and engineering behind the brand really shows up in the Polestar S60. On a recent drive to LA and surrounding areas, we experienced everything from steady-state highway driving to mountain passes to stop-and-go traffic. While the summer tires provide great grip in higher-speed turns, they surprisingly didn’t punish us during long stretches of freeway driving. The steering feel is responsive, and the brakes stop confidently. Because the Polestar is race bred, there are a few different modes that alter shift points and other performance features that are better suited toward track driving (especially for those inexperienced drivers). As just a regular Joe who wants to go out and have some fun driving briskly without donning a helmet and racesuit, the Polestar is a great option.

Even the fuel economy won’t scare you away, with 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. You might be a little frightened about the price, however, since it starts at $60,000. The good news is that’s also where it ends. There are no other options besides dealer accessories. Add in $995 for destination and you’re good to go. Price out a comparable BMW 5-Series, and you’d be well over that price point.

While Volvo and Polestar have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship, there are big changes coming in the future. Polestar recently announced that it will now be separately branded from Volvo, and no longer will carry the Volvo logo on its vehicles, even though it will continue to develop “optimization” package for the Swedish company under the Polestar Engineered brand. Plus, it now says that Polestar will be an electrified global high-performance car company, which is going to be interesting to follow as new products are introduced.  Can’t wait to see what Polestar has in store for the future.