Thursday 26th January 2017

Volvo V60 Polestar: Spotted

The big blue Volvo becomes even more appealing once the ravages of depreciation have set in

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Back when it first arrived in 2014, there was a lot to recommend the Volvo V60 Polestar. It looked great, it was fast, it was more dynamically capable than you might have thought and it wasn't German. That latter point will have been quite significant to some.

Our pictures are far nicer than the dealer ones...

Both our international and UK tests praised the Polestar, but it remained a rare sight in the UK. Partly this will be because petrol estates are an even smaller niche than they used to be, but also because Volvo limited numbers so that only just over a hundred made it to the UK.

Despite that rarity, and despite Volvo probably ranking with the premium brands now, it hasn't been able to withstand the forces of depreciation. While expensive, accomplished cars are all the more appealing at a much lower price, the original V60 Polestar arguably has additional kudos as a secondhand buy because its replacement has lost two cylinders. Oh sure, the new four-cylinder turbo is just as fast and more efficient - plus it's paired to a much smarter automatic - but it won't ever sound as good as the old straight-six turbo. While pleasant from inside, it was passers-by that got the best bit of the V60's noise: there was turbo whoosh with smooth and sharp straight-six, at a volume far louder than anyone would have expected. It sounded great, actually.

Now while the V60 didn't revolutionise the fast estate market - the gearbox was a bit sluggish and it remained pretty heavy - it was a very likeable car. Approaching three years after its introduction, the earliest examples look very tempting: this Rebel Blue car is £28,500 after 25,000 miles, £22,000 less than its original RRP. Granted, it's hardly plummeted in value; however without the rather scary £50K pricetag attached to it, the Polestar looks rather more tempting.

It was just the once, honest

This particular V60 holds a special place in PH hearts because it is the old long-term Polestar. Well, the first one at least, until Volvo took it because it was accumulating too many miles... We liked it that much! Make your own comments about how press treat test cars now. In reality it spent most of its time on the motorway, although it did venture out to Bedford just the once...

With just another 10,000 miles on it since it left PH, the Polestar has probably led a comfortable life being a dealer exec's ride or something similar. The generic dealer ad doesn't tell us much about the car, though you would assume it's been well cared for given its former life as a press wagon.

Put simply, the big blue Volvo looks like a rather nice place to spend your £28,500. Given demand won't exactly be high, any prospective buyer will surely be in a strong negotiating position too. Just don't forget it needs a lot of fuel!

Trust us, it's good!

There are other options though, as always. This Audi S4Black Edition (in red) is a year older than the Volvo but a similar mileage and £28K; this 335i Touring is the only one on PH and close to £20K by dint of its greater use; and for full bargain barge points, what about an Insignia VXR? This Sports Tourer was registered last year and has 4,000 miles - it's priced at £25,995.

For the rarity value and the fast Volvo cool factor, the Volvo would probably be our choice though. It won't be as dynamic as the BMW (or probably the Audi either) and the Vauxhall is better value, but that Polestar Volvo is a damn fine car. Let's see what they can conjure up next!

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VOLVO V60 POLESTAR
Engine: 2,953cc 6-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@5,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@3,000-4,750rpm
MPG: 27.7 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 237g/km
First registered: 2014
Recorded mileage: 25,000 miles
Price new: £49,775 (plus options)
Yours for: £28,500

See the original advert here.

 

[Fire99]

I'll stick my neck out and say that even 28k is a lot of money for a fast used Volvo.. I think its market is very small and despite it probably being a fine car (I've never driven one), it's no M5 (or M3) in the desirability stakes and the slightly lazy auto box won't put it in a true 'drivers car' category.

[Fire99]

Icehanger said:

I almost jumped at a 6 month old one with 8k on the clock for 32K, that's depreciation I'm glad I didn't have!...

6 month old / 8k for 32k seems a very good deal. Makes this (getting on for) 3 year old one look a touch on the pricey side.