Reviews
Gallery 1
When Volvo announced it would no longer be building engines with more than four cylinders, it immediately cast doubt over its future performance models, however the S60 Polestar, and its wagon-backed V60 twin, live on, albeit with a downsized heart.
This is concerning news, as the 3.0-litre turbo straight-six engine has always been the Polestar’s strongest point.
On paper, however, the new 2.0-litre turbocharged AND supercharged four-cylinder delivers the goods; power is up 13kW to 270kW at 6000rpm though torque drops around 30Nm to 470Nm at 3100rpm.
The new engine cuts 24kg from the Polestar’s nose and combined with the new eight-speed automatic shaves 0.2sec off the 0-100km/h sprint to a competitive 4.7sec.
It sounds fairly coarse, but the odd hint of supercharger whine and parps on upshifts imbue it with some character.
Forget about fuel economy if you use the performance, however, as we averaged almost 18L/100km.
The new eight-speed auto is reasonably intelligent if left to its own devices, and what it loses in shift speed compared to a dual-clutch it gains back in day-to-day useability.
The steering is slow but linear and well-weighted and the brakes hold up reasonably well, though the pedal is quite soft.
All in all, it adds up to a quick, component – if not terribly exciting – luxury sports sedan, but this is sadly undermined by a ride quality that would be more appropriate in a Porsche 911 GT3.
Add in the S60’s ageing architecture, though in its defence the button-fest is quite easy to use, and in the face of newer rivals like the Audi S4 and Mercedes-AMG C43 it’s tough to make a case for it, even with the sharp new $89,990 sticker.
There’s a place in the market for a fast, desirable Volvo, but this ain’t it.
Specs:
Engine: 1969cc inline-4cyl, DOHC, 16v, turbo, s/c Power: 270kW @ 6000rpm Torque: 470Nm @ 3100rpm Weight: 1664kg 0-100km/h: 4.7sec (claimed) Price: $89,990
