2017 Volvo S60 Polestar Review
Car Tested: 2017 Volvo S60 Polestar; Test Location: Kari Motor Speedway
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 63,82,970/-
Volvo has nailed the pricing of their first performance offering in India, the S60 Polestar drives really well too!
Track days are always exciting irrespective of whether the car is expensive, inexpensive, powerful or not too powerful. There is a certain energy about a race track that always gets my adrenaline pumping. Having experienced BMW M cars and Mercedes AMG cars on tracks like the MMRT and BIC, I was keen to drive a Volvo Polestar and when we came to know that the Swede automaker will launch its first ever performance offering in India, I jumped to the opportunity to drive it at the Kari Motor Speedway.
Let us talk about some facts first. The Volvo S60 Polestar is priced at Rs. 52.50 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and this is introductory pricing. The S60 Polestar is brought down via the CBU route and what is interesting is the fact that the Indian pricing is really close to the car’s price in the UK. The S60 Polestar will compete in the entry-level performance sedan segment.
On the outside, the Volvo S60 Polestar gets a body kit which includes a tail-mounted spoiler, front bumper spoiler and a rear diffuser. The sedan also gets massive 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped around Michelin rubber. The car looks really enticing and in the trademark Polestar blue shade, it is sure to stand out on our roads. The interiors are pretty much similar to the regular S60 with changes like sport seats, aluminium sport pedals, new gear knob, carbon fibre inlays and nubuck leather which feels rich. The driver’s seat is super comfy and supportive and the ergonomics are well laid out.
Volvo is now going for a product offensive in the Indian market
Just like other automakers, Volvo too has been downsizing its engines and the S60 Polestar gets a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that is turbocharged and supercharged and it churns out 367 horses and 470 Newton metres of twist. The powerplant is mated to an 8-speed transmission with power being sent out to all four wheels. I started off with a demo lap where Volvo showed us the track and also showcased the launch control on this Sweedish saloon.
It was time to get into the driver’s seat and follow the lead car for a couple of laps, post which we were free to drive on our own. I tried launch control by moving the gear knob to Sport, pressing the brake pedal completely, pressing the throttle fully and then letting off the brake. The vehicle got a brilliant and smooth launch with no sort of drama and 0-100 km/hr came up in a claimed 4.7 seconds. I was driving with ESC set to OFF all the time. I gained some speed before the first corner and braked hard before diving in. The sharp Brembo brakes shed speeds rather effectively and the car felt planted.
Attacking a couple of tight corners at good speeds back to back affirmed that the car has a nice steering which is direct and precise. It is also not too big and feels good to hold. The Volvo S60 Polestar itself feels very agile and eager to dart across the track. The force-fed motor has good response all the time and the vehicle always managed to accelerate out quickly after taking every corner. The mid-range of the powerplant is very strong and it redlines at 6500 RPM without any fuss. The exhaust sounds good and throaty but obviously not as good as the music from 8-cylinder engines.
The tight & fun track and a dynamic car made sure it was a good day at work
I managed to get a good exit from the last corner and slammed the throttle and the S60 Polestar hit almost 150 km/hr in no time, with the gearbox working swiftly all the time. You also get steering-mounted paddle shifters which I found to be of good use on the track. All in all, the S60 excels on the track and proves itself to be a very fun and engaging machine to drive. The car is also just the perfect size and it isn’t too long. While the official fuel efficiency figure is claimed to be around 12 km/l, this turbo petrol model will probably return 5-6 km/l in real world conditions.
At this price point, there are a lot of options available across other luxury automakers too, both in petrol and diesel, and some of them are mighty quick too. But, having driven most of them, I can easily say that for Rs. 52.5 lakhs, you get a petrol performance car with 367 HP which isn’t a bad deal at all. The Volvo S60 Polestar can easily outperform other cars in this price segment and for me, it is one of the strongest contenders if you’re looking for a fast sedan which can be practical enough for daily usage too. In terms of competition, the S60 Polestar will rival the Audi S5 and Mercedes C43 AMG.
Further Reading –
Volvo S60 Cross Country Review
Volvo S60 Review