Skip advert
Advertisement

Volvo V60 Polestar review (2014-2016) - can a Volvo estate really be exciting? - Performance and 0-62 time

Rare and rapid, the Volvo V60 Polestar is a fine alternative to German performance machines

Evo rating
RRP
from £49,665
  • Subtle, well-executed performance car
  • Engine lacks charisma, plays it a little too safe

Volvo claims a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds, with top speed limited to 155mph. The Polestar feels up to matching those claims and certainly the quickest car in the range. The Polestar’s benchmark sprint is over a second quicker than the otherwise range-topping D6 'Twin engine' hybrid, which takes six seconds to achieve the same standing start acceleration.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The figures are actually a little quicker than those of the old six-cylinder car too (which took five seconds flat to cover the 0-62mph sprint), partly thanks to a drop in weight to 1721kg - a useful drop from the hefty 1,834kg of the old car, so the smaller engine has less mass to propel.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox is a significant improvement on the old six-speeder and the car certainly feels quick - certainly as it approaches the 7000rpm red line, thanks to a healthy dose of old-school turbocharged boost. What it loses out to its predecessor is the aural character that defined every journey with the old 'six' - the twincharged four just doesn't have the same attractive exhaust note and a just-audible supercharger whine doesn't quite offset that.

And ultimately, it's still a relatively small engine pulling a fairly heavy car, so you're always fighting that mass at lower speeds, with slower responses than you'd hope for when you get on the throttle.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Volkswagen EA 128 – dead on arrival
Volkswagen EA 128
Features

Volkswagen EA 128 – dead on arrival

It was a four-door with a Porsche flat-six at the rear – which was exactly what ’60s America didn’t want
6 May 2025
Electric Porsche Cayman and Boxster spied: 600bhp sports car gears up for launch
Electric Porsche Cayman front
News

Electric Porsche Cayman and Boxster spied: 600bhp sports car gears up for launch

Porsche persists with testing of its electric Cayman and Boxster, with no debut in site as we approach the halfway mark for 2025
6 May 2025
Best fast family cars 2025 – cars you might not hate to swap your 911 for
Best fast family cars
Best cars

Best fast family cars 2025 – cars you might not hate to swap your 911 for

Having a family? Why stare longingly at your 911 as it’s driven away, when you can enjoy everything from a Defender Octa to an RS6 GT in its place…
6 May 2025