2025 Volvo V60
Volvo still believes in drawing in their faithful customers to their station wagons. These longroof legends have been a part of Volvo’s history dating back to the PV445 Duett in the 1950s. They were study, roomy, and can do the job anywhere in the world.
Luckily, Volvo offers two station wagon lines. One of them is the compact 2025 V60. It is perhaps the smallest and mightiest longroof model in their lineup.
This one has a twist to it. Not only does it have the T8 plug-in hybrid driveline, but it has also been “Polestar Engineered.”
What does that mean? Before Volvo’s parent company spun off Polestar into a separate brand of electrified vehicles, it was the motorsports and tuning brand for the Swedish automaker. For those looking for a higher performance model than its R line, a Polestar version of a S60 or V60 was the one to covet.
Could this be a throwback to the days of V70 Polestar wagons?
The V60's overall design starts with the brand’s signature "Thor's Hammer" LED lights that split the front headlamp units to bridge the textured grille. The result is a sculpted look that keeps the V60 distinguished among its rivals. From there, the longer roof crowns a very handsome side profile, along with a third glass that is more three-dimensional in look and use. The rear liftgate is framed by a taillight design with the familiar vertical lens along the corners of the roof, carried through with another horizontal lens that cuts across most of the liftgate.
The Polestar Engineered model gets a blacked-out grille and 19-inch alloy wheels. The stance is lower, giving a sporting look and feel.
Instrumentation is fully digital with a navigation view in the middle of it. The center stack houses Volvo’s latest infotainment system lives inside a large portrait-oriented touchscreen. This screen also houses Google built-in, which drives most of the functions for interactivity. The clean design continues onto the console where the start/stop knob, the Orefors crystal shifter, and electronic parking brake are located. We should also mention the gold seatbelts that are part of the Polestar legacy.
The V60's cabin space offers a sportier version of Volvo's current interior themes. Our tester came in a black leather0cloth combination, offering front seat power adjustments for rake, recline, lumbar, and the cushion extender. The front bolsters keep you locked in when you take the V60 out for a spin.
Average-sized adults and children will find the rear seat to their liking. Out back, there is 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, 60.5 cubic feet with all seats down.
The Polestar Engineered V60 is the only small wagon with the powerful T8 plug-in hybrid driveline. It starts with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor at the rear axle. The electric motor is fed by an 18.8 kilowatt-hour battery pack. This drive system combined puts down 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic is connected to the drive system, ultimately sending power to all four wheels.
Performance is exceptional - and very quiet in Hybrid mode. Put it into Polestar Engineered mode and throttle response is quicker. It is still a quiet cruiser no matter if you’re on the highway or carving the curves. In terms of fuel economy, we averaged 33.0 MPG.
No matter what mode you put it in, this V60 T8 Polestar Engineered has some great driving dynamics and manners. The ride is solid, but the handling is truly superb. Tire grip was also great.
The steering system offers great feedback and a sharp turning radius. Steering weight can be adjusted depending on which drive mode you are in – which will become heavier in Polestar Engineered mode. The brakes are also solid with excellent stopping power in normal and panic situations. The system also can stop the car itself.
The 2025 Volvo V60 only comes in two models – the mild hybrid Cross Country and the plug-in Polestar Engineered model. The lineup starts at $50,300. Our Polestar Engineered tester arrived with a sticker price of $72,838.
The V60 Polestar Engineered may be a performance station wagon. Its competitors are only a few, including the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and the new BMW M5 Touring.
The station wagon appears to be a dying breed. Yet, Volvo still builds them. With the V60 Polestar Engineered plug-in hybrid model, the station wagon’s future is definitely secured for now.
Credits: CarSoup Editors
