2025 Volvo V60 Polestar: Have I died and gone to Europe?

2025 Volvo V60 eAWD Polestar Engineered: A European touch?

Price: $72,445 as tested. No options on test vehicle.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver says “elegant design inside and out, SUV-matching practicality, available plug-in-hybrid model has scorching performance.” Its negging focuses in part on other models: “Base Cross Country model could use more power, some awkward infotainment controls.”

Marketer’s pitch: I can’t even find it on Volvo’s website.

Reality: A sporty wagon, and a touchscreen that’s not a nightmare? Is Mr. Driver’s Seat dreaming?

What’s new: This V60 model with the hot-rod hybrid system from Polestar was added for 2024; Volvo hasn’t even added an updated news release for 2025. They’re leading the automakers’ trend toward not changing things year in and year out.

I’ve driven a 2023 V60, so I can easily research whether some of the difficult features become easier with practice.

Competition: Audi A6 Allroad, Subaru Outback, Volvo V90.

Up to speed: As I’ve learned from other recent Polestar engineered Volvos, this makes all the difference. The combined 455 horsepower from the turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to the electric motor makes for plenty of oomph in there.

I was able to test the vehicle in all kinds of situations — hybrid for everyday driving, Polestar engineered for real performance, and constant AWD in some cold, rainy weather, and none of those seems to slow the V60 down all that much. Hybrid could leave a little hesitation during acceleration but nothing terrible.

And the numbers are impressive: Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds.

Shifty: The crystal shifter that is Volvo’s signature remains, with a tap up for Reverse and down for Drive or Brake mode, which activates regenerative braking of the battery whenever you let off the accelerator. Shifting the 8-speed Geartronic box happens with a tap to the left or right. This model doesn’t offer much for actually rowing through the gears; it’s just there for more of a slowdown function.

On the road: The handling of the V60 is really as nice as one would expect from a European wagon, easy to navigate and fun in the corners and turns.

Highway driving is equally comfortable, as the vehicle glides over tough road seams and stays right where you point it.

The different modes all seem to have handling that’s fairly agreeable. And operation is another feature I’ve gotten used to, even though it’s in the touchscreen — click on the gear icon on a lower right corner of the screen, click on the driving features bar, and then select from the button on the screen. A click of the gear gets the screen back to where it was.

Driver’s Seat: The V60 sits quite low to the ground, and the adjustment doesn’t let you raise too much; Mr. Driver’s Seat felt like he was peering over the edge of a tub. Watch those corners.

The seat offers plenty of support; some drivers may even find the bolsters a little too snug. It’s a very racing-style seat. The yellow seat belts are a thing, and I can’t decide whether they’re good or bad.

The gauges feature a dial speedometer on the left and charge info on the right, and fuel economy info at the bottom, everything you need.

Friends and stuff: The rear corner seats provide nice comfort, with plenty of room for legs and heads and feet. The seat back does not adjust, though.

I look at the center seat and, remembering I’m the third child of three, know who’d get stuck there. Don’t do it, parents. It’ll leave a scar. Tall hump plus a plastic tray on it; and the seat is more a perch.

Cargo space is 50.5 cubic feet with the seat folded.

In and out: The V60 actually sits as low to the ground as it feels, so climbing in and out is almost sports-car-like. The rear seat is especially challenging, with short door sills encroached by the rear wheel wells.

Play some tunes: A volume knob and a couple arrows can get you around outside the screen; otherwise it’s all in there.

Sounds from the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound is excellent, about an A. The usual array of concert hall and studio effects add to the bass-midrange-treble adjustments and enhance playback.

Keeping warm and cool: The HVAC controls sit at the bottom of the vertical screen. I find it easy to open things up at a glance thanks to the home button just below the screen. It allows me to orient my hands right to the driver’s side temperature and seat heating controls.

Once you hit that, the screen allows for all kinds of HVAC adjustments.

Here I am, not complaining about a touchscreen. Wonders never cease.

Fuel economy: I averaged about 27 mpg in the usual Mr. Driver’s Seat round of testing, including a couple holiday trips to King of Prussia. Pure mode offers 41 miles of electric power.

Where it’s built: Torslanda, Sweden. None of the parts come from the U.S. or Canada; 30% hail from Sweden and 15% from Finland. The transmission is from Japan.

How it’s built: Even the 3 out of 5 predicted reliability from Consumer Reports is pretty good for a Volvo.

In the end: Of course this would be the vehicle I fall in love with — one that’s impossible to find. Not like I can afford it.