Volvo S60 Polestar Launches in India Blending Price With Performance

Volvo-S60-Polestar

Volvo Auto India has just launched the S60 Polestar with the high expectation of continuing the company’s good run in gaining market share, in what is arguably one of the most competitive and fastest growing auto markets in the world.

The S60 Polestar is not just a car, it’s a driver’s car that was born for the race track twenty years ago. It was designed as an optimal performing race car that was predictable and consistent, and was later tweaked to suit all roads, all conditions, all year round.

In 1996, Volvo decided to make a high performance driver’s car for the race track. So their design team got together to build a car around the R-design philosophy that highlights Volvo’s core philosophy of safety and performance, which includes stable car handling, better cornering, improved torque and superior road grip.

The final product took shape in the form of S60 Polestar. It contained all the critical elements needed by a demanding driver, by giving him complete control of the car, with the assurance of total safety and high performance on the track and road.

Over the last 20 years, Volvo has refined the car with over 70 design changes to make the Polestar one of the best performing machines on regular roads.

What made Volvo introduce the S60 Polestar in India?

Volvo has been around in India for some time but has had limited success here. That’s because the discerning car buyer in India perceived Volvo as an expensive car to own and maintain. It never quite became the first choice, since German automobile makers like Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi were already well entrenched in the Indian market.

But with greater awareness and increased focus on performance and safety, Indian car buyers have begun to seriously look at Volvo as a car brand to own and drive. 2016 saw Volvo grow by 16% with the hope that 2017 will see it touch 20% growth.

Thus far, the Swedish car maker has eight luxury cars on roads in India and the S60 will be the ninth. Volvo has already launched the popular S90 in India and now the S60 Polestar will complement it nicely.

This completes the luxury car range and gives the company a better chance of competing with other leading car makers in India. The car enters the competitive segment that includes the premium cars like Mercedes C43 and CLA45 AMG, Audi S5 and the BMW 5 series.

Estimated price: Rs 52.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Let’s take a peek into what makes the S60 Polestar so special.

Highlights

  • Car Safety: This has always been a top priority for all Volvo automobiles. The Polestar comes with a City Safety feature that houses the powerful BLIS System Radar sensor to detect a possible collision and automatically apply the brakes. The car is designed to identify pedestrians and other vehicles that might cross its path at night and take evasive measures instantly. The Cross Traffic Alert feature enables the driver to be aware of vehicles beyond visual range, upto 30 meters, while reversing the car.
  • Full Driver Control: The car comes with Adaptive Digital Display that gives the driver all information about the car and comes with three adjustable themes – Elegance, Eco and Performance.
  • High Performance: The 4-Cylinder inline turbo-charged T6 engine is optimised to deliver maximum fuel efficiency and produce more torque for enhanced power.  
  • Aerodynamic Design: Volvo cars have always epitomised Scandinavian design and this carries through in the aerodynamic exterior design of the Polestar. The front splitters are designed to reduce airflow beneath the car, while the rear spoiler and diffuser add to the force-down of the body to enhance tyre grip and control. The design is compact yet very functional, without compromising on driver or passenger comfort.
  • High-quality Sound System: The S60 Polestar houses 12 high-fidelity Harmon Kardon speakers driven by the Dirac Live™ next generation amplifier software, for a complete immersive sonic experience.

Specifications

  • Car dimensions: Length – 4635, Height – 1484, Width – 2097
  • Automatic 8-speed All Wheel Drive
  • Engine: 1969 cc 4-cylinder inline engine with turbo and supercharger charger
  • Max output: 367 HP
  • Max Torque: 470 Nm at 3100-5100 rpm
  • Top speed: 250 km/h; 0-100 km in 4.7 seconds
  • Fuel Tank Capacity: 68 litres
  • Intelligent Driver Information System 1 (IDIS1)

Wheel and Brake

  • Front: Polestar/Brembo™ 6-piston brake calipers; 371x32mm ventilated, slotted and floating Brembo™ discs.
  • Rear: 302×22 mm ventilated discs
  • Rims: 20×8 Polestar bespoke Rims
  • Tyres: Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/35 ZR20 (95Y) XL

Safety features

  • Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Blind Spot Information System with CTRA
  • City Safety
  • Collison Warning
  • Lane Keeping Aid
  • Park Assist Camera
  • Rain Sensor
  • 2-step airbags driver and passenger side; passenger airbags; cut-off switch passenger airbag
  • Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
  • Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
  • Electrical Parking Brake
  • Drive-away release, Parking brake
  • Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC)

With the attractively priced S60 Polestar, Volvo is all set to corner the high performance mid-sized luxury sedan market in India.