GTP Cool Wall: 2012 Volvo S60 Polestar

[Badasp5.0]

How is it a tuner car? It's no different then say Ralliart. Also Polestar is a partner and division of Volvo

That I did not know. I stand corrected. So its like a SVT Ford or SRT Dodge cool.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

That I did not know. I stand corrected. So its like a SVT Ford or SRT Dodge cool.

Yeah basically.

 

[Dennisch]

Would you actually go out and spend £45k (c.$70k) of your own money on a 'performance' Volvo?

.

Yes. This would be high on my list if I had the money. I see no problems in owning a silly fast Volvo. It would be reliable, save and in this package it looks good, hell, Volvo's current line up doesn't look to Swedish at all. And the big Volvo engines sound very nice.

The soccer mom image has long gone towards ugly as sin SUV's like the X5 and other turds on wheels, giving Volvo the room to rejuvenate(sp?) itself.

Therefor, even with 170hp less this still hits sub zero in my book.

 

[Stotty]

Probably, yeah. If I wanted a fast saloon/estate it'd be pretty high up my list. Aside from badge snobbery there's little real reason to choose anything it competes against above it (subjectively, anyway).

Saying it doesn't have the credibility of AMG or MSport is too black and white. The modern M-stuff is all well and good performance-wise but its sense of occasion has diminished somewhat these days with reams of M-kitted 318is, X5s and others on the road - and engine aside they're little different mechanically from any other BMW these days either.

I've driven a few recent AMGs too. Ballistic, and they sound pretty good. Few nice details here and there too, particularly in the cabin. But again, they feel little more intrinsically special than the regular cars they're based on. I'm really quite a fan of modern Mercs but they don't really make me feel warm inside.

You might say, "you could say that of Volvo too", except I wouldn't. The current Volvo range is jolly nice as it is, to the point I'd have a V40 over a 1-Series/A-Class/A3 and a V60 over a 5-Series/E-Class/A6 estate - and that'd continue with the Polestar. The cabins are nicer in the Volvos (and ludicrously comfortable even by the standards of the class) and I prefer the non-Premiership Footballer/drug dealery image of the Lolvo too.

There's always the "but the Merc/BMW would offer the more interactive driving feel" or something along those lines, but if I wanted that then I wouldn't be buying a big comfy saloon anyway. The Polestar is more or less exactly what I'd want from such a car.

All of which is sort of irrelevant anyway - since I voted cool on whether I find the car cool or not, and not on how good a car it is or whether it has some largely irrelevant performance deficit to the Germans. It's a fast, attractive saloon/estate that colour aside, doesn't need to shout about its abilities. And it's from Sweden, which is automatically cooler than it being from Germany.

No badge snobbery - I’d have a V60 D3 R-Design over a 320d MSport or C220D Sport wagon as I think it’s a more individual choice and better looking. I chose a Citroen DS5 over a 320d Sport, so I’m not blinded by Germany brand snobbery. And my 1st choice would have been the V60, but I could only get the spec I wanted with the D2 engine at my lease limit 👍

ps; the S/V60 is not a 5er/E/A6 sized car - it’s much smaller.

But surely a claimed high performance version needs to offer something more than just straight line speed… surely the car needs to be somewhat rewarding when driven quickly as well (if not, you may as well just buy the D3 or D5 R Design). And Volvo’s just aren’t on the same level as BMW/Mercedes when it comes to driver involvement… Comfy? Yes. Well built? Yes. Nice interiors? Yes. Decent to drive quickly? Err, no.

IMO…

V60 D3 = cool as it excels at what it’s designed for
V60 ‘polestar’ = uncool as it will not excel at what it’s designed for (I wait to be proved wrong on this one!)

I’m often confused by the praise some cars get on Coolwall voting, but the universal ‘this car is awesome’ (paraphrased!) comments on this car really confuse me! It’s a fast Volvo, and Volvo has no history of producing decent fast cars.

