Words by: Adam Allen
You may be familiar with the tired old trope employed by automotive journalists over the years that the perfect car is this: a diesel-powered wagon shifted by a manual gearbox and painted a nondescript shade of brown. While we cannot deny that the sound of that does have a degree of appeal, there is a reason auto scribes are not installed as product planners for the exact reason that nobody would buy anything they would cook up. Oh sure, the enthusiast community would go wild and sing the praises of whatever model actually made it into production. The problem is that enthusiasts make up a tiny segment of the car-buying public, and what money they do have would rather be spent on something quirky and irreverent like an LS-swapped minivan rather than a car that actually makes sense; crossovers and SUVs go a long way towards paying the bills rather than oddball cars that appeal to a select few.
Those who count themselves among the fans of the long roof body style will celebrate the existence of the V60 wagon you see here which features a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. That means you can putter along under battery power alone, or you can select the Polestar Engineered drive mode and turn your sedate family hauler into a Swedish hot rod.
The Highs
Swedes tend to approach things with trademark understatement, and the V60 hews to that tradition. Painted in a demure shade of Thunder Grey, only a few small flourishes like gold brake calipers, valve stems and yellow seat belts that feel almost like easter eggs give away this car’s Q-Ship vibe. You can’t see them, but there are adjustable Ohlins dampers at all four corners lending a degree of customization. We think the factory setup is going to be hard to beat- the V60 offers that elusive ride and handling balance that BMW used to do so well back in the day. Ride quality is crisp and taut, but it never beats you up- most impressive is the way the V60 maintains unflappable composure when you hustle it along your favourite back roads. And hustle you will, because the V60’s turbocharged engine and rear mounted electric motor provide a very serious shove when you get aggressive with the throttle; power is up a healthy amount over the outgoing Recharge model we tested a few years back. The best part of the V60’s plug-in drivetrain is the ability to charge itself while underway. Most PHEVs can perform this trick, but we haven’t encountered one that charges itself so effectively, like say on a longish highway slog. Lengthier trips are a pleasure because being a Volvo, the seats are nearly perfect and the Bowers and Wilkens stereo will play your favourite playlist in delightful clarity. A nice bonus: the V60 was designed by a company with a flawless dedication to occupant well being which makes it safer than investing in bonds.
The Lows
The biggest issue we noted during our time otherwise enjoying the Polestar massaged V60 was the infotainment system. It’s massively improved over the old Sensus unit and functions as an extension of the Google ecosystem, but its still not great and feels like its suck in the early ought’s. Volvo has been employing this system for years now so we’d imagine that a total rethink can’t be too far off. Other than the car hobbled by some questionable tech bits, there isn’t much to complain about. Oh sure, you will catch the drivetrain flatfooted while it sorts out where to deploy the power if you suddenly ask for it which can cause the car to surge unbecomingly. There’s also the lack of cooled seats which is a bit odd at this price point, but overall the V60 experience is so great that you soon forget about picking nits and instead go about picking your favorite lightly traveled bit of sinuous tarmac.
The Verdict
Wagons have always been a part of the fabric of Volvo’s brand, and more than a few of us fondly recall making faces at drivers through the rear window glass while perched in our rear-facing seats (remember those?) in 240 and later on, 760 models from our youth. Even going back to those beautiful square examples of the day, Volvo has always had some sneaky fun building sensible hot rods, a tradition that happily continues to this day. The best part of the V60 Polestar is that you get to have your performance chops when you want to or enjoy the satisfaction of a fuel miser while enjoying the serenity of whisper quiet electric motoring. We just hope that Volvo can keep resisting the temptation to go all in on crossovers like so many of its competitors and to keep the wagon flame burning bright- even if that flame is not a brown, diesel powered version with a manual gearbox.
2024 Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered – Specifications
- Price as tested: $81,340
- Body Type: 4-door, 5-passenger Wagon
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/front and rear electric motors/all-wheel drive
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-4, DOHC, 16 valves
- Horsepower: 312 @ 5,700 rpm
- Torque (lbs.-ft.): 295 @ 2,200 rpm
- Battery Pack Output: 14.9 kWh
- Total system output: 455 horsepower/523 lbs.-ft of torque
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Curb weight: 2,054 kg (4,520 lbs.)
- Observed fuel economy: 9.9L/100 km (24 mpg)