Wagons have come a long way since the days of your parent’s or grandparent’s childhoods. These days, wagons are cool again. They’re also just as practical as their SUV counterparts, more exciting to drive, and less expensive. But the damage has been done because wagons still have the stigma of being boring vehicles. So can this 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered change people’s perspective of wagons in the 21st century?
Performance
Engine – Unlike the Volvo V60 Polestar of the mid 2010’s, this Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered is a hybrid. At the core is a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine which on its own produces 312 hp & 295 lb-ft of torque (233 kW & 400 Nm). With the aid of the electric motor that drives the rear wheels, the combined output is 455 hp & 523 lb-ft of torque (339 & 709 Nm). Volvo claims a 0-100 km/h time of 4.5 seconds with top speed being limited to 180 km/h (112 mph), just like all other Volvo’s made after 2020.
Like many other hybrid vehicles, the electric motor provides instant power, 143 hp & 228 lb-ft (106 kW & 309 Nm) to be exact, until the engine gets into its stride and provides the bulk of the grunt. Sadly, it’s not a particularly good sounding engine. Mercedes-Benz and BMW make better sounding 4-cylinder turbo engines, even without the use of the augmented in-car audio.
Fuel Economy – When the V60 Polestar Engineered is being driven like a normal hybrid, it is rated for 8.0 L/100km (29.4 MPG) in a city and 7.2 L/100km (32.6 MPG) on a highway. While driving like this, I managed to average 7.0 L/100km (33.6 MPG) and with continuous recharging of the battery, I averaged 4.1 L/100km (57.4 MPG).
Battery & Charging – Down the center of the car is an 18.8 kWh battery which is capable of providing up to 64 km (40 miles) of electric-only driving range according to Volvo. During my time with the V60, I managed to get 52 km (32 miles) of electric-only driving. In fairness, it’s not too bad considering the near 0° C temperatures that I encountered during my week with this car.
The car has a few different modes to utilize the electric power. Hybrid primarily uses the battery charge as much as it can with more aggressive acceleration turning on the engine. Pure mode uses the electrical energy only and allows you to accelerate more quickly just on electricity. In everyday traffic or short highway runs, the motor has enough power to get the car up to speed or to overtake another vehicle. Polestar mode uses the engine and electrical energy to provide the maximum performance. Constant AWD provides constant AWD just as the name implies. It keeps the engine running and a charge in the battery so that the car always has AWD in tricky road conditions. And finally, you can have the car keep the current state of battery charge or have the engine charge it up. For the latter, it will consume more fuel. One minor complaint that I have is that the drive mode selector that was available a couple of years ago on the center console is now gone. In order to change between the different drive modes, you have to dig through the infotainment system which can be more distracting while driving.
Recharging the battery from the power grid will take approximately 4 to 5 hours from a level 2 charger and about 8 to 10 hours from a regular wall outlet.
Transmission – Paired with the turbo engine is an 8-speed automatic transmission. Under normal driving conditions, the transmission shifts are barely noticeable. It’s only when the car is in the sporty Polestar Engineered drive mode that the shifts become a bit more noticeable. Additionally, the transmission doesn’t react as quickly as the 8-speed that is found in BMW M-Performance vehicles or the 9-speed in Mercedes-Benz AMG models.
Braking – Standard with this Polestar Engineered V60 are Brembo 6-piston front calipers and regular floating calipers in the rear. These brakes are ferocious and easily stop the 2,032 kg (4,480 lbs) body of the 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered. In fact, I couldn’t fully explore the potential of these brakes because the equipped winter tires had little grip in the wet and cold conditions compared to summer tires on hot pavement. I found setting off the ABS to be very easy. But in everyday driving, these brakes have excellent pedal feel and are not too aggressive for city streets.
When slowing down, the car will also use regenerative braking to recoup some power. In “D”, the car doesn’t really slow down when lifting your foot off the throttle pedal. The brake pedal controls all of the braking and regen braking. In “B” mode, the throttle pedal becomes a one-pedal mode with the car being able to arrive at a complete stop, so long as the creep function is turned off in the infotainment system. Additionally, this one-pedal mode still functions when the engine is being used to power the car. You do not need to be in the Pure drive mode in order to use it.
Handling – Steering feel and effort is tuned to be a bit more city friendly rather than weekend track wagon. The handling dynamics are more enjoyable than the Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge but it’s not quite on par with something like the now defunct C43 AMG Wagon. However, the 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar can still hold its own around a twisty road thanks in part to the Ohlins suspension and the low center of gravity.
The Ohlins suspension is adjustable for firmness over bumps but it’s not electronically adjustable. There are knobs on top of the struts under the hood to adjust the front shocks. But to adjust the rear shocks, you unfortunately have to lift the vehicle to access the tuning knob in the wheel wells.
But when the suspension is correctly tuned, the low center of gravity and firm suspension make the V60 stick to any road surface. The batteries are located where the driveshaft would be. This still is an AWD wagon, it’s just that it is an eAWD system where the rear electric motor drives the rear wheels and the gasoline engine drives the front wheels.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – With the manually adjustable suspension (front at least) in its softest setting, the ride of the Polestar Engineered V60 is surprisingly good for something that is equipped with 19” wheels and low profile tires. That’s not to say that it’s as comfortable as the V90 Cross Country with the optional rear air suspension, but for most city streets, it’s more than acceptable for a family. Really rough roads or small bumps at highway speeds are more noticeable in this wagon than at slower, city speeds.
