Volvo launches 'Polestar Engineered' models in UK

Breathed-on 405hp S60 is the fastest accelerating production Volvo ever

Volvo's ambitious and ongoing land-grab for all things hybrid and electric has apparently not blinded it to the fact that back in the real world some people prefer their premium-end saloons and SUVs to come with a bit of performance-based added value. Hence the arrival in the UK (a place with a voracious appetite for anything badged S or M or AMG) of the new 'Polestar Engineered' halo models - encompassing the S60, V60 and XC60.

The introduction has been in the works since the summer, when the manufacturer indicated that the latest 390hp S60 T8 would not be the range-topper for long. The reason for its advance warning is made clear by the Polestar Engineered version's 'fastest-accelerating production Volvo car ever' tagline, which certainly never hurt any car in the sales volume department.

The 4.4-second-to-62mph time is afforded by a marginally enhanced version of the existing plug-in hybrid Twin Engine powertrain, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol motor now delivering 318hp where previously there was 303hp. Volvo doesn't specify where the extra 15hp has come from, which means its development is almost certainly laptop-based - a distinction it shares with the gearbox, which gets a software tweak for quicker upshifts.

The updates are shared across the Polestar lineup, with the S60, V60 and XC60 all boasting a 405hp combined output (factoring in 87hp for the electric motor). Peak torque remains the same at 472lb ft and you'll still get around 27 miles of battery-only range from the saloon and estate, with 22 miles on offer from the heavier XC60.

If that all sounds fairly modest in the trouser shortening department, you'll be glad to hear that Volvo has made slightly more significant hardware changes to the undersides. Each Polestar car has had its standard dampers swapped out for a set of adjustable Ohlins, and the manufacturer has installed a strut bar between in the front suspension towers for better steering response. Alongside a smattering of bespoke styling elements, the models also get lightweight, five-Y-spoke forged alloys and uprated Brembo brakes (or Akebono for the XC60).

Inside you'll find a heated steering wheel, Harman Kardon stereo and aluminium tread plates have been added to the S60 and V60 to distinguish the new trim level from the R-Design Plus grade, with metallic paint now gratis on the £64,545 SUV. Prices start at £56,105 for the saloon and £57,205 for the wagon, which is a slight issue when you consider that the Audi S4 and all-wheel-drive BMW M340i begin at around £48k and deliver much same level of performance in newer packaging. Of course, as ever, Volvo is betting that its plug-in hybrid gubbings earn it a distinctive place in the go-faster market; we'll find out if it's deserving of such treatment when we have a go for ourselves next month...

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