For years I’ve been keeping a close eye on Volvo. I’ve seen the company transform its boxy and boring products into more fluid designs. And, I’ve seen it expand its product portfolio into sport-utility vehicles. It’s been an interesting ride, to say the least, but for the Swedish niche player, it’s clear that something was missing from its product DNA.
Sportiness.
Sure, it had a coupe and convertible in form of the C70 but that wasn’t exactly sporty. Perhaps it would be best considered a grand touring vehicle. What the brand has been lacking is an unadulterated, no compromises sports car.
Volvo S60 Polestar
Hell, this strategy worked for Audi with its halo vehicle, the R8, and it also worked for Lexus with its LFA. Both Audi and Lexus sales exploded when they started tapping into enthusiast desires, which could be argued are everyone's. Who doesn’t want to be seen in a hot ride?
Hidden away in Sweden is Volvo's factory racing team known as Polestar Cyan Racing. Known for tricking out Volvo’s products for serious, competitive racing, the group put together a one-off concept vehicle to show what was possible. After promoting it to the media, it was sold to a customer based in the U.S. It featured a heavily modified six-cylinder motor that produced more than 500 horsepower. According to folklore, this badass S60 sedan cost upwards of $300,000 to acquire.
After seeing numerous pictures and hearing it, I knew this thing was an amazing product. And while the buzz was strong with this one, no one knew if Volvo would consider partnering with the company to build production units for the masses. It turns out someone gave it the green light, which neatly brings us to our subject.
Volvo S60 Polestar
Produced in extremely limited numbers, the Volvo S60 Polestar is rarer than just about any other vehicle on the market. My bright blue car — affectionately nicknamed Swedish Racing Green — was number 38 out of 40. This is the genesis of an all-new division of Volvo’s products. Consider it a test run for Volvo, who has been offering Polestar tuning — via dealerships — on its standard cars.
Volvo actually acquired Polestar and has brought it in house this year. Clearly, it is serious about competing with the likes of the Audi S cars, BMW’s M division, Cadillac’s V-Series, Lexus’ F group and Mercedes-AMG.
So, how did it play out? Let me explain.
First things first, I've always been a fan of the "naughty" Volvo's design. To me, the S60's looks have always been like that of a Polo shirt. It's simple and will stand up to the test of time. Improving upon that, the Polestar gets two options of paint, blue or black — 2016 models can also be had in white and silver — a set of gorgeous 20-inch wheels with a big brake kit lurking beneath, some new aerodynamic treatments in form of a new front lip, decklid spoiler, rear diffuser element and a lowered stance. It looks rather menacing and purposefully tuned. It's not overtly eccentric, aside from the paint, of course.
Getting more familiar behind the steering wheel it's a nice place to be. Volvo's typically have well-built, high-quality interiors though some of the Swedish quirks are apparent. Using the navigation with its clunky controls feels very 2004 — thankfully, the company has addressed this with its all-new XC90 that has an all-new infotainment system the company is calling Sensus.
Aside from that it's smooth sailing. The well bolstered leather and Alcantara seats are, predictably, some of the best seats I've ever sat in. While other automakers offer a slew of adjustments for you to get wrong, Volvo keeps it simple — your back would give the company a high five if it could. The leather and Alcantara lined steering wheel is another nice touch that shows you someone is paying attention to the details.
Volvo S60 Polestar
So far, so good, right? Well, now we're going to get to the driving bit and this is where the tide starts to turn.
Equipped with a 3.0-liter, turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the S60 Polestar produces 345 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque. It's not a shameful figure but by today's standards it certainly isn't going to blow anyone's hair back. Mated to this motor is a six-speed automatic transmission. It does an OK job of making shifts happen but it's certainly not up to par with the latest eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and can't hold a candle to today's latest dual-clutch transmissions found in today's serious high-performance machines. Zero to 60 happens in 4.7 seconds, which is quick, but not going to leave the tarmac in flames.