 

[homeforsummer]

No badge snobbery - I’d have a V60 D3 R-Design over a 320d MSport or C220D Sport wagon as I think it’s a more individual choice and better looking. I chose a Citroen DS5 over a 320d Sport, so I’m not blinded by Germany brand snobbery. And my 1st choice would have been the V60, but I could only get the spec I wanted with the D2 engine at my lease limit 👍

Sorry, wasn't accusing you of badge snobbery - was just suggesting that it's usually the go-to in comparisons like this.

ps; the S/V60 is not a 5er/E/A6 sized car - it’s much smaller.

It's kind of a class-straddler. Feels closer to 5-Series than 3-Series sized on the road. Though admittedly the V70 is closer to those in interior volume than the V60 is.

But surely a claimed high performance version needs to offer something more than just straight line speed… surely the car needs to be somewhat rewarding when driven quickly as well (if not, you may as well just buy the D3 or D5 R Design). And Volvo’s just aren’t on the same level as BMW/Mercedes when it comes to driver involvement… Comfy? Yes. Well built? Yes. Nice interiors? Yes. Decent to drive quickly? Err, no.

It really does depend how you look at it. Only V60 I've tried is the plug-in hybrid. Which is pretty quick (300hp+) and in my opinion, nice to drive too. The only thing it struggles with is weight, but I can't see the Polestar being as heavy as the one with all the batteries in. It actually had nice balance and Volvo's steering is pretty good these days too.

But really, where on the road can you really exploit these sort of cars to the level that distinct differences appear anyway? Unless you're Chris Harris and you've got the chops to go sideways everywhere, their respective differences are much, much smaller at 7-8/10ths pace.

Nuances in ride, sound and steering feel aside, no single one of those cars is significantly different than the others on the road. Or even different to lesser models - toddling around town or on a motorway, a C63 feels little different than a C220 CDI. It just has a nicer interior and a worse ride quality. Yes, they start to separate as you go quicker, but then the Volvos would too. Saying I might as well go for a D3 is too simplistic - it ignores the qualities that I do want, like the speed, the traction, the sound.

But again, unless you're at 9-10/10ths (virtually impossible on the road in something with that much power) or a track (somewhere I suspect a high proportion of M-Sport/AMG/Polestar owners will never visit in those cars) the Germans don't offer me much in the way of tangible benefits.

I'm not sure "driver involvement" really applies in these sort of cars unless you're going mental - at the end of the day you're still in an air-conditioned two-tonne box filled with leather and gadgets. They can certainly be fun, but most of that is down to outright speed and outright grip - and I doubt the Volvo lacks in either of those departments. If I wanted true involvement I'd rifle through Volvo's back-catalogue for a P1800... or Merc's for a 190 Cosworth, or BMW's for an E30 of some description...

Regardless, that's still isn't really why I think it's cool. I think it's cool because it's not the default German choice for a fast saloon. It's why, despite their faults, I also think a Saab 9-3 Viggen or Alfa 156 GTA is cooler than a contemporary BMW 330i. If I'm to add another reason, it's that drivers of such cars (Volvo included) are more likely to be buying them for the experience than the badge on the nose and tail.

You're free to disagree of course, but the "involvement" thing doesn't really come into it for me.

 

[Stotty]

It's why, despite their faults, I also think a Saab 9-3 Viggen or Alfa 156 GTA is cooler than a contemporary BMW 330i. If I'm to add another reason, it's that drivers of such cars (Volvo included) are more likely to be buying them for the experience than the badge on the nose and tail.

You're free to disagree of course, but the "involvement" thing doesn't really come into it for me

Where as I'd see the Saab and Alfa as junk

As always, these things are a matter of personal choice - this one just confused me more than others 👍

 

[niky]

The S60 isn't at the level of something like a 5-er, maybe... but neither are the GS or the E-Class, anyway (though to be fair, I haven't driven an AMG E- yet).

I like it. I mean, it's still a front driver, but it's got a good chassis, good balance and reasonably agile responses if you're going for a T4 or T5 model... more than you could say for the previous version which was just stiff and inert. The T6 the Polestar is based off of isn't as great. Lots of grip and power but it's not all that playful. Still, it's a fine car for going fast in. At least until you overheat the six-speed transmission.

Still, I can imagine plonking down cash on one. If I had the cash.

 

[White & Nerdy]

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