What's the news?
Fancy a new Volvo XC60 with a whopping 421hp? Well, Polestar can provide.
Having announced recently that is was to become the electric performance arm of Volvo, this upgrade package for the T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid model is clearly the first fruits of that labour and it sees power grow from 407- to 421hp, all while retaining the fuel economy of 2.1 litres/100km (134.5mpg) and 45-kilometre electric range of the standard version.
Working on five key areas, the Polestar pack alters engine performance, throttle response, off-throttle response, gearshift speed and gearbox hold to sharpen up the PHEV SUV.
Volvo says the Polestar treatment beefs up the XC60's midrange torque, which means the SUV is quicker at joining a motorway/dual carriageway, overtaking or exiting a corner - all situations more regularly encountered in day-to-day driving than bouncing the car off the rev limiter in all of its forward gears.
Aside from the T8 Twin Engine, the T6, T5, D5 and D4 models can also enjoy Polestar performance optimisation, although prices are yet to be confirmed and, of course, some of these models aren't actually sold in Ireland... yet.
Anything else?
"Our goal is to create usable performance in everyday driving situations for Volvo owners who want an enhanced driving experience," said Henrik Fries, vice-president for Research and Development at Polestar. "The new XC60 has provided us with an excellent base to work on with a dynamic chassis and a state of the art powertrain. With the Polestar optimisation, it makes the new Volvo XC60 a true driver's car."