Chris Evans Volvo V60 Polestar: Yes, the super-sensible Scandi-bore has turned into a super-fast Swede

By Chris Evans Event for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 22:01 GMT, 20 December 2014 | Updated: 22:01 GMT, 20 December 2014

Volvo V60 Polestar                                                                                   ?????

Last week I presented the inaugural BBC Music Awards. 

This meant I got to see many of the world’s current greatest musical artistes perform live from about 10ft away, plus I got to spend two hours standing next to Fearne Cotton, one of the most beautiful, lively and likeable females on the planet. 

Lucky Chops, that’s me. As my ex U.S. manager Bernie Brillstein’s autobiography was entitled, Where Did I Go Right? A rollercoaster of a read, by the way, and one that I highly recommend.

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The Volvo V60 Polestar is not a model per se – it takes its name from the engine-tuning company responsible for its titivation, like Mercedes does with the AMG brand

Another upside of hosting a show like The BMAs is mandatory weight loss. 

I refuse to do any big telly gig unless I am back to my Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush fighting weight of 78.8kg.

By the skin of my teeth, I just about managed it this time around thanks to two months of active (and very reluctant) shuffling. 

Some refer to a similar activity as jogging, but that really would be overstating the point where I’m concerned. 

Anyhow, shuffling was the key, combined with keeping a mental lock on the biccie tin, bread bin and any other vessel containing anything brown or beige that was edible. 

Brown and beige foods really are the rocket fuel of the fatty’s world: chocolate, chips, crisps, pasta, peanuts, pork scratchings. 

You name it, if it’s brown or beige and you can’t leave it alone, you’re heading for a gastric band.

I liked the simplicity of the dials and dash, but the radio was a bit fiddly and the gearstick was a bit too close to the control panel. It didn’t interfere with any operation, but it just looked like it might

As the awards show was my incentive to get a thin on, this was in direct contrast to the costume dilemma of my little boy Eli in his first nativity. 

This required him to wear a little fat suit as he needed to bulk up for his first serious character role of Mr Claus (one of about ten). 

I remember having to do a similar thing for a gang show once, except my call to arms was as a diddy man. How our requirements change over the years. As do our desires.

Which brings me neatly on to this week’s car, a Volvo.

What the car’s really about is the driving. She really does go like en råtta upp ett stuprör

I now look at Volvos with the real possibility of owning one, a concept I still have trouble getting to grips with. 

I don’t believe anyone, not even Abba, grew up even slightly wanting to own a Volvo. Sure, they’ve changed a lot. Not Abba, Volvos. 

But they’re still Volvos, whichever way you look at them, even in the dark. 

Quite how my own Volvo epiphany came about, I’m not sure. 

I just remember looking at one earlier this year and thinking, ‘Mmm, yes, I get that. I could go for one of those.’ 

Shortly after which I may have passed out.

And what do you know, look what we have here, right on cue, a souped-up Volvo V60, and what’s more, it’s a limited-edition model to really sway the argument in Sweden’s favour. 

It’s properly limited, too – only 750 will be produced worldwide and just 125 are destined for the UK.

That said, the V60 Polestar is not a model per se – it takes its name from the engine-tuning company responsible for its titivation, like Mercedes does with the AMG brand. 

Though, if anything, this makes it even more attractive, thanks to some mighty improvements.

The engine is, as you’d expect, the biggest, fastest (and thirstiest) in the V60’s history thus far, at three litres (petrol), 350bhp and 0-60 guaranteed in five seconds. 

All very impressive, which it needs to be as this car costs 20 per cent more than the equivalent BMW 335i M Touring and nearly 25 per cent more than the Audi S4 Avant.

My wife wanted us to keep the Fiat purely because of the colour... It’s called Rebel Blue, and I have never had as many female members of the species comment on the colour of any car as they did with this one. Weird

      CHRIS EVANS: Absolutely Fabia-lous? ...well, not quite. Skoda’s zippy new super-mini is superb in so many ways – and I even grew to love the lurid yellow. But, oh, my aching back 19/02/15   CHRIS EVANS: At first, the new Tesla is perfect – but drive 200 miles and it turns into an... electric shocker 12/02/15   CHRIS EVANS: Yikes! It's a Porschesaurus: It's big, it's bulky - it's utterly fabulous to drive. But does anyone need a sports car as huge as this monster? 05/02/15   CHRIS EVANS: Small but (almost) peu-fectly formed: It has an epic pedigree to live up to and the 208 GTi succeeds thrillingly – if you ignore the Barbie-sized rear seats 29/01/15   CHRIS EVANS: Mazda la vista, January: Yes, it’s goodbye ‘Dryathlon’ – and if that’s not exciting enough, here’s a new Mazda 3, full of amazing extras... and less than £25k 22/01/15   CHRIS EVANS: The perfect formula to beat the January blues? An alcohol-free beer, an Indian takeaway and the best-looking hatchback on the planet 15/01/15   CHRIS EVANS: Bang go my New Year's revolutions: I’d resolved not to fall in love with every German car I tested in 2015. But (damn and blast it!) this Audi TT is practically perfect 08/01/15   CHRIS EVANS: Supercar speed, space-age controls – McLaren’s new 650S isn’t only the pride of Britain, it’s the best car in the world. Over to you, Ferrari... 29/12/14   CHRIS EVANS: My kings of the road: An Italian supercar, a classic camper, a vintage Roller and two plucked from the bargain bins 22/12/14   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE One of my favourite things about the Polestar is it’s one of the new crop of cars that comes fully loaded as standard, the motor trade’s answer to Dolly Parton. 

