Today we are driving a Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered for a review. After the excellent impression given by the XC60 Polestar, I was looking forward to test drive this sedan.
When you think of a Volvo, thanks also to its long tradition, it immediately associates itself with the image of a station wagon. In the early 1990s, the sporty term for Volvo meant one car only: 850 T5-R. An iconic station wagon that entered the heart of the brand’s fans. Nowadays, however, a slightly different meaning is associated. Greener, safer but, at the same time, fun cars when needed.
The collection is in Bologna and during the train journey I do nothing but thinking about how fascinating this car is, both outside and inside. Unfortunately, the sedan market in Italy is highly penalized, nowadays SUVs or Station Wagons are preferred which, despite being, in many cases, beautiful cars do not have the style and elegance of a three-volume. Once in Bologna I can only confirm everything I thought, Volvo S60, already in its most human versions, is very attractive, but this is a cut above the others. As on XC60 here we find all the aesthetic customizations made by Polestar: dedicated rims, Polestar badges and contrasting seat belts.
The powertrain of the Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered is the same that we have already tried on the XC60 T8 Polestar or the flagship Twin Engine customized by Polestar in order to obtain better performance. The 2.0 Petrol, which moves the front wheels, develops 318 horses and the electric motor on the rear wheels provides another 87 horses. The total torque reaches 670nm, impressive! Coupled with the eight-speed Geartronic gearbox, it is one of the best proven plug-in hybrids. The passages between the electric motor and the thermal engine are unnoticeable, if it weren’t for a slight noise from the exhausts it seems to travel only in electric.
Time to get behind the wheel of the Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered. In the first part of the city, also thanks to the fully charged 11kw battery, I can travel forty kilometers in fully electric mode. The car moves smoothly and in complete silence and, putting the gearbox in mode B you can forget the brake pedal. Truly a great convenience.
Entering the highway, I insert the Pilot Assist and leave almost everything to her. Volvo has traditionally accustomed us to great comfort, impeccable ADAS and top-level finishes. This Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered, despite the marked sporty streak, does not fail in any of these three aspects. Another thing I always like is the audio system. The test specimen was equipped with Bowers & Wilkins which offers truly unparalleled sound quality.
Off the highway, however, is another sleeve. I set the “Polestar Engineered” mode and the fun begins. Confrontation with the sister XC60 is inevitable and dynamically speaking this S60 comes out the winner hands down. Mechanically they are quite similar to each other; Polestar has also brought the same optimizations to this model, so we find an increased braking system, Öhlins suspensions and an adjustable strut bar. Thanks to the lower center of gravity, a slightly reduced weight and a slightly lower ground clearance, you immediately feel a reduced roll compared to the XC60. Although the dimensions are still important in the tight mix, you immediately feel that the vehicle is still agile in the corners.
Fuel consumption chapter, the Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered does not disappoint. On the highway, traveling calmly, you can orbit around 5.6 liters per 100km which rises to around 8 in the city and with a completely discharged battery. The on-board charger reaches 3.7kw and this means that a battery, or a wallbox, can charge the battery in about 2.5 hours. The charger supplied as standard instead connects to a normal schuko socket and absorbs about 1.8kw (220V at 8A) with a full charging time that is around 5 hours. In conclusion, I can only confirm the great expectations I had on this car. Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered is as beautiful as it is performing, giving the owner safe driving emotions.
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