First of all, sorry for my english beeing far away from perfect. If you dont get anything I translate, just ask again and I will try to explain, translate different. I dont have the time to translate the WHOLE artice. But I will translate every bit concerning the V60 Polestar. So here we go:
... Polestar works continually to lend best performance to Volvo cars, after the good review last year oft he S60 they send us the revised Wagon. The competitors again are the S4. Plus the 335xi and the just revised Insignia OPC. All of them try to get the perfomancecrown...
The Polestar sounds already great on the home stretch oft the Hockenheimring. The R6 got the biggest torque and the highest poweroutput in the comparison. But the high seating and the fluffy cushioning of the seats grow the fear that the engine with the new twin scroll turbocharger will go under in the typical volvo environment. As if! Not at all – already in the first corner the V60 surprises, like the last reviewed S60 Polestar, with a very neutral turn in. He likes beeing pushed hard very early and pulls himself out oft he corner with just little understeer. The following hard breaking isnt a problem as well, because the new brembo brakes perform very well. Just the soft pedal feel needs some acclimization to break the car at the very best point.
To find the right gear, the car now has pedals at the steering wheel. In cooperation with Aisin, Polestar found an acceptional improvement in shifting times over the last tested S60 Polestar. Even though the V60 cant compete from 0-60 with the S4 and struggles to beat the BMW.
At least, the transmission holds the gears reaching the rev limiter. But the engine does not even like really high rpm. It kind of gets lazy after 5500rpm, so you shift at about 6000 rpm.
But what really gets us excited is the suspensionsetup – again. Even though the car comes in at about 1800kg, it turns in very well, pushes even a little bit with the rearend. It has a lot of grip and almost no bodyroll. The swedes continue to use the Ohlins products. (they here explain the function oft he dampers, as we all know...) So also offside the track, there is just enough comfort. Even though you can feel transverse joints very well.
Anyway, the Polestar unspools round after round at the track, without getting tired, and by the way, he just sets the benchmark of 1.18.0 with a swedish calmness. Doing this, all of it is accompanied by this awesome sound...
Now they start with the S4, lot of understeer but good DSG (but should holds gear) etc...
Than the Opel – good, but too heavy and lazy engine, they like the manual transmission.
Than the BMW – best enginge and transmission combination, just unbeatable... but bad suspension. They write M Package would not have been a big difference...
End of review:
So the V60 POlestar is the most fun to drive and he proves it with benchmarks in almost every discipline. There rolls down a Volvo Wagon from sweden and beats the whole established german rivals. We like this kind of surprises. The guys at Polestar could really improve the weak parts oft he 2013 S60 sedan – like the transmission. Adding to this the great sound and a very good suspension, that is just at the edge for beeing fitted to a daily driver. Audi and BMW can’t compete because they have to many compromises and the well engineered Opel is just to heavy and the engine is too lazy.
The write the following next to the pictures of the Polestar:
Not much change in the enterior, infotainment kind of dissapoints because the usability is like entering a electronical maze. Way better: the transmission.
Even though its fluffy polstering, the seats have good support. The exhaust sounds great. Grip? 20 inch wheels!
0-100km/h: 5.4sek
0-200km/h: 21.2sek (remember, SportAuto tests this always with full tank and codriver)
100-0km/h: 34.4m
Overall rating: 44 points
S4: 37 points
335ci: 39 points
OPC: 37 points