So, it's not the quickest. To me that's not a big deal considering it's "fast enough" by my measuring stick; however, it will need to make up for it with a great engine and exhaust note. It doesn't. Though Polestar has installed an exhaust on this vehicle, it really leaves a lot to be desired whether its at idle or the revs are approaching 5,000 RPMs. Not only does the six-cylinder sound rather drone-y, there is no soul in the way this vehicle makes music. When you hear a BMW inline six rev or an Audi S4 at wide open throttle it's just addicting. This Volvo's sound is the antithesis of those. Now I went into this knowing it would probably not sound anything like the one-off car that featured the monster six-cylinder engine but this was truly a snoozefest and, frankly, a missed opportunity in my opinion.
What is impressive are the suspension upgrades. Polestar went with manually adjustable Ohlins dampers — 10 different settings for those of you who like to get into the minutae — and installed stiffer springs that are 80 percent more stiff than what's found on the stock S60 R-Design. On paper this sounds pretty awesome. In reality, though, it''s not. That's because the way the Polestar I had was set up, it was far too bouncy and far too annoying to drive along comfortably. Around town or at speed on the motor way, you are constantly being jarred. It reminded me a lot of the first year of the Lexus IS F, which felt like a Mexican jumping bean. So, it's not exactly what I'd call refined; however, this stiff setup does pay off in the corners. Although the S60 Polestar weighs in at nearly 3,900 pounds it slips through the twisties very smoothly with plenty of grip, has almost zero roll, which is hard to believe in a sport sedan, and a particularly planted feeling. This is where the S60 Polestar shines.
But then when things were just looking up, I have to give you all another taste of reality. I am not sure who tuned this vehicle's steering but my, my it is oh so wrong. Perhaps I have grown too accustomed to the lightness of British and Italian cars but this Swede's steering feels far too heavy. While some weight is appreciated this is definitely overkill. It feels like Volvo took a page from Audi's playbook and decided to make it feel as though the vehicle's steering rack is gunked up with molasses. Perhaps I have grown accustomed to the latest electric power-assisted steering setups but I don't think that's the case here. Because it is so heavy it actually takes away from the vehicle's ability to corner so deftly and that's a shame considering it earns itself a gold star there.
Two massive thumbs up for the big brake kit, which makes use of Brembo six-piston calipers up front. Stopping power is not a concern at any time given the brake's ability to reel the Polestar in at any given moment. Well, at least the tuner nailed something dead on.
Reflecting back on my experience with Volvo's super haut S60, I have to say it was, overall, a bittersweet experience. Personally, I loved looking at number 38 in its bold blue hue and I did love the way it was able to corner. It was shocking, to be honest. But, largely, many other components were a miss and that's the difference between a good car and a great high-performance product.
In addition, given what you do get the pricing has to adjust to reflect that. This means the 2016 S60 Polestar rings the register at a rather decadent $59,700*. When cars like the BMW M3 and base Mercedes-AMG C63 start at $63,200* and $65,250*, you have to wonder why you'd splurge on the Volvo that's a bit compromised. Sure, the Volvo has quite a bit more kit than the base M3 and C63, however, the engine is underpowered for its price bracket, the transmission is outdated and the overall experience is less than the Germans.
*These prices do NOT include title, taxes and fees.
I guess I should have listened to that old adage, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."
The Good:
- Nicely enhanced, subtle, clean design that will stand the test of time
- Fantastic cornering machine that will leave you bewildered
- Excellent set of brakes that can reel the Polestar in without any issue — carbon ceramics not needed here
The Bad:
- Considering its price point, it seems vastly underpowered
- The vehicle’s engine and exhaust note needs some work — exceptionally drone-y and lacking any soul to make me want more
- The suspension setup is bordering on overkill with a rather jarring experience whether that’s around town or at highway speed
The Lowdown:
Now let me be clear, it's not that I hate the Volvo S60 Polestar. I was completely and utterly obsessed with it until I drove it. Overall, I am just incredibly disappointed with the product that was delivered. While I will say the vehicle was the first mass produced Polestar-associated product, it feels a bit unrefined and not properly thought out for its rather steep asking price. In the day and age of cars like the M3 and C63 it does not stand a chance. If there's a silver lining it's this: This is Volvo's first proper effort at a high-performance product and, frankly, the company has some work to do. But, as seen with the all-new XC90 and S90 we know this company can deliver when it puts it all on the line. Consider this the genesis for something that has potential to be epic down the road. Stay tuned as the latest word suggests an S90 Polestar is in the works, Spies.
Volvo S60 Polestar
