Tested: 2025 Volvo V60 Polestar Says a Quick Goodbye

• Turbocharged four-cylinder and two electric motors crank out 455 hp and 523 lb-ft.
• 14.9-kWh battery delivers an estimated 41 miles of electric-only range.
• Adjustable Öhlins dampers and Brembo brakes are standard.
• Wagons are cool.

Thanks to that 14.9-kWh battery, the V60 Polestar is good for an estimated 41 miles of electric-only range, and during our testing, it was also capable of accelerating to 60 mph under electric power in 11.2 seconds and finishing the quarter mile in 18.4 seconds at 76.5 mph. Hardly thrilling numbers, but it proves the V60 Polestar is capable of moving itself around up to and at freeway speeds without disturbing its internal combustion engine. 

But you're here for the quick stuff, so here it is. Selecting the Power drive mode and briefly overlapping the full throttle and full brake pressure (we call it powerbraking) activates the Volvo's low-key launch control system. This results in the V60 Polestar sprinting to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds with a quarter-mile dash done in 12.6 seconds at 109.3 mph.

Our test driver tells us what it's like: "The V60 moves away quickly, but without drama, and simply piles on the speed. It's so powerful that we nearly hit the car's 113-mph speed limiter before the end of the quarter mile. Not bad for a station wagon. The engine doesn't sound nearly as exotic as you'd think (and hoped) it would, but it's generally pleasing and refined. Shifts from the transmission are quick enough but never feel too aggressive."

Secure your belongings

Adding a plug-in hybrid powertrain with two electric motors definitely incurs a weight penalty. All in, our V60 Polestar tipped the scales at 4,488 pounds — 341 pounds more than a V60 Cross Country we tested a little while ago. Combine that extra weight with relatively modest 235 section tires (the same width as we had on a recent Hyundai Sonata) and our expectations for decent braking and handling numbers were a bit low. 

The Continental PremiumContact 6 high-performance summer tires definitely put in some work. Our panic braking test from 60 mph returned a sporty 110-foot stopping distance and good consistency over five stops. Our test driver notes, "The V60's summer performance tires have a lot to do with its short stopping distances, but those big brakes lurking behind the wheels help a lot, too. Stopping distances in our panic braking test were very consistent. Stability was excellent, but beware of Volvo's self-tensioning seat belts. They've become a bit milder over the years but can still catch you off guard when they cinch down under heavy braking." Those big brakes he mentioned are the V60 Polestar's beefy Brembo two-piece rotors with gold-spainted four-piston monobloc calipers up front, with a more traditional single-piece rotor with a one-piston caliper out back. 

Around our skidpad, the V60 Polestar delivered more good news. Averaging 0.97 g of lateral grip, the V60 clings on better than pretty much any other station wagon or sporty SUV. But our test driver felt the V60 lacked the critical engagement to make the Volvo a real driver's car. "The numbers are good, but the overall enjoyment of the V60 isn't where I expected/wanted it to be. The summer performance tires produce high levels of predictable grip (remember, these aren't monstrously wide tires — they're fairly standard in size), but the all-wheel-drive system doesn't do much to make the handling adjustable or that playful; it's really only there for traction and stability. In a way, you wind up driving this high-performance V60 in much the same way you would any other V60 or standard sedan, with conservative inputs and patience."

As for the trick adjustable Öhlins dampers, our driver had this to say: "The adjustable suspension could add a little fun to the handling, but you'd better know what you're doing with that wrench, or you could wind up chasing your tail with the setup. I'd love to see more advanced adaptive suspension with active sway bars, like you get on a Porsche, instead. Hey, I can dream."