You’ll probably be hearing the Polestar name a bit more from now on. Since last summer, Volvo has wholly owned the road car tuning side of a business that has been dedicated to racing Volvos for 20 years. The Swedes are taking performance cars seriously again, which is an intriguing prospect given the firm’s exciting new product range over the next few years.
What that means in practise is more Polestar ‘complete’ cars such as the likeable but expensive V60 Polestar launched last year, and this: a range of official performance parts, available through your local dealer, for every model in the range. You can choose to buy the bits individually, or as a complete pack - as we have here.
On a V40 D4, that means a remap of the engine’s ecu combined with a new induction and exhaust system – they raise the peak power from 188bhp to 197bhp. That might not seem like a great deal, but of more importance is how the D4’s considerable torque swells from 400Nm to 440Nm. Reassuringly, the official warranty is not affected by these changes.
A bespoke spring and damper combination lowers the ride height by 10mm, while also firming up the suspension, and a set of 19” Polestar alloy wheels certainly gives this particular V40 greater road presence. There’s also a new rear wing with small, flip-up elements that are claimed to improve high-speed stability – and Polestar now has access to all Volvo’s testing facilities including their wind tunnels. A Polestar gear lever and among other trim parts are a subtle reminder of the £4,725 you will have spent attaining the complete pack.
The standard V40 D4 isn’t exactly a hot hatch, but with the latest Drive-E 4-cylinder engine it offers a compelling blend of style, performance and frugality. While it offers more power than a Golf GTD, it also boasts significantly better economy and emissions with 74.3mpg combined and 99g/km of C02 emitted. Polestar claims their software if anything makes it more frugal, but while that can’t be proved here and now, it does feel very potent through the gears while remaining acceptably refined. Our car featured Volvo’s latest eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is excellent when you’re just cruising but perhaps less impressive when you’re trying to make the most of the performance potential, despite Polestar’s attention to its shift programming.
With any ‘tuned’ car, there’s always a worry that the ride comfort will be sacrificed for increased cornering grip. Thankfully, thus equipped this V40 lives up to Polestar’s pledge of creating performance cars that can be used 365 days a year. The ride is a little abrupt around town, mainly due to the large wheels and tyres, but smoothens out at speed. What the changes can’t do is turn the V40’s mature, stylish demeanour into a genuine performance car: the steering lacks a sense of connection away from the straight-ahead, discouraging you from driving it quite as quickly as might otherwise be possible.