The one thing Volvo lacks right now is a solid range of high performance models, but that could soon change.
That’s because the Swedes are considering a sibling to the well-known S60 Polestar in the form of a hot hatch. The manufacturer toyed around with the idea for some years now, but it didn’t materialized as soon as we hoped.
The 415bhp C30 Polestar unveiled back in 2010, was just a showcase of Volvo’s capabilities when it comes to high performance vehicles. A scare for the rivals and a taunt for petrolheads around the world.
UK managing director, Nick Connor, told Top Gear that he would like to see a Polestar hot hatch and that nowadays, he thinks there’s a clear demand for these sort of cars. Of course, with competition getting stiffer, Volvo wants a piece of the action and with all the new spare parts and Polestar’s expertise lying around, it’s just a matter of time before they officially announce their own hot hatch beast.
As the C30 doesn’t exist anymore, the burden falls on the smallest Volvo hatchback available: The V40. Yes, the V40 Polestar is expected to arrive at the party sometime next year, dressed in the eye catching blue paint of Volvo’s performance arm.
If all goes according to plan, the V40 Polestar will get the new 2.0 supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E engine from the new XC90, but without the aid of an electric motor. Even so, we think around 300bhp is just about right for this kind of vehicle. Don’t you?
It’s not known yet if the V40 Polestar will use an all-wheel-drive system, but we’re rooting for a Haldex system like the one in the T5 model. As we saw in the previous generation of the Focus RS, 300bhp isn’t the limit anymore for a front wheel drive setup, but Volvo cannot afford to stay behind Merc’s A45 AMG or Ford’s latest offspring, the Focus RS.
Unlike its limited edition big brother, the V40 Polestar will not be so exclusive. Sure, it won’t be mass produced like crazy, but at least it won’t be rarer than the F40.
By Bogdan Zoltan
Photo Render via RM Design
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