Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered

Scope of this guide

This guide is scoped to the Volvo S60 T8 Twin Engine Polestar Engineered saloon of the third generation, in its original 405 PS form: a 2.0L turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder petrol plug-in hybrid with an 11.6 kWh battery, an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive, sold from 2019 into 2021. It is not a guide to the earlier second-generation S60 Polestar of the early 2010s, which was a different car with a different engine, nor to the S60 T8 Recharge Polestar Engineered that replaced this car in 2021 with 455 hp and an 18.8 kWh battery, nor to the V60 estate and XC60 SUV that shared the Polestar Engineered package. Where those differ we say so below, because an advert that says only "S60 Polestar" can describe any of them.

We have not driven this model for this article. Everything here comes from three cited sources: a Volvo Car Belgium press release of 5 June 2019 (in Dutch, distributed through Cision), PistonHeads' UK review of 4 December 2019, and the government recall checker. We also read a Volvo Car Switzerland press release of 14 May 2019 (in German), Automotive World's 21 October 2019 copy of the UK launch release, Auto Express's review of 13 December 2019, a Belgian AutoScout24 test dated 11 October 2021, an Auto Express specification page and a Spanish report of September 2021 on the later car. Where sources disagree we say so rather than pick a winner quietly. Prices are history, not valuations.

The figures at a glance

• Engine: 2.0L turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder petrol plug-in hybrid. PistonHeads gives the petrol engine as 1,969 cc, turbocharged and supercharged, plus an electric motor. Volvo's Belgian release splits the output into 318 PS from the petrol engine and 87 PS from the electric motor.
• Power: 399 bhp. Volvo quotes 405 PS, which is 298 kW, and 405 PS multiplied by 0.98632 is about 399.5 bhp. Auto Express prints 399 bhp for the same car. PistonHeads prints 405 hp, which is the metric figure with the unit shortened. The Swiss release says the system output went up by 15 PS (10 kW) from 390 PS.
• Torque: 670 Nm. The Swiss release gives 670 Nm and says that is 30 Nm more than the standard T8. The Belgian release splits it into 430 Nm from the petrol engine and 240 Nm from the electric motor. PistonHeads prints 474 lb ft, which is about 643 Nm (474 x 1.3558) and in effect the standard car's 640 Nm, so the two sources disagree.
• 0-100 km/h: 4.4 seconds. Volvo Belgium gives 4.4 seconds to 100 km/h for the S60, and PistonHeads and the UK release give 4.4 seconds for 0-62 mph, which is practically the same distance in speed (62 mph is 99.8 km/h). Auto Express printed 4.2 seconds for 0-62 mph, so treat 4.4 seconds as the manufacturer's claim.
• Top speed: 250 km/h. PistonHeads gives 155 mph, which is 249.4 km/h by our conversion. Later cars are different, as the next section explains.
• Drive: all-wheel drive through an eight-speed automatic, with engine and gearbox software tuned by Polestar.
• Weight: 2,050 kg kerb weight, from both Volvo Belgium and PistonHeads. The V60 estate is 2,079 kg.
• Electric range: 48 km in Volvo Belgium's release, 27.3 miles (about 44 km) on the WLTP in the UK release, and 55 to 63 km WLTP in the 2021 Belgian test. These are claims on different test cycles and none of them is what a used car will manage in winter.

The 250 km/h question

The catalogue has long carried 250 km/h, and for the early cars that is the right number: PistonHeads' 155 mph is 250 km/h in round terms. But Volvo announced in 2019 that its cars would be limited electronically to 180 km/h (112 mph) from the 2021 model year, with the Polestar brand's own cars exempt. The Belgian AutoScout24 test of October 2021 prints 180 km/h, electronically limited, for the S60 T8 Polestar Engineered, and the Auto Express specification page for the 455 hp car prints 112 mph. We could not find a Volvo statement on exactly which Polestar Engineered cars carry the limiter, so we keep 250 km/h for the 2019 car this guide is about and tell you to ask the seller which limit the car you are viewing has. A later car with the 180 km/h limiter is not wrong, but it is not the 250 km/h car.

What Polestar changed

Polestar Engineered was Volvo's performance package for its top plug-in hybrid. According to Volvo and Automotive World, the petrol engine went from 303 PS to 318 PS, and the electric motor stayed at 87 PS, for a system total of 405 PS, up from 390 PS. The gearbox software was changed for quicker shifts, and Volvo says the shift programme reduces unnecessary gear changes in fast cornering.

The chassis changes are the point of the package. The Belgian release lists gold Ohlins dampers with Dual Flow Valve technology, a Polestar strut brace between the front suspension towers, revised front springs and improved composite rear springs, 19 inch alloy wheels as standard and 20 inch as an option, and Brembo monobloc front calipers in gold with slotted discs and heat-resistant pads. Volvo says the strut brace and adjustable dampers are the same as on the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe. PistonHeads notes that the Ohlins dampers are manually adjustable, which matters when you inspect a car: ask what setting it was left on and whether it has ever been adjusted.

