Skip advert
Advertisement

2013 Volvo S60 R-design Polestar review and pictures

The latest Polestar upgrade sees the Volvo S60 T6 R-design turned into a 324bhp, AWD sports saloon

Evo rating
Price
from £40,160
  • Capable of swift, smooth progress
  • Swift and smooth doesn't mean fun

What is it? The Volvo S60 Polestar. Not the 501bhp road-going touring car, rather a subtle upgrade for the regular S60 T6 executive saloon. Technical highlights? A £815 upgrade sees the turbocharged 3-litre straight-six engine’s power and torque lifted from 300bhp and 324lb ft to 324bhp and 354lb ft. The standard car’s 28.5mpg combined fuel economy figure remains intact, as does your official Volvo warranty. This car has benefited from the £2495 Polestar Performance Pack, though, which includes the power boost as well as black wheels and wing mirrors and some subtle badges. The standard S60 T6 uses a Haldex all-wheel-drive setup and six-speed 'Geartronic' automatic gearbox, and is only available with Volvo’s firmer R-design chassis.  What’s it like to drive? The power and grip levels work hand in hand to create a car that is very brisk and easy to drive quickly, the throttle very responsive – a little too responsive at the top of its travel, making our first couple of getaways a smidge jerky. The gearbox is a smooth shifter, but you’ll need to slot it into manual mode if you want to avoid slightly tardy downchanges. And with no paddles, this involves nudging the gearstick forwards or back. Many drivers, we suspect, are unlikely to bother. The ride is a little firm but far smoother than typical German-made rivals and while the steering lacks weight and feedback, it’s actually pretty intuitive to use. These two attributes combine to make this S60 a very satisfying car to hustle along smoothly. It feels front-heavy when pushed, and the Haldex transmission means you can’t properly shuffle the power to try and counteract this, but that’s to defy the S60’s point – it treads a different line to a hot BMW or Mercedes, and therein lies its alternative appeal. How does it compare? At just over £40,000, this Polestar-tuned S60 compares to the 302bhp BMW 335i M Sport – which can be specced with both manual and automatic gearboxes – and the auto-only, 328bhp Audi S4 quattro. They both better the Volvo for thrills, but are beaten by the Swede if you wish to avoid ubiquity. Anything else I need to know? Similar Polestar ECU upgrades are available on most petrol and diesel engines across the whole Volvo range (including the Rebel Blue XC60 we’ve also reviewed), and being fully reversible and having no detrimental effect on your official warranty, they’re a safe way to make your car a touch more exciting.  And that 501bhp S60 Polestar is available to order, though it’ll set you back over five times the cost of this, its more rational relation…

Specifications

EngineIn-line 6-cyl, 2953cc
Max power324bhp @ 5600rpm
Max torque354lb ft @ 3000-3600rpm
0-605.5sec (claimed 0-62)
Top speed155mph (limited)
On saleNow
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

More on S60

New 2019 Volvo S60 revealed
News

New 2019 Volvo S60 revealed

Volvo’s new S60 compact executive 3-series rival is aiming for the mainstream, ‘Polestar Engineered’ T8 hybrid model also coming
20 Jun 2018
Polestar Performance Word Champion Editions
News

Polestar Performance Word Champion Editions

Volvo unveils Polestar optimised pair to celebrate its WTCC success
5 Dec 2017
Volvo announces secret S60 Polestar Nurburgring lap time
Volvo S60 Polestar - Front
News

Volvo announces secret S60 Polestar Nurburgring lap time

A year after it broke the four-door Nordschleilfe lap record Volvo reveals it to the public, even though the time has since been beaten
26 May 2017
Volvo enters V8 Supercars
Volvo and Polestar to enter V8 Supercars championship
News

Volvo enters V8 Supercars

Volvo will enter a Polestar Racing S60 in the Australian V8 Supercar championship on the back of Swedish Touring Car Championship success.
19 Jun 2013
Volvo S60 Polestar teased
Volvo S60 Polestar teaser video
News

Volvo S60 Polestar teased

A video teases the reveal of Volvo's powerful S60 Polestar sports saloon, a proper BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG rival
13 Jun 2012
Volvo S60/V60 turbo review
Volvo S60 T5
Reviews

Volvo S60/V60 turbo review

A new T5 engine underpins Volvo's compact executive car and it's rather good. What about the rest of the car?
4 Feb 2011
Volvo S60
Volvo S60 spy image
Spy shots

Volvo S60

We managed to capture a couple of images of the production-ready Volvo S60 before it went back undercover
10 Sep 2009
Volvo S60
Volvo S60
Spy shots

Volvo S60

These are the very first photos of a heavily-disguised Volvo S60 caught on a roadway in the UK
23 Jul 2009
New Volvo S60
Volvo S60
News

New Volvo S60

Concept car previewing 2010 S60 saloon replacement
24 Nov 2008