Volvo has announced a new range-topping version of its upcoming Volvo S60 that will use high-performance Polestar parts and get a boosted electrified powertrain, as shown in new preview images.
The S60 T8 Twin Engine Polestar Engineered, as it is called, will sit above the regular T8 Twin Engine variant of the new S60, which is due for reveal next week but was leaked online last month. It is the first of three confirmed Polestar Engineered models.
It's all in the details.Meet the Polestar Engineered #newS60 on 20.06.18.
— Volvo Car UK (@VolvoCarUK) June 13, 2018
The other two will join the V60 and Volvo XC60 ranges in 2019 and kick-start Volvo’s shift towards electrification, plans for which will see 25% of the brand’s line-up using electrified power by 2025.
“Electric cars are our future,” said HÃ¥kan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo. “Today starts a new era of Volvo electrified models enhanced by Polestar’s performance engineering prowess. This strategy is firmly grounded in our shared belief in an electric future for the car industry.”
Volvo has confirmed that the top S60 model will use a reworked version of the T8 Twin Engine’s hybrid powertain, which comprises a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor.
It produces a peak of 409bhp and 494b ft of torque, up from 395bhp and 472b ft in the regular T8 model. Volvo said that the software upgrades used to achieve this also unlock greater fuel economy and improved pure-electric performance, while smoothing out the eight-speed gearbox’s operation through more effective torque fill.
Polestar Engineered parts include monoblock Brembo brake calipers painted in gold, slotted brake discs and Öhlins shock absorbers for the multi-link front and rear suspension.
The shocks are borrowed from the Polestar 1 hybrid performance car, meaning they are adjustable. The strut brace that supports them to enhance front-end handling is also taken from the 1.
Additionally, new lightweight wheels reduce unsprung mass, while chrome exhaust tailpipes and gold-coloured seatbelts emphasise the car’s Polestar links.
