Volvo has revealed an updated Volvo V60 Polestar, powered by a new downsized four-cylinder twin-charged engine tweaked by the Polestar racing division.
Aiming to take the fight to Audi's new S4 Avant, the Polestar hits 62mph in 4.8sec – a 10th quicker than the Audi – and has a top speed of 155mph.
Updated - read our first drive review of the new Volvo V60 Polestar
Replacing the turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six from its predecessor, this new Drive-E engine is a better fit with Volvo's current engine line-up, which is comprised of only four-cylinder units. Despite losing a litre of capacity and two cylinders, the Polestar-tweaked engine boasts 362bhp – 17bhp more than the outgoing V60 Polestar.
Known elsewhere in the Volvo range – including in the S90 and Volvo XC90 – as the T6 engine, this twin-charged unit has been further tweaked by Polestar to include a bigger turbo, new conrods, new camshafts, a larger air intake and a higher-capacity fuel pump. It's the same basic engine as that found in the all-new FIA World Touring Car Championship race car, the Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 of Polestar Cyan Racing.
With a Polestar-enhanced BorgWarner four-wheel-drive system and eight-speed Geartronic auto’ box, the V60 is quicker to 62mph than its only real competitor, the Audi S4 Avant, and promises to be more efficient, too. Volvo claims the Polestar returns 34.9mpg and emits 186g/km of CO2.
Volvo has cut 20kg from the overall weight and improved the weight distribution by lightening the load over the front axle by 24kg. Bigger brakes and a tweaked power steering system round off the performance and handling upgrades.
As with the previous V60 Polestar, this updated model will be sold in limited numbers, although not quite as limited. Only 750 of the previous model were produced worldwide, this time between 1,250 and 1,500 will be built. UK allocation depends on demand, but around 120 of the previous-generation cars made it to our shores. Prices are expected to start from £49,800.
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I like it, but four cylinder
Decisions, decisions
Looks
Sundym wrote: Luckily AHA 1
Yes, you're quite right, the Golf is a competitor but so are many other cars on both price, size and concept. The point I was making, like the Porsches the Golf is simply the fashionable model to spout out when making a comparision for those that have probably never even experienced one.
It is good to see that Volvo have even put further development time into this model and fitted it with the new engine, it needed it.