The upcoming Volvo S90 sedan and its V90 wagon twin have been given a performance boost by the Swedish brand’s racey Polestar division.

Volvo says the Polestar Performance Optimisation process involves a range of modifications to drivetrains, which aim for a more dynamic driving experience.

Engines are tweaked for greater mid-range torque and the throttle recalibrated for a swifter, more accurate response. Volvo says throttle-lift vehicle stability is also improved.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox has been engineered to deliver faster gearshifts, hold gears longer, and prevent shifts during fast cornering.

Volvo -V90-driving -front

Polestar’s technical specifications for the S90 and V90 D5 models reveal that power increases by 4kW to 177kW, and torque fattens by 20Nm to 500Nm – produced across a wider range: 1500-2500rpm compared with the previous 1750-2250rpm.

Acceleration improves by a tenth as a result – to 6.9 seconds for the S90 sedan, and to 7.1 seconds for the heavier V90 wagon.

Volvo -S90-sie

There’s speculation Volvo could produce full Polestar versions of the S90 and V90, following its return to high-performance models with the S60/V60 Polestar twins.

The regular Volvo S90 and Volvo V90 are due to go on sale locally from August 2016.