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Polestar Reviews

87K views 324 replies 65 participants last post by  TShirtDriving 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Of course these are reviews most of us have already seen:
Autocar UK


Makse:


Leno (just for fun):
 
#4 ·
Great, thanks!
It's nice to have them all in one Thread
 
#5 ·
I'm hoping we'll get some more in-depth reviews with performance data once the 4 cars in the US press fleet land. I'm not sure when that is though. I'm thinking some of us might have our cars before those reviews get out, unless the press cars will be here first. I'd love to see a camparo against the s4.
 
#7 ·
wow, €100,000, that's $135,000! can you imagine paying that for a Volvo....I know different countries have different tax rates, but that is ridiculous! the price of the S60 P* in the UK is approx. $83,500.....weird how the cars have to travel half way around the earth to get to us, and yet they're significantly cheaper here.....god I'm glad I live in the US!
 
#8 ·
I believe that individual Volvo 'importers' have some influence on the prices set in their own market and the senior management of Volvo UK have the same myopic, uninformed view of the potential market here as their colleagues did in Australia when they attempted to market the earlier 'half baked' polestar, OZ only S60 where they have been left with about half the cars in that batch that were to be assembled locally from kits sent out from Sweden.

In the UK each dealer has to sell a car each to meet the target, they just may manage that if their equally myopic buyers see the cars as 'must have', they will take massive depreciation in their stride and most likely enjoy their purchases. Fair enough I suppose.

Don.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Here are the search terms I used to collect all the reviews from the two day press reveal in the spring. I was sold.

volvo (v60 OR S60) polestar (test OR review OR "first drive")

As a link:
https://www.google.com/search?q=volvo+v60+polestar+test+or+review&start=10&norc=1&zx=1400909736317&cad=h#q=volvo+(v60+OR+S60)+polestar+(test+OR+review+OR+%22first+drive%22)

Yes, some of the reviews are of the prototype or 1st release sent only to AU. But the majority is of the 2015.5 model. Because you cant be assured 2015/2015.5 was included in an article, Limit your reading to just the articles written after April or May this year 2014 and you'll avoid old articles about the older variants.
 
#12 ·
Call me old school, but not having a "manual transmission" at that price range, you can count me out. I know a lot of people are talking about pedal shifters as the wave of future; but if Volvo wants to offer a " driver's car" they've got to offer a manual option to sell this car to people who "actually love" driving and understand the pleasure of driving a manual transmission. I waited for 5 months for my v70r with my choice of options especially the 6speed manual, I would've done the same for P*. I am not too enthusiastic about this. I love volvos and what it stands for, but this one without the manual transmission option is not for me. too bad, too many companies are giving up diehard fans for stockholders' bottom line.
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
#15 · (Edited)
Reading the opinions there, I believe you / et al underestimate how well the P* will handle; let alone for a two ton car. Yes, I will agree comparison to a 335xi wagon is warranted in most categories (except storage and fuel economy, where BMW somehow bends the laws of physics with the latter), but I really think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how well the P* will handle, approaching (edit: but i doubt if) equaling the much lighter M's. Won't know for sure until I have it and compare it to my highly modified C43 which given its suspension mods has higher limits in out turning my Mini.
 
#16 ·
The following was translated by an M3/4 Post member:

I will focus on the comments on the Polestar in the article. What they say about the M3 and RS4 falls in line with previous reviews. Possibly complaining more about road noise in the M3 than I have read elsewhere?

-They like the sound of the Polestar, both inside and from the exhaust (Swedish made Ferrita exhaust)

-The taylor made suspension with Öhlins dampers is a bit stiff and feels even more harsh than in the M3

-The seats are comfortable and good rear seat space

-Comfort winner is Audi, Volvo and BMW last

-It feels stronger than it's stated 350hp and the transmission has been upgraded with higher oil pressure for shifts. It reminds of a DCT transmission (not quite, but good) as it shifts hard. This also leads to a more nervous behaviour during parking manoeuvring.

-Shift paddles a bit to close to the steering wheel

-The steering is very quick (perhaps a bit to quick), but this feels fun.

-It isn't as settled as it's rivals when driving fast. It feels like a "standard car that's been souped up" according to some of the test drivers.

-The Polestar comes last on the track. It understeers and feels to soft in the front.

-The driveline also lags behind on the track, the trans lacks that same sharpness and the engine runs out of breath on top.

