Volvo V60 T8 AWD Polestar Engineered – Part Six

Despite the popularity of SUVs, estate cars like the Volvo V60 continue to have many plus points.

The main advantage is that estates marry the cargo capacity of a small van with the comfort of a saloon or hatchback.

For instance, an estate car’s back seats tend to fold flat or almost flat. This creates an extensive load area, making them ideal for transporting different items.

To help with this, estates are also lower to the ground than SUVs. This means you don’t need to lift heavy items as high to get them into the load area. Plus, getting in and out of estate cars can be easier.

Estates usually provide a more satisfying drive than chunkier SUVs, too. Behind the wheel, they feel like saloon cars, and you don’t usually fork out much more at the pumps either.

Take the Volvo V60 T8 AWD Polestar Engineered as an example. This estate car fits a trio of people across its rear seats comfortably. But I should know, I’ve got three children, and they’re the first to whine if they’re squashed together.

The front passenger has loads of room, too. And as for the driver, you can sit all day in the V60 without feeling like you need a chiropractor at the end of your trip.

The four-cylinder petrol engine and a 65kW electric motor give the T8 enough clout to get from a standstill to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. With electrification thrown into the mix, you have a family estate car capable of calm, all-electric motoring for short urban journeys – like the school run.

Blend the electric motor and petrol unit, and you can get as much as 134mpg. Of course, the Volvo will run excellently without electrons, but you’ll only return mid-30s mpg. That’s no shocker, though – after all, the petrol-powered engine is turbocharged and supercharged.

As estate cars go, the Volvo V60 T8 takes some beating. It looks stylish; it’ll transport a family of five; it’s got muscle and only emits between 48 to 56gkm of CO2.

Fast Facts: Volvo V60 T8 AWD (Polestar Engineered)

• Max speed: 112 mph
• 0-62 mph: 4.6 secs
• Combined mpg: 113.0 – 134.4 mpg (WLTP)
• Engine: 1969cc, four-cylinder turbocharged & supercharged petrol (+ 65kW electric motor)
• Max. power (PS): 405
• CO2: 48-56 g/km
• Price: £53,300