Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar
Australia
was the first recipient of the hottest Volvo ever produced, the MY13
S60 Polestar, and now the Swedish brand has expanded the range with the
V60 Polestar as part of an upgraded MY15 sedan and wagon range. Pricing
for the former remains unchanged at just $100,000 and the wagon costs
$3000 more, but there are no substantial changes to what's become a
full-time mid-size performance model from the most unlikely of
manufacturers.
Volvo is no stranger to
the performance wagon, as evidenced by the hot 850R that was even raced
by the late, great Peter Brock in the 1990s.
But
while it followed the same basic turbocharged five-door formula, the
850R was an altogether different animal to its spiritual successor, the
V60 Polestar.
No, outright performance hasn't
changed hugely in the nearly two decades since the 850R manual arrived
with a 185kW/350Nm 2.3-litre turbo-five driving the front wheels.
Volvo's
quickest V60 is undoubtedly quicker, thanks to a Polestar-tuned
transverse 3.0-litre turbo six that packs a twin-scroll Borg-Warner
turbo to deliver 257kW at 5250rpm and a beefy 500Nm at 3000rpm.
While
the S60 Polestar sedan is claimed to hit 100km/h in an undeniably quick
4.9 seconds, the wagon version is just one-tenth slower thanks to 68kg
of extra kerb weight (1834kg) and still 1.5 seconds quicker than the old
850R.
That puts it somewhere between its only
natural rival, Audi's S4 Avant, which is powered by a comparable
245kW/440Nm 3.0-litre supercharged V6 and just over $5000 pricier at
$108,500.
Unlike the 850R, however, both the
V60 and S4 come with all-wheel drive – in the Volvo's case a Haldex
system with unique Polestar functionality including more rear-end bias
at take-off and under lateral g-forces in stability control-off mode.
It's
this that makes the V60 Polestar a vastly better performance wagon than
the 850R, and allows its bigger, broader spread of torque to be applied
to the road with astonishing effect.
It's no
lightweight and cannot hide its mass in tight bends, where
over-exuberance ends in predictable understeer, but this
Polestar-fettled wagon delivers outstanding mid-corner grip, vice-free
steering and a level of power-down traction some sports cars would envy.
Ride
the Uluru-shaped wave of healthy torque and prepare for tight corners
by braking early and apexing late, and the Polestar rewards with
accessible, exhilarating performance.
Aiding
this flexibility is an upgraded six-speed (up from four in the 850R...)
adaptive Geartronic automatic transmission, including full-manual
override, paddle shifters and sport mode, plus faster gearshifts and a
new 'curve hold' function that prevents auto-shifting in corners.
There's
even a launch control system, which doesn't do much you can't with your
own feet, but is a nice bench-racing taking point alongside the
2.5-inch active exhaust system.
It features
outlets that open up to 3.5-inches over 4000rpm and in Sports mode,
reducing back pressure and producing a rortier exhaust note under
acceleration. In truth, however, the hottest S/V60 has a raspy note
right from idle, but doesn't sound special at speed.
Nor
is it particularly frugal in action, where we saw more than double the
claimed combined figures (10.2L/100km for the sedan and 10.3L/100km for
the wagon) during the full-day launch drive through the Gold Coast
hinterland. At least the Polestars don't use any more fuel than the
standard S60 and V60 T6 AWDs, says Volvo.
Stronger
six-piston Brembo brake callipers and 371mm ventilated discs – and the
new master-cylinder and booster introduced last year – are up to the
task, and Polstar says it spent three months recalibrating the anti-lock
braking and electronic stability control systems to improve brake
control and feedback.
That was largely to
account for the biggest change for the 2015 model year: the move to
larger 20-inch Polestar alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport
245/35 ZR tyres, replacing the MY14 sedan's 19s with Bridgestone tyres.
There's
no doubt the 20s increase traction and steering performance, and the
adjustable Öhlins shock absorbers – the most unique chassis component of
the Polestar twins – have been tuned to suit.
But
the fact is the 80 per cent-firmer springs are too hard and the tyres
too noisy on most surfaces. Ride quality was harsh on rural Queensland
roads in the middle of the dampers' 20-click adjustment range, which we
doubt many owners will make use of once they've left their dealership.
Especially
since you have to get under the car to fiddle with them or, in the case
of the wagon, remove a panel in the cargo bay and twirl the rear shock
adjusters with a special tool.
For sure, in the
setting chosen by Volvo V8 Supercar star Scott McLaughlin (a full 15
turns out from full damping force at the front and five turns out at the
back), both Polestars offered crisper turn-in at Norwell's Holden
Performance Driving Centre.
But even in the
full-soft mode we asked to sample, the Öhlins shocks took the sharp
edges of most public-road lumps but still transmitted far too much
unwanted static for comfortable daily use, let alone an extended road
trip.
Which is a shame, because the V60
Polestar – even more so than the sedan – combines practicality and
performance like few other cars, and makes far more sense than any AMG-,
M-and S/RS-badged luxury SUV, which will never leave the bitumen
anyway.
Throw in Volvo's legendary ergonomics
and industry-leading safety credentials, not to mention Scandinavian
individuality and relative exclusivity, and there's a lot to like about
the first Volvo-Polestar production cars.
Yes,
the spirit of the 850R lives on in the V60 Polestar, but this Volvo
performance wagon is worlds away in every department, and unique in the
automotive landscape.
We love its mix of fast and function, but fear the brittle ride will be too high a price to pay for most.
Which
is a shame, because with a new generation of force-fed fours set power
all Volvos of the future, the big-turbo-six Polestar twins will be the
last of a dying Swedish breed.
2014 Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar pricing and specifications:
Price: $99,990 and $102,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 257kW/500Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.2L/100km and 10.3L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 243g/km and 247g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP
On sale: January 2015
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Torque and traction | >> Ride comfort |
| >> Practicality and ergonomics | >> Lack of interior upgrades |
| >> Relatively unassuming looks | >> Fact it's the last of a dying breed |
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