However, in the modern automotive realm, manufacturers have had to adapt, to become proverbial jacks-of-all-trades. In light of this we have seen Volvo’s newly acquired performance wing Polestar emerge. Polestar Performance has made a great name for itself in motorsport and now the brand is set to make a bigger impact in passenger cars, especially in South Africa, where we have been treated to ‘bolt-on’ Polestar upgrades for many Volvo passenger cars in the past, but will soon receive more and more Polestar Performance models. Here are six reasons to get excited about the sub-brand:
1. We’re getting another S60 Polestar- Many of you will remember that locally we received a limited run of the older S60 Polestar, a fiery six-cylinder performance saloon that made all the right noises and delivered driving excitement. Now though, the new S60 Polestar has been confirmed for South Africa, albeit just 32 units.2.
2.The brand uses new-gen powertrain technology- The new S60 Polestar will get a familiar 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor seen in other Volvo products. This sounds quite mundane however, when one considers that the engine has been bolstered with the addition of a larger turbocharger along with a supercharger, stronger conrods, new camshafts, improved fuel pump and a better intake then it sounds more like it means business.
3.The Polestar vehicles perform- All of the modifications made to the motor coupled with the reworked eight-speed automatic gearbox and a BorgWarner four-wheel-drive system means that the car produces 270kW/470Nm, making it good for a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds.“These cars are properly quick,” says Niels Möller, Chief Operating Officer at Polestar, “but they are more than that. They combine Polestar’s 20 years of racing pedigree with Volvo’s inherent pragmatism and engineering heritage. These are very fast cars that you can use every day of the year.”
4.More Polestars are being produced- In previous years there were some 750 Polestar models made per year whereas now we will see some 1500 units being produced per annum.
5.There is some racing technology in the road cars- “While used in vastly different areas, these cars share more than just technology. The core philosophy is the same, developed by people with the same passion. It is about creating performance that can be used in all situations, no matter whether it’s about winning a championship or being able to enjoy a safe, functional and fun-to-drive car all year round,” saysThedBjörk, Polestar Cyan Racing race and development driver.
6.Polestar is about sustainable performance-Fuel consumption and emissions have also been looked at for this model with claimed figures of 7.8-litres per 100km and 179 g/km CO2.
