Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar 2020 Review

Volvo is not the first manufacturer to cash in on Australia’s penchant for SUVs and performance vehicles by tarting-up a family-hauler with more power, tighter suspension and exclusive badges. After all, BMW’s M division, Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport all do it convincingly.

Then there’s Polestar. Considering the Volvo brand is renowned for its focus on safety, the call for additional ‘sportiness’ might seem a mismatch.

But really the Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar is as safe and as sporty as any SUV from the rivals listed above, and at $99,990 (plus on-road costs) is certainly bang-on where budget is concerned.

The Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar takes over where the T8 R-Design leaves off, and it’s quite a different beast to its predecessor.

For starters, it’s a petrol-electric hybrid capable of developing 311kW/670Nm. Motivation comes from the combination of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine (246kW/430Nm) and electric motor (65kW/240Nm) to deliver significant upgrades to power and pace. It’ll move from 0-100kmh in 5.2sec!

That makes the sensible Swede more powerful than its larger capacity, petrol-powered German rivals, which for argument’s sake include the BMW X3 M40i (265kW/500Nm), Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 (270kW/520Nm) and Audi SQ 5 (260kW/500Nm).

Where styling is concerned, I lump Volvo in a similar basket to Audi.

They both adopt a less-is-more approach to their appearance and it’s that understated demeanour that is very appealing, at least to me.

It’s this kind of design aesthetic that the more demure buyer often finds attractive. But if you like passers-by to see your money barrelling down the road in a more obvious show of performance pedigree, you might opt for something else.

From the outside, the XC60 T8 gives subtle clues only as to its Polestar inputs. Metallic paint is standard, a unique Polestar design grille, exaggerated wheel arches, dual integrated exhaust outlets and 21-inch black alloys complete the look. Even the little Polestar badge is understated.

The same vibe carries through to the interior. This cabin is a perfect balance of form, function and flair. A cockpit style front-of-house envelopes you in soft leather while beautifully tactile touch points add to the overall experience.

The 9.0-inch portrait touchscreen is home to your infotainment array (including Apple Carplay/Android Auto), a crystal clear 360-degree camera and other cabin controls. It looks great, but it’s not as intuitive as some others. I regularly forgot where simple commands could be found; though I have no doubt greater familiarity would overcome the issue.

The touchscreen is flanked by large air vents that service your dual-zone climate control. You’ll find two cup-holders and decent incidental storage in the centre console along with two USB charge points. The retractable storage covers are functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Driver assist and safety technology is excellent, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, driver alert control, front and rear sensors and park assist pilot – to name but a few.

The 12.3-inch instrumentation panel is reminiscent of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, and looks almost as good, while the three-spoke leather sports steering wheel feels and looks the part. Ergonomically, the XC60 works very well – everything is at your fingertips.

One prod of the accelerator and the XC60 T8 Polestar pounces. Response from the powertrain is immediate and pace builds incredibly fast. Around town, you’ve got to show restraint. Perhaps it’s the whisper quiet nature of the engine that leads you to a false sense of calm, but whatever the case, you’ll be nudging the ‘illegal side’ of the dial before you know it.

Speaking of that whisper quiet engine, it’s almost too quiet. I wish the XC60 T8 had an engine note fitting of its performance credentials. Fast forward 10 years and this sentence will be equal parts daft and irrelevant among the choir-like-hum of electric vehicles. But for now, it’s how I feel; and I know I’m not alone. Particularly while the likes of BMW M cars and Mercedes-AMG continue to offer such aural delight.

The switch between power sources is seamless, that hybrid engine stepping aside quietly as the four-cylinder power steps in and vice versa. You can easily flick through the drive modes via a button on the centre console, though we suspect you’ll regularly land on ‘Polestar’ mode to exploit the full potential of that ‘T8’ driveline.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is a great fit and moves swiftly through its ratios when left to its own devices. Use the paddle shifters and the level of engagement is even sweeter. There’s clearly been some tweaking in the mid-range engine performance to add some edge here…

The steering offers nice feedback, with minimal input required. It’s a very ‘polite’ feel behind the wheel, fitting of a prestige SUV but possibly a little tame in sporting character – this is the performance variant, after all.

A small dislike is the XC60’s gear shift. There’s a bit of double-handling to engage the gears which I found irritating even after a week of living with the car. Maybe in time you’d be more forgiving of the split second delay and extra energy expended, but it was discouraging in a cabin that was otherwise done so well.

The sports suspension delivers an expectedly stiffer ride, but maintains great comfort and composure on rough surfaces.

Volvo claims a range of up to 45km of pure electric driving is possible, but that will vary depending on your driving style, much like the claimed average fuel consumption which can drop to as low as 2.1L/100km. Our week of predominantly city-based testing (in Polestar mode) saw an average closer to 8.0L/100km.

Move to the second row of the XC60 to find some family friendly features, such as two in-built booster seats.

You’ll also find air vents mounted in the B-pillars, which I think is a more sensible and efficient position than in the rear of the centre armrest, particularly if you’ve regularly got three occupants in the second row. That middle occupant, however, suffers compromised legroom.

Back of seat storage nets are handy and the hard moulded plastic seat backs are well suited to kid life. The centre armrest houses a storage hole and two sturdy pop-out cup holders but there are no device charging points back there, so expect your second-row occupants to share those up front of the cabin.

There’s also no tri-zone climate control and that feels like an oversight in an SUV hunting the family buyer.

A powered tailgate reveals a large 505-litre boot with sturdy anchors and bag hooks, while 60:40 split-fold seats fold perfectly flat and through-load up the flexibility of Volvo’s mid-size SUV.

The Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar well and truly stacks up where value for money and headline numbers are concerned. It also offers the potential for zero-emissions motoring.

Where it falls a little short is its dynamic ability and driving spirit – it’s no match for BMW’s X3 M – which means the XC60 T8 Polestar has kind of missed its mark.

We’ll chalk this one up as an excellent SUV that has almost something for everyone. It’s got substance, style and safety; but sadly, no fireworks.

Price: $99,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged petrol and electric motor
Output: 311kW/670Nm (combined)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 2.1L/100km (ADR Combined); 8.0L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 50g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)