Volvo gets serious. Germany sweats

Polestar Engineered S60 has AMG and Audi Sport models in its sights

VOLVO’S RANGE REVAMP CONTINUES WITH an all- new S60 compact executive saloon to rival the soon- to - be- revealed new BMW 3- series and Alfa’s Giulia. Closely ba sed on the handsome V60 estate, the new S60 will be the first Volvo built in the USA , and also bucks the cla ss trend in being available with petrol engines only.

If miserly fuel economy is your thing , there’s an alternative in the hybridised T6 and T8 versions, but, curiously, those looking for ex tra per formance will likely be drawn in the same direction. That’s because the T6 and T8 ‘ Twin Engine’ plugin hybrids are both more ef ficient and more power ful than their lesser T4 and T5 siblings thanks to their combination of a twincharged 2- litre four- cylinder driving the front wheels and an electric motor powering the rears.

Those wanting even more per formance will be able to order the fla gship S60 T8 in ‘ Polestar Engineered’ form. Polestar’s upgrades to electrical components and sof tware give the range- topping model a total of 409bhp with 509lb f t of torque – 15bhp and 15lb f t more than standard. Polestar ha s also paid attention to the cha ssis, fitting Öhlins dampers, an aluminium front strut brace, six- pot monoblock front brake calipers co - developed with Brembo and gripping 37 1mm front disc s, and forged 20inch wheels, all with the aim of fur ther sharpening the driving experience.

Despite the generous power output, the T8 Polestar Engineered is not so much a rival for cars such a s the Mercedes- AMG C63 or BMW M3, rather models one rung down such a s the Audi S4 and AMG C43.

European Volvo fans will have to wait to get their hands on an S60, however, a s US and Chinese markets are being prioritised, meaning we won’t see these models in the UK until mid- 2019.