How the cars differ

The earliest announcements, in June 2018, spoke of 415 hp and 670 Nm for the S60 with the Polestar Engineered upgrade, and US coverage used 409 hp, 415 hp and 494 lb ft. Those are summaries of reports we read only in search results, so we have not verified them, but they explain why you see 399, 400, 405 and 415 in adverts for the same car. Volvo's European releases of 2019 settle on 405 PS and 298 kW.

The car that replaced it is different in ways that matter to a buyer. The Auto Express specification page for the S60 Recharge T8 Polestar Engineered gives 455 bhp, 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds, a 112 mph limit, an 18.8 kWh battery and 52.8 miles of WLTP range. A Spanish report of 15 September 2021 describes 455 CV, which it says is 50 more than before, with an 18.8 kWh battery. That is why we end this guide's years at 2021: the 405 PS car is the one built from 2019, and the larger-battery, 455 bhp car belongs in its own guide. We could not find a Volvo source giving an exact last build date.

The earlier S60 Polestar of the early 2010s was a separate model with a different engine. We have not checked its figures for this article and do not give any.

Running costs and electric use

Volvo's Belgian release gave a NEDC-based 48 g/km of CO2, and PistonHeads quotes 104.5 mpg on the WLTP with 48 g/km. These are official plug-in hybrid numbers that depend on charging every day. Auto Express said that 80 mpg or more was possible with regular charging and short trips, and that figure should fall sharply if you rarely plug in. We found no published servicing schedule, running cost or parts price list for this variant, so anyone who quotes you a figure is estimating. The battery is 11.6 kWh, so a full charge is quick, but ask for the charging history if the seller offers one.

What it is like

We have not driven it, so this is the reviewers' view. PistonHeads praised the controlled ride, strong body control, a smooth eight-speed automatic and a calm, refined electric mode, but found the ride firm enough to tire on long journeys, the steering and brake pedal numb, and noted that stability control cannot be switched fully off. It called the car niche, effortless and fast, but less rounded dynamically than a dedicated sports saloon. Auto Express scored it 2.5 out of 5, called it a curio and said it falls short of the BMW M340i and Mercedes-AMG C 43 for driver engagement. The BMW 330e, at 292 hp, was PistonHeads' plug-in hybrid comparison. The pitch is a fast, quiet Volvo that is different from the German norm, not a driver's car.

Launch pricing and availability

Prices are history, not a valuation. The UK launch release of 21 October 2019 gave 56,105 pounds on the road for the S60, with first UK deliveries before the end of 2019. Volvo Belgium quoted 65,550 euros, with first deliveries in Belgium and Luxembourg from the end of January 2020, and Volvo Switzerland quoted 77,950 Swiss francs. The package sat above the R-Design trim and came with Harman Kardon audio, gold seat belts and a heated steering wheel. We found no production total and do not state one.

What to check before buying

• Confirm which car it is: 405 PS and 11.6 kWh, the later 455 hp and 18.8 kWh, or a V60 or XC60. Ask for the build sheet and look at the battery rating.
• Ask which top speed limit the car has, 250 km/h or 180 km/h, and which model year it is.
• Check the Ohlins dampers for leaks and ask what the adjustment setting is. Check the gold Brembo calipers and slotted discs for corrosion and wear, since the car weighs about two tonnes.
• Ask for the charging history, evidence of battery health, the charging cable and the state of the charge port.
• Check that every plug-in hybrid software update has been carried out, and ask the dealer or Volvo for the service record.
• Inspect the wheels for kerb damage and the tyres for uneven wear, since the package changes suspension geometry and the alloys are wide.
• Run the registration through the recall check described below.

Recalls and the government check

We did not run the government checker, because it needs a registration number or the manufacturer, model and year, and we are not looking at a specific car. The page says it checks for serious safety recalls and for faults registered with the DVSA, that a registration number is used through the MOT history checker, and that the manufacturer informs owners of non-safety recalls directly. We found no recall notice for this variant in any source, and absence from our sources is not a clean bill of health. Ask Volvo or an authorised dealer to check the car by its chassis number.

About the photograph

The picture at the top of this page shows a white car photographed in 2023 with the Polestar Engineered gold calipers and Polestar star badge. Its Commons file is labelled 2020 and its description wrongly says Volvo S80. We have blurred the number plate. We cannot tell from the photograph which power output or battery the car has, so we use it only to show the shape.

Verdict

The S60 T8 Polestar Engineered in this guide is 399 bhp (405 PS), 670 Nm, a claimed 4.4 seconds to 100 km/h and 250 km/h on the early cars, all-wheel drive, and a plug-in hybrid with an 11.6 kWh battery. It is a fast, quiet, unusual Volvo whose main appeal is its chassis tuning, with an official electric range of up to about 48 km. If you are shopping for one, confirm which of the specifications you are looking at, ask about the speed limiter, check the dampers and brakes, and treat every published figure as a claim with the caveats above. We have not driven it, so use the sources and a proper inspection to decide.