Having modified a number of cars, the most recent was my 2001 NSX which I supercharged I understand your concern about reliability. When I went with a supercharger it was the most reliable out of the options available such as adding a turbo, etcetera. My experience with Infinity, Acura, Lexus, and others is that they test accessories as they must insure that they are bullet proof and will withstand ownership abuse during the warranty period. While I cannot legally get the polestar ECU upgrade for my 2017 XC90 T8 in California (Emission Issue?) I imagine it is just a bit of reprograming to adjust the timing, air fuel ratio, shift points, etcetera. They would have tested it in each engine. Most all new cars will retard the timing if any detonation occurs, which is why for the most part that 91 or higher octane is recommended. I really don't believe that it will effect the reliability of your car's drive train. Having said that, if you track your car then bets are off. Tracking your car puts it under tremendous stress and often leads to premature failures. But lets face it, it is a Volvo and Volvo drivers do not in general drive their vehicles hard? I mean until I got this car I considered Volvos only useful for old or very conservative drivers. I never thought I would ever purchase one. I am 71 now and I guess I just joined the old folks club. I still love to drive though and relish the fact that my T8 has 400hp and 472 ftlbs of torque. If I can get my hands on the software it would give me an additional 15hp and over 25 ftlbs of torque. That tells me that Volvo designed this engine to have a large range of power capability. So I expect it to be very robust block. Again, I am not going to try and track this puppy, because at over 5000 lbs. it is a bit on the heavy side. So if money will permit go for it and let us know what you think.
Manny

 

 

55k miles and still going strong - and fast . . .

 

I do have a new 2020 V60 Cross Country and it's peppy enough. With a T5 I am certainly not going to drag race it though. I went with Polestar upgrade and you can barely feel it. We aren't talking about installing a bigger turbo or anything. It probably increases horsepower by 10-15 and adds a little more torque. I have not had the car long enough to comment on any impact on reliability but I say if you want it just get it. These cars are not cheap and not to throw caution to the wind but, what financial impact does a little over a $1,000 option have on a car like that? Get it now and installed by Volvo so it's under warranty and forget it. You'll probably regret it if you don't.

 

If you went power then the T8 is the one for you, with 408 BHP - they really do fly. It seems odd to buy one and consider tuning it when there's a more powerful off the shelf model available anyway.

 

I considered the T8, but there are some barriers::

• It’s an $8000 upgrade that includes things I don’t want, like perforated leather.
• I'd need to get a home charger for around $2000 installed to get value.
• The battery only offers about 25 miles on a full charge.
• The warrantee on the battery is 100K miles. Assume it’s good for 200K. Cost to replace is currently $12-15K. I’d end up with a ten year old car worth maybe $5K that needs a $15K investment.

Overall, the utility and value weren’t there for the way I use a car.

 

It's also considerably heavier, although the weight is down low. With the battery helping out I suspect that the fuel/accleration is close to a wash but when the thing is cornering that mass can't be compensated for.