I think this is a blessed relief, otherwise, when it comes to the spec, you always end up skimping on something that you later regret. (I know a guy who spent over a million on a LaFerrari but opted not to go for the sat-nav because it was a few grand extra. What are they putting in his tea?)

The only thing left to consider then for the prospective Polestar owner is the colour, unless, of course, like me you’re driving the demo model. 

This is the second car I’ve been sent this year in this new blue that seems to be all the rage (the other was a Fiat 500).

Gentlemen, you really need to know about this , as for some reason the ladies love it. 

My wife wanted us to keep the Fiat purely because of the colour. 

She went equally gooey over the Polestar, but not nearly as gooey as the lady who made a point of walking 50 yards from one side of the car park to the other just to tell me how much she loved it, too. 

It’s called Rebel Blue, and I have never had as many female members of the species comment on the colour of any car as they did with this one. Weird.

Colour aside, the rest of the car is pretty impressive, with its choice Polestar-added kicks and flicks, racier seats broken up with flashes of Alcantara (can we have some on the steering wheel please Mr Polestar?) and a delicious-sounding exhaust note (except at idle, when it sounds more like a broken window slat flapping in the wind).

What the car’s really about, though, is the driving. She really does go like en råtta upp ett stuprör (Swedish for ‘a rat up a drainpipe’ – why not?). 

She actually made me dare myself to plant my foot the moment I began to turn into a corner just to see how much I could push it before any twitchiness came into play. It never did, by the way.

And the brakes, the brakes, oh those brakes! Polestar invited Brembo to the party and they’re having a right knees-up, Marvellous. Whether you’re a stamper or a squeezer, you’ll absolutely love them.

£48,310, volvo.co.uk 

Engine 3.0-litre petrol 

Transmission Six-speed geartronic with all-wheel drive 

Power 350hp 

0-60mph 5.0 seconds 

Top speed 155mph 

Fuel consumption 27.7mpg 

CO2 emissions 237 g/km 

Tax band L (£485/year) 

And now to the Volvo safety chest: in-screen warning lights for distance control (these really did make me drive more sensibly and I liked their company); lane-change alert; speed-limit alerts; full emergency auto brake; fog light illumination when braking hard (nice) and – get this – whiplash-protection system. I could go on but I won’t – it’s all in the brochure. 

I also liked the simplicity of the dials and dash, but the radio was a bit fiddly and the gearstick was a bit too close to the control panel. It didn’t interfere with any operation, but it just looked like it might.

All in all then, very good. But, but, but...

What you have to consider is that price difference between the Polestar and the BMW and the Audi.

‘She goes like a rat up a drainpipe but comes with a hefty price premium compared to the BMW and Audi’

It is quite significant, and both those cars have a bigger boot and are only a tad slower at 0-60 – half a second in the case of the 335i and only 0.1 of a second where the A4 Avant is concerned.

I like the look of the V60 more than the BMW (something else I never thought I’d say), but I prefer the Audi out of the three by a country mile. 

And as much as I love a (low numbers) limited-edition, I’m not sure I love it to the extent of £7,790, which is how much more I would have to fork out if I passed on Germany (which I wouldn’t) and switched to Sweden instead.

DRIVE TALKING

WHAT'S HOT ON THE ROAD THIS WEEK

With NICK BAGOT

IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE 

Mini has released details of its most-powerful car yet, the new John Cooper Works three-door hatch. The racylooking model comes with 228bhp (10 per cent more than its predecessor), good enough for 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, and has upgraded suspension, steering and brakes, plus a stack of interior modifications designed to enhance the driving experience. It goes on sale in April, priced from £22,865. 

SOMETHING SEXY AT 60 

Aston Martin turns 60 next year, and it’s building six extra-special Vanquish cars to celebrate, showcasing the firm’s personalisation arm, Q By Aston Martin. All will be subtly different, and each tailored to reflect one of the six decades the marque has been in existence. Under the bonnet the mechanicals remain standard – so that means a 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine, eight-speed auto gearbox and 0-60mph time of 3.6 seconds. Price is on application, but they won’t be cheap... 

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