-The brake pedal softens under track driving, but stopping power remains.

-Volvo says that track driving never was a priority with this car, and that is felt in this company.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Harsher than the M3? .... boy I hope thats because of another instance where the shipping spacers weren't removed.

Really surprised to read that. My C43 felt like the stock suspension was concrete on concrete over expansion joints that had been pushed up from inadequate spacing for expansion ... until I modded the car with the Penske 8100 dampers after which I had both more compliance over the small fast stuff and better control of slow motion during turns ... and from the description in the reviews from this spring, I was expecting the blowby valves of the Ohlins to offer the similar "best of both worlds" behavior.

Otherwise, it seems like a well balanced accurate description of what we should expect. I was hoping for the Polestar hand to have a more transformative effect than it seems it will is what's most sobering I guess.

... if I could only be assured the shipping spacers had [hadn't?] been removed on the P* that was tested.... :p
 
#18 ·
Harsher than the M3? .... boy I hope thats because of another instance where the shipping spacers weren't removed.
Yeah, I guess forgetting about the shipping spacers is a common problem with folks over on the S/V60 subforum!!!

However, for this article, I highly doubt the spacers were still installed. I imagine they would have gone over the Polestar extensively, especially looking in the wheel wells at the Ohlins since that is so unique to the Polestar. Ride comfort is subjective. I don't have the adaptive suspension in my M4 and I think it is great. Some forum folks have commented it is too harsh and the adaptive suspension is required. The adaptive suspension in the M has 3 setting (comfort, sport, and sport +). The standard suspension is set in between the sport and sport+ setting and is perfect IMO.

Again, I would take this "comparison" with a gain of salt, especially since the review was suspect to begin with given the three cars chosen.
 
#21 ·
The article claims the tires are 265-section width on the 8" rims. They got that one wrong.
 
#24 ·
HA! And I had a guy hassle me in the winter snow tire thread when I said I planned to run 235mm in winter but will try to run 255mm in summer.

Those 265mm tires don't seem to be rolling over the rims as I would expect 265 section width to do on 8" rims. I wonder if our Polestar rims are available in 9" or 10" versions too!
 
#25 ·
Why are you describing this as a hassle?? Think you got that wrong:confused:

It doesnt change the fact, that 255 or even 265 on a 8" rim is vere unusual, no matter what Polestar used on this car. And anyway, how do we know this was a 8" rim? Maybe OfficialPolestar can clear things up!
 
#27 ·
According to Official Polestar
The 265/35/20 tyres were fitted on a pre-production show car as part of testing various tire/rim sizes.

The final selection came on the tires as stated on our website: 245/35/20. The rims are 8x20" with offset ET53.
 
#28 ·
#29 ·
...From poking around twitter, it also looks like Motortrend has one for Car of the Year testing. ...
:) -> :D Well that would be a heck of a 'win'. Would be kind of surprising tho they'd elect a vehicle only 120 of their US readers could buy and only a handful are available. Would be great for us and hopefully help somewhat with resale (tho I expect to drive mine into the ground). Fingers crossed.
 
#30 ·
I'd be really surprised if they gave the award to a car that would be sold out. I think anything other than the new mustang would be an upset. They do a write-up on each car and instrumented testing, which we haven't seen yet.
 
#32 ·
#33 ·
Here's one more review from digital trends, also rom the CA drive/track day. Hopefully we'll start seeing some instrumented tests from the car mags soon. It will be nice to see some real numbers instead of the manufacturer claims. One interesting line in this one, he notes the power is unofficially closer to 400. Hopefully someone will put one on a dyno soon so we can see some real numbers.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/first-drive-2015-volvo-v60-s60-polestar/#/1
 
#34 · (Edited)
I would believe max torque could be close to 400 but not the power; not with many reviewer's seat of the pants dynos saying the same thing, that the push into the seats falls noticeably after 6k. Armchair quarterback here until late Nov tho. :(

Ah, just read the review. Something to the effect of more like 400 American manufacturer's horses ... that I can believe. -lol
 
#35 ·
I would believe max torque could be close to 400 but not the power
I was thinking the same thing when I read it. I'm thinking the writer heard then wrong or the rep had it backwards. 400 Ft/lbs is in line with the rumored torque number from some of the early Aussie car reviews. Some of those mentioned torque closer to 550Nm.
 
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