Road Test: Volvo S60 Polestar– By Matt Calvitto
Specs
Make and model: Volvo S60 Polestar
Engine type: 3.0 litre inline turbo intercooled six-cylinder petrol.
Power: 257 kW@5700rpm
Torque: 500+Nm @ 3000-4750rpm
Transmission: Six-speed Adaptive Geartronic automatic with neutral control and sports mode; gearshift paddles; launch control, quick shift and all-wheel drive with rear bias.
Fuel consumption: 10.2 litres (combined)
Dimensions: 4628mm long, 1865mm wide, 1484mm high and 2776mm wheelbase
Weight: 1770kg
Suspension: Front MacPherson Strut System Rear: Multi-link system.
Steering: Rack and pinion
Country of Origin: Sweden
Price: $99,950
Overview
Volvo is forging ahead with a performance vehicle assault on the Australian market hand in hand with its tuning partner, Polestar. The Swedish firm has made a quick and successful impact in the Australian V8 Supercar championship and now their road-going equivalent the S60 Polestar with a 0-100 sprint time of 4.9 seconds has taken to Australian streets. We’ve been on a mission to find out if Volvo really has made a four-door supercar.
Our Opinion
What we like:
• Performance
• Noise
• Comfort
• Handling
• Braking
• Ride comfort
• Head lamps
Not so much:
• Boot space
• No standard sunroof
• Rear legroom
• Navigation and some information systems tricky to use.
• Price
Price and Equipment
A $100,000 (almost) asking price may be steep for a Volvo-let alone any mid-size car- but such a large amount of your hard earned will be spent on the upgraded straight with larger Borg-Warner turbo, a 2.5” stainless full flow exhaust with 3.5” stainless “Polestar” embossed on the dual tail pipes that ensures that the six not only breathes better, but that it can be well and truly heard.
Polestar has fitted Öhlins two-way adjustable shock absorbers, a carbon fibre reinforced strut brace, new 60N/mm front and 65N/mm rear springs paired with new 23mm front and 22mm rear stabilisers along with a chunky steering wheel and speed sensitive power steering.
Brembo six piston, 370mm ventilated floating discs; Brembo HP1000 pads at the front and 302 x 22mm ventilated discs; Brembo HP2000 pads on the rear reign in exuberant turns of speed.
The S60 Polestar rides on unique 8.0 x 19” Polestar graphite alloy rims wrapped in 235/40 R19 Bridgestone Potenza tyres.
A subtle body kit and a not-so-subtle “Rebel Blue” paint scheme-which divided opinions with one tester likening the shade to that of blue iPhone 5C-complete the visual package and shouts to onlookers that this isn’t your average S60.
Safety, comfortable and technology haven’t been neglected with everything from excellent swivelling xenon headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane departure and blind spot monitoring, collision warning and of course a heap of airbags.
The cabin has also been upgraded with sports seats and a thumping sound system.
Interior
Volvo has made over the “standard” S60 interior to reflect the Polestar’s sporty persona. Polestar front door tread plates greet passengers as they open the doors. There are also Bespoke Polestar sports seats are fitted wrapped in charcoal Nubuck leather with blue stitching and Polestar logo-all seats fabulously comfortable, soft and almost sumptuous with the driver’s seat offering plenty of adjustment and memory functions.
The three-spoke leather steering wheel is chunky to hold and the (plastic) shift paddles are placed within easy reach. However, buttons for cruise control could be more clearly marked and the twist-style controller mounted on the indicator stalk isn’t overly intuitive but, the system does offer a wide range of settings and the digital instrument cluster is crisp, clear and very easy to read.
Similar issues are encountered with the infotainment system. The system offers a plethora of different features including WIFI, an internal hard drive and of course satellite navigation but the large screen mounted in the asymmetrical dash-which is angled toward the driver and sits nicely within their line of peripheral vision-does not offer touch capability and, one must scroll through a number of menus. Again, once acclimatised the set-up works well enough and the quality of the Sensus premium sound system is impressive.
An illuminated and leather Polestar gear knob is also a unique feature that accentuates the cabin.
Storage space is not the S60 Polestar’s strong point, especially when the space saver space lives in the boot. That said, the back seats can be folded forward with the tug of a single leaver.
Engine and Transmission
Three litres, six cylinders and a large Borg-Warner turbo sees the engine develop 257 kW@5700rpm and 500+Nm @ 3000-4750rpm. This is of course aided by the a 2.5” stainless full flow exhaust which produces a seductive and sinister burble at idle that escalates into a ferocious roar as the engine surges into its 3000-4750 sweet spot. Make no mistake, the S60 Polestar is properly and unapologetically loud.
The S60 is also incredibly fast. Volvo claims that in the correct conditions the mid-size sports sedan can complete the 0-100 kilometre sprint in 4.9 seconds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 250 kilometres per hour. Performance is pin you to your anti-whiplash headrest exhilarating. There is even launch control to make those fast starts even cleaner.
Such progress is not possible without the six-speed automatic transmission. When left in normal automatic mode we found the gearbox to be a little clunky, but once road speeds increased gear changes became smoother. Use of the steering wheel mounted paddles, not only quickens changes, but seems to enhance seamlessness.
Average fuel consumption is quoted at 10.2 litres per 100 kilometres. On test, we averaged between 12.6 to 14.5 litres, depending on driving conditions.
Ride and Handling
“Confidence inspiring” is probably the best way to summarise the handling set-up. Heavy, but well weighted steering, minimal body roll, a sorted chassis suspended by the Öhlins two-way adjustable shock absorbers and the all-wheel drive system encourage drivers to make the most of the package.
As a result, sweeping corners can be tackled quickly and with smile inducing aplomb. The S60 Polestar is a sports sedan that wants to work with you, rather than terrify you. Which, incidentally, adds to the thrill-a-minute factor.
The brakes are up to the task of keeping the performance under control, with gradual and communicative pedal feel and travel.
Surprisingly, the ride is relatively comfortable. It can be fidgety over coarse and pock-marked bitumen, but it never crashed or transmitted too many reverberations through to passengers. There was the odd rattle in the cabin over rubbish country roads.
Safety
Rebellious and bad boy attitude aside, the S60 Polestar is still a Volvo and that means it is crammed with safety gadgetry. A five-star safety rating is a given and the S60 is fitted with dual front, side and full length curtain airbags. There is also brake assist, collision alert, Volvo’s City Safe automatic braking system, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and of course stability control, electronic brake force distribution and anti-lock brakes.
Verdict: Proof Swedes can do sports sedans. A Volvo that is less ABBA and more Arch Enemy. The S60 Polestar is stylish, comfortable and ferociously quick, if perhaps weighed down by the Volvo stereotype.
Overall score: 18/20
For pics, click here:
http://themotoringguru.com/2014/09/10/reviewed-volvo-s60-polestar/
Looking forward to your feedback and more than happy to ask any questions!
