Volvo brought its higher-performance S60 and V60 Polestar in LA this week, showcasing the sporty side of the brand.
The two Polestar models are currently the quickest car of Volvo’s performance arm after receiving a powertrain update that had the old turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine replaced by a twincharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
Combining a turbocharger with a supercharger, the force-fed 2.0-litre engine produces in this case 362hp (367PS) and 347lb-ft (470Nm) of peak torque, 17hp more than the previous model but with 22lb-ft less torque as well. Polestar added a bigger turbo, a supercharger, new conrods, new camshafts, a larger air intake and a higher capacity fuel pump to augment the engine.
An eight-speed Geartronic automatic gearbox is the only option, as is the AWD system with both of them updated by Polestar to match the dynamic character of Volvo’s spicy twins. 0-60mph comes in as little as 4.4 seconds, while the top speed remains limited to 155mph (250km/h).
Polestar also made the new models lighter than their predecessors, with Volvo claiming an overall reduction of 44lbs for both bodystyles and a 53lbs reduction over the front axle. At the same time fuel economy and CO2 emissions are improved, with the hot Volvo returning an EPA-rated 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway (23 combined).
The launch of the new Volvo S60 & V60 Polestar also marks the globalization of the Polestar sub-brand, with Volvo expanding the number of markets where its high-performance models are sold from 13 to 47 and doubling the production volume from 750 cars a year to 1500.
If you want the quickest Volvo ever made though, you better hurry as Volvo has allocated just 200 cars for the Americas markets.
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