Volvo S60 and V60 Polestars cop 270kW four-cylinder

Volvo’s Polestar models have a new star of the show – a 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine.

As exclusively revealed by MOTOR earlier this year, the latest Polestar S60 sedan and V60 wagon versions have switched from 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder power to ‘twincharged’ four-cylinder propulsion borrowed from the XC90 large SUV.

Producing 270kW at 6000rpm and 470Nm between 3100rpm and 5100rpm, power is up 13kW and torque down 30Nm compared with the original Polestars that launched locally in 2013.

Polestar has worked the Volvo Drive-E engine over with a new turbo (with 2.0 bar boost), conrods, camshaft, fuel pump, air filter, in addition to a larger air intake, leading onto a 3.0-inch stainless steel active exhaust system.

The new engine is 24kg lighter than the six-cylinder it replaces, contributing to a 20kg total weight-loss for the 1751kg S60 and 1796kg V60.

An eight-speed automatic replaces the previous six-speed unit, and a launch control function enters to help make the latest Polestars the fastest road cars Volvo has ever produced.

The S60 Polestar claims 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds, with the V60 Polestar a tenth slower to that increment.

Volvo’s go-fast division has worked on the Borg Warner all-wheel drive system “for more rear torque dynamic distribution” and added a dedicated Sport+ mode with new “Polestar optimised” stability control and steering calibrations.

Manually adjustable Ohlins dampers continue unchanged, with 80 per cent-stiffer springs compared with the S60/V60 T6 R-Design models, as do standard 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber.

Volvo hasn’t yet released pricing for its updated Polestar models, however a slight reduction on the outgoing sub-$100,000 duo of sedan and wagon is expected.

Polestar will use its latest S60 and V60 to coincide with a global market expansion, from 13 to 47 countries where it will be sold, and with Swedish manufacturing doubling to 1500 cars per year.

In terms of global rivalry, however, Polestar has failed to wrestle Mercedes-AMG for the title of most powerful production four-cylinder, falling short of the A45/CLA45/GLA45 trio by just 10kW and 5Nm.