Car News

Volvo's Next-Generation Polestar Models Will be Hybrids

We're looking forward to seeing what Volvo does to turn its big 2017 Volvo S90 and V90 into high-performance models to rival the quickest German sedans and wagons and, apparently, so is the Swedish luxury car maker.

At the recent Detroit auto show, the UK's Autocar magazine had a chat with Volvo bosses, who said the newest members of the Polestar family won't arrive for another two years, but that they will be "very exciting... and different" and will "shake up the market."

Put that together with previous comments about Volvo's desire to "optimize" the T8 plug-in hybrid drivetrain currently used in the 2017 Volvo XC90 crossover, and there's a very definite possibility the next Polestar models will be hybrids too.

Volvo isn't the first automaker to talk about using electricity to boost performance: The next VW GTI will likely be a hybrid, and Volvo seems comfortable with sacrificing electric-only driving range in favour of faster forward motion, as Acura does with its latest NSX.

They've got a ways to go, though, if they want the new Polestars to keep up with Germany's fleetest of fleets: In the XC90, the PHEV setup makes 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque; that's a long way off a BMW M5's 560 hp and 502 lb-ft, or the 577 hp and 590 lb-ft in a Mercedes-AMG E 63.