Polestar’s V8 Supercar-busting plug-in Volvo revealed

VOLVO’s performance tuning partner has turned out a plug-in hybrid wagon version of the V8-engined car that races in Australia – but with more twist from its diesel-electric drivetrain than the brawling track-only sedan version.

Polestar said its version of the hybrid Volvo V60 D6 wagon will produce 222 kilowatts from its combination of a 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel engine and 50kW electric motor, well down on the 428kW of the 5.0-litre V8-engined sedan-based racecar.

However, while the racecar version that uses a modified version of the 4.4-litre narrow-V Yamaha V8 produces 660Nm of torque, the Polestar-tuned version produces a combined 670Nm.

By way of comparison, the regular plug-in hybrid V60 produces 208kW of power and 640Nm, enough to push it from 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds. In Polestar’s hands, the plug-in V60 will complete the sprint 0.1 seconds faster.

Average fuel use, meanwhile, remains at an official 1.8L/100km with carbon dioxide emissions capped at 48g/km.

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The Polestar optimisation for the V60 D6 combines a strong fuel economy with performance,” Polestar marketing director Hans Baath said.

“We are happy to be able to offer the Volvo customers with more driving pleasure in combination with the latest hybrid technology, a very interesting area for the future,” he said.

The Polestar-badged car is available in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Volvo Australia has previously indicated the plug-in version of the V60 was an unlikely starter for Australia, with the car-maker instead interested in a plug-in version of the next-generation XC90 seven-seat SUV as its fuel-economy hero.

Volvo Australia flagged that it was keen to bring the plug-in V60 here as far back as when it was revealed in 2012, claiming it could become a halo model for the Swedish car-maker.