Volvo Australia dances to Polestar tune

Back in January Volvo Australia officially announced the local release of the S60 Polestar (apologies for missing it at the time). Those playing at home will recall the Polestar name, which has a long association with Volvo, mostly due to racing and motor sport activities.

However, it was the crazy 405hp C30 Polestar Performance Concept in 2010 which really gained worldwide attention for the brand.

The S60 Polestar isn’t quite as extreme as that, offering a revised engine tune resulting in a more modest increase of 18kW/40Nm over the standard S60, boosting peak numbers to 242kW/480Nm. Enough to shave 0.3 seconds from the 0–100km/h time, down to 5.8 seconds.

Due to the success of the S60 Polestar, Volvo Australia will be adding Polestar engine tuning to the R-Design versions of the C30 T5, V60 T6, XC60 D5 and XC60 T6 as standard specification.

The S60 Polestar (pictured) also featured cosmetic enhancements, exclusive alloy wheels and a modified exhaust system from Heico Sportiv. It was limited to 50 models and when launched carried a $10,000 premium over the standard S60 R-Design.

Under Volvo’s new pricing structure (70kb PDF) the S60 R-Design will be priced from $75,490 (up $2500) and does not include the Heico Sportiv mods from the limited S60 Polestar.

The best news is fuel economy remains unchanged across the board and all Polestar enhanced models will feature a full three-year factory warranty.

Polestar performance enhancements

• C30 T5 R-Design – 184kW/370Nm (was 169kW/320Nm)
• S60 T6 R-Design – 242kW/480Nm (was 224kW/440Nm)
• V60 T6 R-Design – 242kW/480Nm (was 224kW/440Nm)
• XC60 D5 R Design –169kW/370Nm (was 158kW/440Nm)
• XC60 T6 R-Design – 242kW/480Nm (was 224kW/440Nm)

More Volvos to Sing Polestar Tune

2 April 2012 – Due to the unprecedented success of the limited-edition Volvo S60 Polestar launched late last year, Volvo Car Australia is making Polestar tuning software available across a range of its R-Design vehicles.

From 2 April 2012, all T6 R-Design variants, the C30 T5 R-Design and the XC60 D5 R-Design (see full vehicle list below) will be optimised with Polestar’s unique engine management software which gives significant power and torque upgrades.

By increasing turbo pressure and recalibrating the engine management system, Volvo’s racing and performance partner Polestar has released extra power, boosting the T6 engine to 242kW at 5400-6500rpm (up from 224kW on the standard T6) and the torque to 480Nm (up from 440Nm) at 3000-3600rpm.

In addition, fast-spooling turbos and changed throttle mapping provide instant reaction to inputs, which help to deliver even greater performance and mid-range punch. Only a discreet blue Polestar badge on the rear gives any indication that these R-Designs are packing a greater punch.

“The original, limited-run of S60 Polestar vehicles was a direct result of the positive reaction the concept car generated at the Australian International Motorshow in mid-2011,” says Matt Braid, Managing Director of Volvo Cars Australia.

“So it was only natural that when the opportunity arose to further develop our Polestar association, we leapt at the chance. Australia is a performance-oriented market and this software optimisation in a number of our key products allows us to broaden the depth of performance offerings from Volvo.”

Performance for the S60 and V60 T6 R-Designs over the 0-100km/h benchmark are 5.8 seconds (down from 6.1secs), and 5.9secs (down from 6.2secs) respectively. The XC60 T6 R-Design hits the same speed in 7.0 seconds (down from 7.3secs).

The C30 T5 R-Design gets similar gains in power and torque, delivering 184kW and 370Nm (up from 169kW and 320Nm respectively), while the diesel XC60 D5 enjoys 169kW and 470Nm (up from 158kW and 440Nm).

The 0-100km/h sprint in the Polestar-optimised manual C30 T5 R-Design is covered in 6.3 seconds and 6.8secs for the auto (down from 6.7secs and 7.1secs respectively). The XC60 D5 by Polestar dispatches the same sprint in 8.1 seconds, shaving 0.2secs of the previous time.

Importantly, all Polestar-optimised models also maintain their existing fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures, thanks to efficient engine tuning which only increases power output when it’s needed, ie overtaking and long uphill gradients.

“By adding Polestar’s performance software to select R-Design models, we are able to optimise our performance models further and give the discerning buyer a true stealth weapon option,” continues Matt Braid.

The Polestar-optimised R-Design range is available now at all Volvo Dealerships.

Volvo R-Design Polestar Range – Pricing

• C30 T5 R-Design $43,490 (man) / $44,990 (auto)
  
• S60 T6 R-Design $75,490 (auto)
  
• V60 T6 R-Design $78,490 (auto)
  
• XC60 D5 R-Design $72,490 (auto)
  
• XC60 T6 R-Design $78,490 (auto)

Notes:

Volvo’s full three-year unlimited kilometre warranty applies to all Polestar-optimised models. The Polestar software tuning upgrade is the only software upgrade endorsed by Volvo Car Corporation.

Polestar was founded in 1996 in collaboration with the Volvo Car Corporation. The company’s core business is focused on research and development through motorsport. It has successfully raced a range of Volvo models including the 850, S40, S60 and C30 in both the Swedish Touring Car Championship and the World Touring Championship.

For more information on Polestar head to www.polestar.se

 

Customer Demand Gives Volvo S60 Polestar the Green Light

17 January 2012 – Due to unprecedented demand, Volvo Car Australia has launched a limited edition production version of the stunning S60 Performance Project concept that was revealed at last year’s Australian International Motor Show.

Branded the ‘Volvo S60 Polestar’, just 50 limited edition models will be made available to Australian buyers.

The Volvo S60 Polestar is based on Volvo’s S60 T6 R-Design and is the result of close collaboration between Volvo Car Australia and its performance partners, Polestar and Heico Sportiv.

The engine software upgrade comes from Volvo’s motorsport partner, Polestar, which has most recently raced the Volvo C30 in the Swedish Touring Car Championships.

The S60 Polestar boasts 242 kW of power and a massive 480 Nm of torque, an increase of 18 kW and 40 Nm respectively over the standard S60 T6 R-Design. The result is a 0-100 km/h dash in 5.8 seconds (up from 6.1 seconds).

Despite the increased performance, the S60 Polestar has the same fuel economy (10.2 l/100km) and CO2 emissions (243 g/km) as the Volvo S60 T6 R-Design.

Tuning company, Heico Sportiv, provided the exclusive 19-inch diamond cut alloy wheels in addition to its performance quad-exhaust system and bespoke rear air diffuser, both designed to further accentuate the S60 Polestar’s exhaust note.

Each car will be individually numbered with a limited edition plaque located on the floating console to further reinforce the car’s exclusivity.

Compared to the dynamic chassis offered across Volvo’s S60 range, the S60 Polestar shares the S60 R-Design’s sports suspension, which includes monotube damping at the rear, 15 per cent stiffer springs and 20 per cent stiffer bushings. The ride height is lowered by 15mm for even better road dynamics.

The S60 Polestar features sports seats with firmer side bolstering, leather clad three spoke steering wheel, dials with blue surrounds and aluminium ridged pedals.

“We were delighted with the response to our Performance Project concept at the motor show and wanted to deliver on our promise to customers – the demand was there, so we gave the Project the green light,” said Matt Braid, managing director, Volvo Car Australia.

Note: Volvo’s full three-year unlimited km warranty applies to all S60 Polestar models.