2024 Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered
Volvo has a long history of building wagons with some oomph behind them. Be it the Volvo 240 Turbo Wagon, the 760 Turbo Wagon, or the 850R wagon, behind the practical boxy styling, there exist company engineers that are interested in having some fun as well.
If you haven’t heard of Polestar, its origins can be traced back to motorsports where the original company was a Swedish motorsports team that competed in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship back in 1996. In 2005, the team was then sold and rebranded to Polestar Racing. Flash forward to 2015 and the Polestar brand was acquired by Volvo cars with the long term vision of transforming it into an electric vehicle-only brand.
Due to its performance-tuning experience, after the acquisition, Polestar was initially transformed to be what AMG is to Mercedes. Happily, despite the master plan of having Polestar as their EV-focused brand, their boffins continue to lend a hand in tuning “ordinary” Volvos into hot rods.
What’s new?
Although Polestar has tuned the previous generation S60 and V60 wagons before, this latest effort is quite different. Officially known as the 2024 Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered wagon, this powerhouse wagon now combines turbocharging and electric assist.
While this T8 model has been around for a number of years now, for 2024 it gets a big boost in performance thanks to upgrades in the plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The battery picks up a third row of cells, boosting usable capacity from 9.1 kWh to 14.9 kWh. Additionally, the eAWD system’s rear electric motor powering the rear axle gets a significant bump from 87 to 143 horsepower, also contributing 228 lbs-ft of torque.
The T8’s formerly turbo and supercharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine becomes less complicated thanks to the added electrical performance enhancements, with Volvo’s engineers eliminating the supercharger.
This revised turbocharged-only engine develops 312 horsepower and 295 lbs-ft alone, and total combined output is now up 40 ponies and 29 lbs ft of torque for a total of 455 horsepower and a whopping 523 lbs-ft of torque.
Not only has the third row of cells and the improved electric motor improved performance, but it has also given the electric-only range a big boost. Electric-only range almost doubles to around 71 kms, making this hotrod plug-in-hybrid EV (PHEV) wagon a real contender for those who want to have their sustainable performance cake and eat it too.
How does it drive?
Electrification has allowed Volvo’s hot-rod wagon to deliver both efficiency and a kick in the backside.
One can enjoy both the instantaneous response from the electric motors that EV drivers enjoy, or tone it up / down as desired.
With the new battery and new rear motor, not only does the EV only range double but the 0-100 km/hr time is quicker by 0.3 seconds, now at 4.1 seconds. The electric-only driving experience is much improved, with the internal combustion engine only needing to step in upon heavy throttle demand, such as climbing very steep hills. A clever digital gauge with a droplet shows when you are approaching the threshold of the gasoline engine turning on.
Leave everything in the default settings in “Pure” mode, and the V60 Polestar cruises along cleanly and silently as an electric vehicle, perfect for the daily commute. Change it to Polestar mode, and the full force of the powertrain is put to work.
Since it is an eAWD system, the electric motor powers the rear wheels whereas the turbocharged gas engine works the front wheels.
While, in theory, the split powertrain/drivetrain system works as designed. I did notice a few awkward stumbles during the electric-gasoline transition. Though rare, the uneven handoff is still there on some occasions.
Despite its “Polestar” roots, those looking for more theatre in the form of snaps and pops from the exhaust will be disappointed. The V60 Polestar doesn’t have any of those fun school boy antics, opting for a more subdue behaviour.
Shifting to “B” mode using the beautiful illuminated shift knob will activate brake regen mode (or engine braking mode, whichever you want to call it), strong enough to drive almost as a one-pedal system.
As for the standard manually adjustable Öhlins dampers, you’ll have to raise the hood and give the knobs a few twists of the knobs on the top of each strut, in order to change the ride stiffness. Now this is a properly adjustable suspension setup, with the default stiffness being noticeably tighter than the softer setting.
Personally, I set it in the middle then left it, aside for the one instance where I knew ahead of time that I would be driving on some winding roads up to Squamish via the Sea-to-Sky highway.
Overall, the V60 T8 Polestar Engineered feels like a balanced vehicle, totally comfortable being chucked on said two-lane road, or during the mundane day-to-day highway commute.
Equipped with this paint scheme and with the gold calipers, it even turned a few heads from those crossing the road in downtown Vancouver. As I said earlier, wagons are making a comeback!
Interior accomodations and comfort
While the design language of the Volvo V60 Polestar may lean towards the more mature end of the spectrum, it carries itself with an understated elegance that stands the test of time.
Both inside and out, the Volvo avoids flashy gimmicks in favor of a timeless aesthetic that won't age prematurely. Within the cabin, the front half offers a snug yet comfortable environment, though storage options are somewhat limited beyond the door pockets.
The centre console is laughably small, and aside from using the cupholders for some storage, there isn’t much space to put your mobile phone, wallet, keys, etc.
The split material front seats are typical Volvo wonderful. Supportive, comfortable, elegant. Nothing to complain about there. The rear seating area provides ample room for adult passengers. The cargo area is what you’d expect from a boxy Volvo wagon. Cavernous and practical. And those gold seatbelts, who wouldn’t want gold seatbelts in their performance wagon!
Noteworthy is the evolution of the infotainment system, now powered by Google Android Automotive technology, boasting seamless integration with Google Maps and Spotify alongside standard smartphone mirroring capabilities. This update adds a touch of modern convenience to an otherwise classically styled interior.
As mentioned before and in other of my Volvo reviews, my only complaint is the elimination of some hardware buttons, requiring a few more taps to access settings than before.
Final thoughts
While it’s not as quick as the last-generation V60 from Polestar, the 2024 V60 Polestar will easily amaze (or frighten) any passengers with its acceleration in Polestar Engineered driving mode. Yet, you can have the practicality of a wagon and the potential efficiency of an EV for 90 per cent of its daily usage.
In a tough post-pandemic car market where companies are cutting costs, I salute Volvo for continuing to not only allow the V60 T8 Polestar Engineered to exist, but to continue to improve upon it.