The seats aid a bit to absorb some jolts from driving over bumps. They provide a wide variety of adjustments for both tall or short occupants. The only issue I saw with the front seats was when someone shorter than myself (at 6’4”) had to get out of them. The large bolsters on the bottom cushion made it a bit more difficult to exit the vehicle.
Interior Space – Space inside the V60 has increased over the previous generation Polestar wagon & sedan. There is ample leg and headroom for taller occupants in the front while average sized adults can comfortably sit in the rear seats for long durations. The large panoramic roof creates a larger feeling atmosphere in the cabin thanks to the amount of light it lets in. Predictably, this wagon has less legroom than the XC60 in the back seats. But space for front occupants is identical in both vehicles.
As for cargo capacity, going by Volvo Canada’s press information, the V60 Polestar Engineered has 471 L (16.6 cu-ft) behind the rear seats and 1,431 L (50.5 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded. Compare that to the almost identical luggage capacity of the XC60 Polestar Engineered with 468 L (16.5 cu-ft) and 1,395 L (49.3 cu-ft) respectively. So the wagon has just as much cargo capacity as the SUV.
Furthermore, the roof can withstand up to 75 kg (165 lbs) of cargo whereas the XC60 can handle up to 100 kg (220 lbs). But the V60’s roof is much lower making it easier to lift up a bike or gain access to a roof box. Granted, the XC60 Polestar can tow up to 3,500 lbs while the V60 Polestar is only rated to tow up to 2,000 lbs.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – When the electric motor is powering the car, the V60 Polestar is as quiet as any other electric vehicle. It can even be driven at speeds of up to 130 km/h (80 mph) on electricity alone without much cabin intrusion of wind and tire noise. The gasoline engine is noticeable once it starts up, especially when cold, but once it warms up it’s not overly intrusive in everyday driving situations. The transition from electric driving to the engine is seamless.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – Predictably, the 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered is not a cheap wagon. It starts at $77,500 CAD ($71,450 USD) but at least for the price, there are no options to add onto it. Just a few accessory packages. Furthermore, a fully loaded Audi A4 Allroad comes to almost the same price but without the power and hybrid capability of this Volvo, and the Mercedes E63 AMG and Audi RS6 are miles ahead of this car in terms of pricing. As for the SUV competition, the Volvo XC60 Polestar Engineered costs more than this V60. Almost $14,000 CAD more ($4,000 USD more in the United States).
Gadgets – For the money, this V60 comes equipped with everything you and your family needs. It has soft Nappa leather & textile upholstery with heated front & rear seats. And wouldn’t you just look at those gold seatbelts. They really catch the eye. There’s also a heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, power liftgate, a head-up display, surround view cameras, Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12.3” digital driver display (which still doesn’t have too many customization options), and a 9” infotainment touchscreen to name a few of the features.
The infotainment system is Android Automotive based and features Google built-in capability along with wireless Apple CarPlay. This system is not the most robust out there as I’ve experienced multiple issues with frozen screens or slow responses in other Volvo vehicles. This time around, I did not experience any issues with it. It does integrate all of the climate controls, so it does away with physical controls, but at least you can use Google Assistant to control that aspect. But there are some features that the Google Assistant can’t perform if the car doesn’t have an internet connection.
Interior Design – The interior of the Polestar Engineered V60 looks identical to that of the normal V60 wagon with the exception of the gold seat belts. The centrally mounted infotainment touchscreen is the main focal point of the dashboard. Soft leather covers every spot where one might touch and Volvo’s engineers did a clever thing to reduce the use of hard plastics. They covered the lower half of the center console with carpet whereas on other vehicles it is plastic. It’s a small detail but it makes the interior feel more premium.
Exterior Design – This newest generation of Volvo V60 looks like no other car on the road. The Polestar team made it even more eye-catching with the unique 19” wheels, lowered ride height, and gold Brembo calipers. But I can’t help it think how much more unique the entire Polestar lineup would be if the “traditional” Polestar blue paint were still an option. This blue-ish colour is called Thunder Grey.
Safety – There are no options to add onto the 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered when it comes to safety items. It is already equipped with forward collision alert and automatic emergency braking, blind spot sensors, lane departure with lane keep, ProPilot Assist, the aforementioned surround view cameras, and so on.
Warranty – The 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered has a similar warranty period to its German rivals. It comes with a 4 year / 80,000 km new vehicle and powertrain warranty. The battery is covered for 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first.
Conclusion – So is the 2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered the best wagon on sale today and can it sway people away from SUVs? Well, for outright performance, the E63 AMG and Audi RS6 are miles ahead. But they’re also miles ahead in pricing. This V60 Polestar sits in its own part of the market thanks to its hybrid powertrain. This makes it ideal for daily commutes, long family road trips, and yet, it still has enough sporty credentials to keep things fun around twisting roads. Can it sway people away from SUVs? I really wish that it would but SUVs have a solid footing and wagons still have the stigma around them of being old people cars from the 1970’s and 80’s. I’d really hate to see this wagon go because of poor sales. It’s one of the best.
Thank you to Volvo Cars Canada for providing the vehicle. www.VolvoCars.com
2024 Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered Gallery
