Volvo V60 Polestar review (2014-2016) - can a Volvo estate really be exciting? - Prices, specs and rivals

The Polestar is at the very top of the V60 tree, which means it is not cheap. It costs £49,665, so the immediate response of ‘what, a fifty-grand Volvo?’ is hard to avoid..

However, the upside here is that everything you see on the V60 Polestar is standard fit – there are absolutely no options for the car at all. So the Sensus navigation, full suite of electronic driver aids, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate, electric sunroof and top-spec sound system with DAB are part of a lengthy kit list.

Probably the closest rival for the V60 Polestar is Mercedes-AMG's recently-introduced C43, specifically in estate form. It's also all-wheel drive, albeit still powered by a six-cylinder engine (a twin-turbocharged V6 in this case), and has the Volvo's level of subtlety in its styling, with a toned-down exterior from typical AMG products. At £45,660, it has to give potential Polestar customers something to think about.

As does Audi's equivalent, the £45,400 Audi S4 Avant. Another all-wheel drive offering, another six-cylinder engine, similar performance to the Volvo, and similar levels of subtlety to both the Volvo and the Mercedes. Rounding off the group is the BMW 340i M Sport Touring. It's not as quick as the others but rear-wheel drive adds to its driver appeal (if not its usability in all weathers), and at £41,635 it's a great deal cheaper.