Volvo S60 Polestar 2014 review

Monday in Adelaide is a great time to be driving a Volvo. People stop to talk, grab snaps and smile as my Polestar S60 is readied for a day of Carsguide action.

Everything has changed over the weekend, since a similarly styled S60 upset the pecking order in V8 Supercar racing to prove it's more than just a Swedish Valiant. The Polestar racing crew has tapped a rich vein of motorsport success and also tuned to the Australian frequency on go-faster cars with help from Garry Rogers Motorsport.

It's the same with the 2014 version of the Polestar S60, a car I originally criticised as a good recipe that was undercooked and in need of extra flavouring to justify a $100,000-plus price tag and comparison with cars as seriously good as the BMW M3.

Volvo now says it never wanted its car to be compared with the M3, even though it flashed a series of slides at the 2013 introduction that used the Munich master blaster as the target for its first Polestar hero.

"We never said it was a rival to the M3. We never said that," claims international vice-president for Volvo cars Thomas Andersson, "We understand that BMW has a performance link to their brand persona and it's the benchmark in that segment. For us, this is about adding more facets to the brand, to show we can play in that segment. We are showing we have performance."

Talk is one thing but much more importantly Volvo says it has taken on board Australian feedback during the upgrade for the 2014 S60 Polestar, which will be upgraded yet again before the end of the year.

We slapped the first-generation S60 Polestar because it was underbraked, unresponsive in the auto transmission without paddles for shifting, and fitted with seats that were more like La-Z-Boy recliner than a sports bucket. So the Volvo bosses are smiling as they reveal a meaty Brembo brake package with 370mm front discs, alloy paddles linked to a recalibrated auto and seats you now sit in and not on.

TECHNOLOGY/DESIGN

There are some other tiny tweaks, like a deeper front spoiler and minor tweaking to the Haldex all-wheel drive system. But the basics remain: 3.0-litre turbo six that makes 257kW (and 500Nm between 3000rpm and 4750rpm), Ohlins dampers at each corner; 19-inch alloys with Bridgestone Potenza tyres; and a cabin with Polestar badges and blue stitching.

Volvo still talks big about the stainless steel exhaust, launch control and adjustable dampers, and the light blue bodywork could easily become as recognisable as Subaru rally blue if the V8 Supercar program continues to kick goals.

RANGE/PRICING

The biggest change is that the Polestar becomes a running model for Volvo Australia, unlike the 50-car special edition last year. The price is still $109,950 with a three-year warranty but no sign of capped-price servicing. It also picks up changes to the rest of the S60s for the 2014 model year, including LED daytime running lamps, adaptive digital display for the infotainment screen and active high-beam assist for optimum lighting without dazzling oncoming vehicles.

Before we head out to sample the cars, there are some final words from head of Polestar Hans Baath: "This is not a tuner car. The cars are built in the factory, it is a full Volvo. It's a car to be enjoyed 365 days a year, and not only on that perfect sunny Sunday."
There is a challenge: "I will be very impressed if you can kill these brakes."

SAFETY

Because it's a Volvo the safety package runs from automatic city safety braking to lane-departure and blind-spot warnings and a full suite of airbags.

DRIVING

As I settle in, the latest S60 Polestar looks unchanged, but feels different. The seats have more support and I seem to be sitting lower in the cabin, while the paddles behind the wheel promise a car that's more likely to do what I want.

In downtown Adelaide the suspension is firm, with some front-end thump through potholes, but otherwise the car is calm and refined. Much like a regular S60 T6, it feels solid and responsible, with extra performance potential.

As we climb into the hills, I tip the paddle for the first time to put the Polestar into the meat of the torque. It responds instantly, instead of questioning my decision the way the original car did. As the road gets twistier, and the pace gets quicker, I like the car more and more. Where the first-gen Polestar needed lots of work, this one is easy.

I can sit easy in the seat, use the paddles to keep things on the boil, and enjoy a car that is swift without being silly or surprising. The engine delivers as much go as you can comfortably use on public roads, the all-wheel drive makes it grippy and balanced in corners. And the brakes are great.

No, it's not an M3, or a Benz C63, but I'd take it over an Audi S4 or BMW's 335i. It's not as sharply sporty, most likely, but it's a quick car that is also good for touring.

And, as Volvo says, it's not just for Sunday mornings thanks to a full bank of infotainment and all that safety stuff. The 2014 model answers my original criticisms and Volvo says the brake package is being developed as a retrofit package for the 50 original cars. Unfortunately, the wiring system means the paddles can't be added.

It's a promising response and now I'm waiting to see what comes in October with the 2015 model - which will include a V60 wagon for the first time.

VERDICT

It's imperfect and nowhere near an M3, yet the enhanced Polestar is closer to the BMW than it was - and it's more than just a costly toy for Volvo tragics.

Volvo S60 Polestar
Price: from $109,950
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo, 257kW/500Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto; AWD
Thirst: 10.2L/100km