The all-new Volvo XC60, unveiled in March, is
available as a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid that combines a supercharged and
turbocharged engine with a 87 hp/240 Nm electric motor and a 34 kW
crankshaft-mounted starter generator (CISG) to produce a total system output of
407 hp and 640 Nm. 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds.
Surely that’s fast enough for a family SUV, but if
it’s insufficient, Polestar is offering powertrain optimisation that takes the
horsepower count to 421 hp. That’s 14 hp more than stock, bringing the XC60 T8
on par with the Polestar-tuned XC90 T8 as the most powerful Volvo models ever
built. Max torque isn’t mentioned, but the optimised XC90 T8 has 680 Nm.
Volvo’s performance brand says that the optimisation
improves five key areas of the powertrain while retaining the factory warranty,
class-leading emission levels, rated fuel consumption of 2.1 litres per 100 km
and a pure electric range of 45 km for the range-topping XC60.
The enhancements for the engine are made to provide
greater power and torque in the mid-range, the area most often used in
everyday-driving, for example when joining a highway, overtaking or exiting a
corner. The gearbox shifts faster, shift points have been calibrated to utilise
the optimised mid-range, and the car holds the same gear in high lateral
g-force cornering to avoid unsettling the balance.
T8 aside, Polestar optimisation is available for the
XC60’s T6, T5, D5 and D4 powertrains.
