Volvo updates S60 Polestar

The success of Scott McLaughlin’s Jandle-mashing efforts in V8 Supercars racing will have one almost immediate measure – how quickly the latest batch of 50 Volvo S60 Polestar performance sedans moves from dealer showrooms.

The new shipment is an uprated 2014 specification that follows on from the original 50 cars that went on-sale in June 2013.

While the first 25 ‘MY13’ Polestars sold quickly, the rest took some time to move.

But Volvo Car Australia boss Matt Braid believes the start of the V8 Supercars season at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide – highlighted by McLaughlin’s heroic debut of the Volvo Polestar Racing S60 – will help people understand the car much better.

“We got a lot of hype around the first launch of the car and sold the first batch very quickly,” explained Braid. “But as the hype died down with no motor racing going on we had to push those cars on their own and that took a bit longer.

“I think when we launched in 2013 the car impressed a lot of people, which was fantastic, but that was one chapter of the whole strategy and I think the media and the general public were sort of struggling with that.

“I’d like to think the final chapter was displayed over the weekend [at the Clipsal] and it can all be put together.”

The MY14 S60 Polestar gets uprated brakes from Brembo, new front seats, a redesigned front splitter and some equipment that flows on from the 2014 S60 T6 AWD it is based on, including gearshift paddles.

The arrival of the MY14 also signals the S60 Polestar becoming a permanent member of the Volvo range in Australia, rather than a numbered limited edition.

It’s the final trial run for Volvo’s global performance and motorsport partner Polestar – which is also an integral part of the V8 Supercars program – because the MY15 version, which will be joined by a V60 wagon, will go on-sale in seven other countries. It will reach here in October.

Much about the S60 Polestar, including the $109,950 price remains the same. So that means the car is still powered by a 257kW/500Nm version of the ubiquitous Volvo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, driving all four 19-inch wheels via a recalibrated six-speed automatic gearbox and rear-biased Haldex coupling.

A launch control function is claimed to jet the S60 Polestar from 0-100km/h in an unchanged 4.9 seconds, while the top speed is limited to 250km/h. Official fuel consumption is also still pegged at 10.2L/100km.

Springs and dampers are supplied for the independent suspension by the Swedish legend Ohlins, and they continue to be manually tuneable through 20 compression and rebound positions.

The brake system modifications include six-piston Brembo calipers, 370mm ventilated floating discs, high performance pads front and rear, a new master cylinder and steel reinforced fluid lines. The upgrade was a reaction to criticism of the performance of the MY13’s four-piston Volvo callipers and discs by Australian motoring media and customers after test drives.

Criticism of the original seats have prompted the move to new Volvo R-design leather-trimmed pews, albeit modified with Polestar embossing and blue stitching. The addition of gearshift paddles also ticks off a feature journos and potential buyers missed in the MY13. 

Other gear supplied courtesy of the MY14 S60 include Sensus Connect premium sound system, LED driving lights, an adaptive digital display and active high beam system.

The standard equipment list also includes satellite-navigation, reversing camera with sensors, a whole plethora of driver alerts, adaptive cruise and brake control. Only a $2650 sunroof is optional. Apart from the hero colour, Rebel Blue, the car is also available in black, white and red.

The Polestar also picks up the new front-end look of the MY14 S60, which also means the aerodynamic package gets a new front splitter. But other aero parts such as the rear diffuser are unchanged.

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