In 2015, Volvo acquired Polestar, a company that specialized in modifying the Swedish manufacturer’s cars to enhance their performance. This week came the announcement that 100,000 vehicles around the world have been optimized by Polestar since its inception.
More good news for Volvo: sales of Polestar models hit record heights in the first five months of 2017, climbing past 12,000 units―a 30% increase in comparison with the previous year.
The preferred Volvo models for getting the Polestar high-performance treatment? The XC60, the XC90 and the V60, in that order. The three largest markets in terms of sales for the Polestar-optimized versions are China, Sweden and the United States.
In Canada, Volvo offers consumers the S60 Polestar sedan and the V60 Polestar wagon. In fact, Auto123.com has reviewed the latter model, a 367-hp limited edition.
Polestar’s new optimization process covers five aspects of the car’s powertrain: engine performance, throttle response, gearshift speed, maintaining of gears, and off-throttle response. All modifications are made while maintaining specs within emissions norms, and have no effect on Volvo’s recommended maintenance intervals or warranties.
Volvo also recently confirmed that Polestar will transition from gasoline to electricity, including both plug-in hybrid and all-electric formats; the technologies the company develops will then be applied to other Volvo models.