Volvo plotting Focus RS rival

Volvo is considering an all-wheel drive, 220kW-plus version of its V40 hatch that could do battle with the Volkswagen Golf R and forthcoming Ford Focus RS and Honda Civic Type-R.

The revelation that a V40 Polestar is in contention was made in an interview with Volvo’s UK boss, Nick Connor, in British car magazine, Autocar.

If true, the V40 hot hatch is expected to receive Volvo’s all-new turbocharged 2.0-litre Drive-E engine that powers the recently launched XC90 SUV. If that’s the case expect the new engine to produce around 235kW -- but the other option could be sharing the existing, far more powerful, 258kW turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder motor that already powers the V60 wagon.

That means instead of targeting the Golf R and Focus RS, the Volvo V40 Polestar could prove a more natural rival for the 265kW Mercedes A 45 AMG and even more powerful new 270kW Audi RS 3 Sportback.

This would mean the new V40 Polestar would nail the 100km/h dash in less than 4.5 seconds, easily making it the fastest car in the Swedish car-maker’s history.

If green-lighted with either the 2.0-litre or 3.0-litre engine, it’s almost certain that engineers will adapt the current Haldex all-wheel drive hardware from the V40 Cross Country to cope with the extra power.

According to Connor, more Polestar models are crucial if the fledgling performance division is to make an impact on the brand.

The senior Volvo exec, meanwhile, wasn’t a fan of an XC90 Polestar because a big fast SUV just “didn’t make sense.”

Instead, Connor wants any future high-performance Polestar to be “specialist, unique, low volume and desirable.”