Five-Point Inspection: 2015 Volvo V60 Polestar
If you want a wagon, there are already a few cars to choose from, so why would you opt for the $61,815 Volvo V60 Polestar?
Simply put, you’d buy a V60 because it’s awesome and special. There really are so few cars out there that can do what this thing can do in such an intriguing package.
If you aren’t up to speed on the V60 Polestar, the recipe is as follows: take a regular Volvo V60, with its 3.0-liter inline six and add more until its borderline undrivable. Then get the expert opinions and calibrations from Volvo’s race-team Polestar. The result is this staggering blue beauty, which will linger in your mind after you’ve first driven it.
Don’t believe it? Then read on to see what makes the V60 Polestar such an impressive and memorable car.
No matter what, 345 horsepower doesn’t sound particularly impressive. I mean, that’s just a little more powerful than the V6 Chevrolet Camaro. But the turbocharged engine also makes 369 lb-ft of torque and that means the V60 always feels powerful. Zero to 60 MPH is dealt with in just 4.8 seconds.
There is never a situation where I felt the V60 Polestar couldn’t overtake or pass another car. It always felt like it was going to accomplish anything I asked of it, like a loyal servant, but with serious muscle.
As superb as the motor is in the V60 Polestar, the brakes are equally up to task. The 14.6 inch vented rotors up front are accompanied by six piston brakes, while the rear rotors are also vented and slightly smaller at 11.8 inches.
The brakes are responsive, but not annoyingly touchy. Instead they just work really well. So much so, in fact, that you might grow accustomed to waiting much longer before slowing for a stoplight.
Like everything else in the V60 Polestar, the transmission has been revised to deliver a sportier and more engaging feel on the road. The folks at Polestar re-calibrated the software that controls it to speed up shifts and hold gears longer along with adding launch control.
Furthermore, Polestar recalibrated the all-wheel drive system for more rear torque distribution when stability control is turned off. The end result is a wagon that feels like a sports car.
The V60 Polestar needs an upgraded suspension to make its aggressive brakes, sporty transmission and punchy engine worthwhile. Fortunately, the car features shocks that are 80 percent stiffer than what’s found on the regular V60 T6 R-Design. As you can probably guess, this is one extremely lively wagon on the road despite its 3,790 lb. curb weight.
But it’s important to understand what happens when you take a luxury wagon and turn it into a performance machine: it becomes extremely uncomfortable on anything other than perfect roads. If you’ll be driving the V60 Polestar as a commuter, be prepared to feel every crack in the pavement and keep your eyes up to avoid manhole covers and their spine splintering abuse.
At $61,815 after destination charges, the V60 Polestar is hard to justify if you’re anything other than a die-hard automotive enthusiast.
But the truth is that Polestar did an unbelievable job at transforming a luxury wagon into something that’s immediately memorable to drive. If you value that, then the $62,000 might be easier to swallow, as the V60 Polestar will tug at your heartstrings enough to warrant a monthly payment.
Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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