► CAR lives with Volvo's sporty S60
► It's a Polestar-fettled PHEV
► Colin gets to grips with his new long-termer
Two promises about things I won't do. First, I won't go on about the weirdness of this hotted-up Volvo plug-in hybrid wearing a Polestar Engineered badge. Polestar, now a standalone brand and not just a Volvo sub-brand, is heading rapidly to full electric, but in the interim is still slapping its name on products conceived when that narrow mission wasn't so clear. It just is.
And second, I won't go on about how tricky it is to make maximum use of a plug-in hybrid's electric capability in a blame-dodging attempt to explain why I keep driving around with a near-empty battery. Rather, I shall make it my business to make maximum use of the electric capability. (Probably. On a good day. When I can be bothered.)
The extraordinarily long name does a pretty good job of serving as this car's bio, but there are one or two points I need to expand upon.
Volvo S60. Yes, the saloon, although this current generation is quite swoopy – a bit coupe, a bit muscle car, a lot Polestar 1. But in practical terms yes, four doors and a boot, so it's a proper saloon.
Recharge. That's a badge they're bunging on anything with a plug – BEVs and plug-in hybrids alike. Bearing in mind that Volvo wants half its sales to be fully electric by 2025, they might want to order quite a lot of these badges.
Plug-in Hybrid. There's a charging socket on the left, feeding an 11.6kW battery located centrally in the transmission tunnel, in turn powering an 87bhp electric motor that drives the rear wheels. There's still room for a 60-litre petrol tank and a 391-litre boot; front-drive S60s have a 427-litre boot. Quickest empty-to-full charging time is three hours; slowest is eight hours using a three-pin plug at home. I shall be exploring this over the coming months, with a phone full of charging-company apps and maybe – who knows? – the odd trip to the office chargers.
T8. The T is twin motor, the 8 signifies nothing in particular, just that it's more potent than the T6.
AWD. Yes, all-wheel drive, which is available only with the twin-motor versions of the S60.
Polestar Engineered. If you're feeling glib, you'll say that Polestar Engineered means yellow seatbelts and brake calipers, fancy adjustable suspension that nobody will ever bother to adjust (hang on... feels like I should make that a third promise) and a bigger price tag.
There's a bit more to it than that: serious stuff including Öhlins shocks with Polestar Engineered's own springs, six-piston Brembo brakes and lightweight 19in wheels, retuned transmission, a different grille, and a high level of interior trim – aluminium and leather, chiefly, rather than any of the innovative vegan/recycled materials featured in the XC40. There are also Polestar Engineered versions of the V60 and XC60, taking a similar approach.
Our test car clocks in at £57,810. That's £6710 of extras on top of the regular Polestar Engineered S60, although the S60 range starts at just under £40k, if what you want is a modern Volvo saloon.
No point in having the Polestar Engineered version if I'm not going to see what that chassis will do, and no point in having a plug-in hybrid if I'm not going to plug it in and find out how frugal it can be: whether it will really do the claimed 27 miles of electric-only running, whether the combination of petrol four and electric motor provides seriously quick acceleration, whether the all-wheel drive elevates the handling, and just how close I can get to the official fuel consumption figure (involving extensive and wise charger deployment) of 104.5mpg.
Spec details of our S60 Polestar Engineered
The extra safety kit
This car is fitted with the £1600 Driver Assist Pack. That includes autodimming on the interior and exterior mirrors; Intellisafe Surround (which involves Blind Spot Information System, Steer Assist Cross Traffic Alert, Autobrake, Rear Collision Mitigation); Pilot Assist; and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Seriously, these are extras?
Yep, £50 for a seven-metre Type 2 cable; £685 for metallic paint.
The fun stuff
The £1675 Tech Pack includes a Bowers and Wilkins audio upgrade. The Lounge Pack, for £1700, features a 360º parking camera and powered panoramic sunroof. The £325 Climate Pack heats the outer rear seats and throws in a head-up display. The Power Seat option gives the front passenger parity with the driver, by providing power and memory to their seat for £400.
By Colin Overland
Logbook: Volvo S60 Recharge T8 AWD Polestar Engineered
Price £51,100 (£57,810 as tested)
Performance 1969cc turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder, 11.6kWh battery, 400bhp, 4.4sec 0-62mph, 112mph
Efficiency 104.5mpg (official), 28.6mpg (tested), 48g/km CO2
Energy cost 20.7p per mile
Miles this month 356
Total miles 865