The new 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country wagon and the new 2017 V60 Polestar wagon debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show today.
The V90 Cross Country completes the 90 Series line-up. Significant improvements have been made to both the S60 and V60 Polestars compared to the 2016 models, most notably a 362-horsepower version of Volvo’s Drive-E powertrain for the low volume specialty vehicles.
California is the world’s top market for Polestar vehicle sales, such as they are, with Los Angeles alone accounting for 64% of sales in the state so far this year. Only 200 Polestar performance models are headed for the U.S. out of a total run of ~1,500.
The 2017 Polestars are said to be the quickest cars Volvo has ever made. The new Polestar S60 sedan and V60 wagon run zero-to-60 mph in as little as 4.4 seconds with a (limited) top speed of 155 mph, powered by a specially-enhanced version of Volvo’s four-cylinder Drive-E powertrain.
The two new Polestar models begin the globalization of the Polestar brand.
Polestar has taken an original two-liter Drive-E engine from standard V60 and S60 models and added a bigger turbocharger, a supercharger, new connecting rods, new camshafts, a larger air intake and a higher capacity fuel pump to augment the engine, and matched it with a BorgWarner four-wheel drive system and the new Polestar-optimized eight-speed Geartronic automatic gearbox. Helping the F+MA equation, the Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar are 53 pounds lighter over the front axle and 44 pounds lighter in total compared to the previous model years.
The first road legal Polestar cars were launched in 2014 to limited markets. Today, Polestar is expanding the number of markets where Polestar cars will be sold, from 13 to 47 and doubling production volume from 750 cars a year up to 1500.
California also ranks number two in U.S. Cross Country vehicle sales.
“Our cars are well known for their safety, strength and durability. With All-Wheel Drive, increased ride height, and a chassis optimized for comfort and control in all weather and road conditions, the new V90 Cross Country takes our versatile V90 estate and adds the heart of an explorer,” said Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.
Volvo claims its Cross Country models fulfil an increasingly important part of the Chinese owned* automaker’s product portfolio as luxury car buyers “seek out a more experienced-based lifestyle that occasionally takes them off the beaten track.”
With some of the harshest winters on the planet and over 77% of the country covered in forest and lakes, Sweden is no doubt a good place to develop and test extreme durability and all-weather capable cars. This represents part of Volvo Cars’ heritage, reflected in the company’s Cross Country model line-up.
*Volvo Car Group in 2015
For the 2015 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 6,620 MSEK (2,128 MSEK in 2014). Revenue over the period amounted to 164,043 MSEK (137,590 MSEK). For the full year 2015, global sales reached a record 503,127 cars, an increase of 8% versus 2014. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010.
