Anyone who is self-respecting in the fine premium club needs a sports department. Mercedes sends some of its models to AMG, BMW asks its in-house "M GmbH" to go to the workbench and now it has too Volvo his muckibude. The first two models with the addition "Polestar" are there: Discreet on the outside, but all the more potent under the hood. The station wagon and sedan are based on the well-known 60 series, but have undergone around 50 changes.
The power heart under the hood is by no means a Volvo six-cylinder engine with a large displacement. Four pots and two liters have to be enough to achieve 270 kW / 367 PS. Which comes true when you press the start button to the right of the steering wheel. The "small" engine rumbles away with a cozy baritone timbre, powerful but unobtrusive. When the right pedal is lightly tapped, the sound remains relaxed, but acoustically supports the switching work of the eight-speed automatic with benevolent bubbling.
A station wagon from Volvo as sports equipment? It was only two decades ago that Swedish station wagons had the reputation of flocking to the parking lots reserved for the so-called teaching staff at higher educational institutions. "Security made of Swedish steel" was the motto, an alternative for the alternatives, including yellow anti-atom stickers on many tailgates, and of course all of that was also "anti-authoritarian".
Much of that still applies today, albeit certainly for a different type of Volvo fan. Because if you put a 250 km / h fast bullet from the far north in the garage, you also want to make a statement. Almost 400 HP, but no German powerhouse and no flat, impractical sports flounder. During the curve dance in the Taunus, it is quickly forgotten that you are sitting in a real station wagon, the loading space of which is 1,75 meters long and holds 1.240 liters of luggage. The herd of horses easily copes with the almost 1,8-ton five-door hatch, lets it gallop to 100 km / h in less than five seconds and only curbs the forward urge at 250 km / h. All this combined with a fine steering and hard-hitting brakes with the Brembo logo. Pure fun on a trip to the Nürburgring, loyal family friend on a weekend trip to the sea. The V60 Polestar can do both.
However, he is also a representative of the expiring Volvo generation. So far, only the higher-positioned 90 series has been blessed with the new platform, which will gradually serve as a basis for all models from the 60s. In contrast to the larger V90, for example, the interior here is not as modern and innovative, which is as much a matter of the size of the monitor as the arrangement of switches and levers. It takes time before all Volvo models are newly developed. The S60 and the V60 will soon also have their turn.
Until then, the Superman from Gothenburg will have to hold up the Swedish flag on the sports field. No doubt that he will succeed. Even if the price of 69.600 euros makes his fan base manageable. But there is a car in front of the door that offers a lot for its money in addition to performance. The surcharge list is pleasantly short, most of it is already included in the price. (Peter Maahn / SP-X)