The 2020 Volvo V60 Polestar is an excellent car at its core
Volvo may not enjoy quite the same reputation for performance executive cars as its German rivals but many of us remember boxy powerhouses like the 850R and, of course, the high-speed motorway patrol cars. In keeping with Volvo’s current eco-friendly ethos its rapid V60 Polestar engineered T8 estate is a plug-in hybrid with both a turbo petrol engine and an electric motor. In theory it gives owners the best of both worlds. A zero emissions EV range of up to 27 miles and an impressive acceleration, although not at the same time. So, how does Sweden’s 21st century sports estate stack up against other fast, comfortable and posh estates? Well, a good place to start would be to take a quick look at what it has to offer.
Volvo may not enjoy quite the same reputation for performance executive cars as its German rivals but many of us remember boxy powerhouses like the 850R and, of course, the high-speed motorway patrol cars. In keeping with Volvo’s current eco-friendly ethos its rapid V60 Polestar engineered T8 estate is a plug-in hybrid with both a turbo petrol engine and an electric motor. In theory it gives owners the best of both worlds. A zero emissions EV range of up to 27 miles and an impressive acceleration, although not at the same time. So, how does Sweden’s 21st century sports estate stack up against other fast, comfortable and posh estates? Well, a good place to start would be to take a quick look at what it has to offer.
Acceleration
The V60 Polestar is very much a modern day dragster with both a 2.0 litre petrol engine and an electric motor combining to produce 399 brake horse power (bhp). Four-wheel-drive helps catapult this big Volvo from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 4.6 seconds. Acceleration is swift and overtaking is completed in the blink of an eye.
Running costs
Ease off that accelerator and the Polestar transforms into a car with better fuel efficiency than a Toyota Prius. When fully charged it promises up to 27 miles of range without using any petrol. This gives it an official economy figure of 104.5 miles per gallon and Co2 emissions of just 48 grams per kilometre.
Looks
Volvo is now known for is suave designs and the V60 is another great example of this. It really is an excellent looking car and in many ways its shape marks the return to the simpler and boxier silhouette of traditional Volvo estates. Details such as the Thor hammer daytime running lights and sharply creased bodywork bring its looks bang up to date.
Space
This may be the performance version but the Polestar V60 edition is still very much a practical estate. In fact, there’s no change in its boot capacity with 529 litres behind the back seats expanding to 1441 litres with them stowed away. This is more than you’d find in a BMW 3 Series Touring. There’s lots of room in the back for passengers and despite being a hybrid it can still tow up to two tonnes making it a great choice for caravaners.
The Drive
While this is certainly a fast car the driving experience isn’t quite as polished enough to compete with the best rivals from both BMW and Mercedes. One culprit is the 2.0 litre petrol engine that just never sounds exciting enough. The automatic gearbox feels slow and though tighter than the regular V60s the steering is still rather vague. The Polestar is quick and light-footed but not as good on a great road as a BMW 340i Touring or Mercedes Benz AMG C43 estate.
Suspension
One of the Polestar’s unusual features is its suspension. This is because Volvo’s engineers have chosen to fit adjustable dampers from renowned suspension builders Ohlins. While these may be a geek’s dream they’re usually fitted to rally cars rather than family wagons and this is for good reason. While you can manually adjust the stiffness of the front suspension under the bonnet, altering the rear settings requires jacking up the entire car!
So, there you have it. We’ve pretty much weighted up the V60 Polestar in a few paragraphs. To conclude, it’s clear that this is an excellent car at its core but its one that works better in a more affordable trim. Despite trick suspension parts, beefed up brakes and impressive acceleration the plug-in hybrid powertrain struggles to compete with the six cylinder engines found in rivals. Be sure to take a look at the used Volvo V60 cars for sale we have available on DesperateSeller.co.uk to find the right one for you.
