Volvo S90 and V90 drivetrains given Polestar treatment

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.

The twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel D5 will be the first drivetrain to benefit from the optimisation program, followed by the turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder petrol T6.

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.

The final T6 details are yet to be confirmed, but the optimisation program for the Volvo XC90 T6 model achieved increases of 11kW and 40Nm for total outputs of 246kW and 440Nm.

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.