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New Models
DRIVEN: Factory Tuner Powers Up Volvos
Polestar adds electronic tweak that boosts horsepower and torque, now available to current owners of the Swedish cars and SUVS.
The Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design comes equipped with Polestar technology that boosts horsepower and torque. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Volvo, the Swedish automaker best-known for safe, sane and sensible family vehicles, recently showed off a bit of its wild side with some cars and SUVs that have been enhanced by Polestar tuning.
Volvo’s motorsports partner since 1996, Polestar basically adds a software tweak to the Engine Control Modules for higher horsepower and torque. The program comes standard in Volvo’s 2012 R-Design models or it can be added separately to any non-R model.
Good news for owners of recent Volvos who’d like a little more power: the performance tuning can now be installed by the dealer for cars and SUVS that are already on the road.
The Polestar technology seems a bit pricey when added as an option, at $1,295 for the turbocharged five-cylinder T5 models or $1,495 for the T6 models with turbocharged inline-6 engines, but it is certainly effective, adding power without losing low-end torque or smooth drivability.
Volvo brought a bunch of automotive writers to the ritzy Arizona desert enclave of Paradise Valley near Phoenix to introduce the latest performance-enhanced Volvo craft getting the Polestar treatment: the XC60 T6 R-Design SUV and the XC70 T6 AWD wagon. The chip tuning comes standard with the R-Design SUV and was an added option for the wagon.
Also present but not driven was a Swedish blue Volvo C30 Polestar, a street version of the compact hatchback equipped with all the magic in the performance tuner’s bag of tricks.
The 2012 XC60 R-Design was impressive on a long trip into Arizona’s high country, accelerating sharply and easily scaling mountain grades. The Polestar tuning adds 25 horsepower to the 3-liter engine, for a total of 325, and 29 pound-feet of torque, bringing that to 355. Despite the SUV’s two-ton-plus heft, a zero-60 sprint takes 6.6 seconds, according to Volvo.
Volvo says that the Polestar addition will not harm fuel mileage, still a paltry 17 mpg city and 22 highway.
The engine felt strong and tractable, with the midsize SUV using the same engine and six-speed automatic transmission as the quick S60 R-Design sedan. Compared with the standard XC60, the upgraded steering is 10 percent quicker and the suspension is 10 percent stiffer, which noticeably improve response, stability and handling. Unlike the slightly lowered S60 R-Design, the SUV’s ride height stays the same.
A Haldex all-wheel-drive system comes standard with the upgrade package, with about nine inches of chassis clearance bringing the possibility of some off-highway adventure. We stayed on the pavement, though the fields of snow beside the mountain roads did look tantalizing.
Despite the XC60’s tall profile, cornering was fairly level and precise, with standard 20-inch Pirelli Scorpion tires providing plenty of traction.
Volvo’s motorsports partner since 1996, Polestar basically adds a software tweak to the Engine Control Modules for higher horsepower and torque. The program comes standard in Volvo’s 2012 R-Design models or it can be added separately to any non-R model.
Good news for owners of recent Volvos who’d like a little more power: the performance tuning can now be installed by the dealer for cars and SUVS that are already on the road.
The Polestar technology seems a bit pricey when added as an option, at $1,295 for the turbocharged five-cylinder T5 models or $1,495 for the T6 models with turbocharged inline-6 engines, but it is certainly effective, adding power without losing low-end torque or smooth drivability.
Volvo brought a bunch of automotive writers to the ritzy Arizona desert enclave of Paradise Valley near Phoenix to introduce the latest performance-enhanced Volvo craft getting the Polestar treatment: the XC60 T6 R-Design SUV and the XC70 T6 AWD wagon. The chip tuning comes standard with the R-Design SUV and was an added option for the wagon.
Also present but not driven was a Swedish blue Volvo C30 Polestar, a street version of the compact hatchback equipped with all the magic in the performance tuner’s bag of tricks.
The 2012 XC60 R-Design was impressive on a long trip into Arizona’s high country, accelerating sharply and easily scaling mountain grades. The Polestar tuning adds 25 horsepower to the 3-liter engine, for a total of 325, and 29 pound-feet of torque, bringing that to 355. Despite the SUV’s two-ton-plus heft, a zero-60 sprint takes 6.6 seconds, according to Volvo.
Volvo says that the Polestar addition will not harm fuel mileage, still a paltry 17 mpg city and 22 highway.
The engine felt strong and tractable, with the midsize SUV using the same engine and six-speed automatic transmission as the quick S60 R-Design sedan. Compared with the standard XC60, the upgraded steering is 10 percent quicker and the suspension is 10 percent stiffer, which noticeably improve response, stability and handling. Unlike the slightly lowered S60 R-Design, the SUV’s ride height stays the same.
A Haldex all-wheel-drive system comes standard with the upgrade package, with about nine inches of chassis clearance bringing the possibility of some off-highway adventure. We stayed on the pavement, though the fields of snow beside the mountain roads did look tantalizing.
Despite the XC60’s tall profile, cornering was fairly level and precise, with standard 20-inch Pirelli Scorpion tires providing plenty of traction.
The Lyonheart K
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