Hey,

I have a 2015 XC60 with the T5 Drive-e engine (in Australia), and I just got an email from Volvo saying that the Polestar upgrade for my car is now available.

Just wondering 2 things:

1) Is it simply a software upgrade?
2) Is it a worthwhile upgrade? Like is the change actually noticeable?

Interested to hear peoples opinions.

Thanks.

Cheers,
Chris

 

It is just software. I haven't done one on a Drive E, but it is noticeable in previous engines.

 

Hi Chris,

I'm from Australia and just got my 16 xc60 T5 yesterday, and I did ask the same question to the salesman and he said he wouldn't recommended it on a T5 model as the performance improvement won't worth the money.

Normally you will get 10% more power means 240hp + 24hp while you paying over AU$2000.

Cheers,
Sean

 

I'm from South Africa and I have the 2012MY D5 AWD. I can definitely recommend the Polestar Tuning. Forget the stats and the graphs I will talk more about the experience:

Taking the car in for the Polestar Tuning is simple and doesn't take long, basically its a software download that gets loaded onto the car. Then a neat little blue badge gets placed next to the decals on the back of the car.

The technician at Volvo told me that I should just drive the car normally for the next 300km and the system would be calibrating and getting used to my driving style and then after the 300km I would start to feel a real difference. After about 68km I was already feeling a difference and that gradually improved; I'm not sure if it took exactly 300km to do its thing, but for me the changes after 200km of driving if there where any were not very noticeable.

So what are the changes? For me this was a few things... The reason I wanted the Polestar was that I found the D5 in its factory settings to be really sluggish at getting on the go. If you pushed the accelerator it would take a moment to gather up its skirts and then start moving. Granted once it got going it had a fair amount of talk and speed but that direct driving feel was not there. With Polestar this behavior is vastly better, the car is a lot more responsive and the power is delivered in a smooth and predictable way. Its not perfect, but considering that it is a turbo assisted diesel engine pushing almost two tons of weight around its pretty damn good!

The other changes I noticed is that the car feels really fast now. Enough to put a grin on my face and I used to drive a Manual C30 T5 which has a serious power to weight ratio and is very fast.

The engine also feels smoother especially under acceleration, there are times where I am surprised that a diesel could feel this well mannered.

For me the driving experience is now more refined, I can get more out of the car without having to thrash it. There were incidents before where I would have to really stab that accelerator to the floor during over-taking maneuvers (especially on hills) now there is no need the car responds as it needs to without any drama.

And lastly I have experienced some improved fuel economy. This could be due to my driving style, but I find that the car now gets up to speed quickly and then I can cruise without using too much fuel, Before Polestar I was averaging 8,3 to 8,7 L/100km now I'm getting 7,5 to 8,1L/100km. Cruising on a flat road between 70kmph and 90kmph I can get 5,8km/100km according to the onboard computer and I find when coasting or going down hills the indicator will fall to 0.0km/100km far more readily than it did before.

Is it worth the money? Now that I have done it I think so, I have no buyers remorse. In fact if I get another Volvo in the future I will definitely want to get it again. Is it for everyone? I'm not sure... I really enjoy driving so I appreciate these things and feel the difference they make but for some people it may not be their cup of tea.

 

Totally agree with the salesmen advise. You cannot get more juice from T5 anymore, volvo almost tune to max.

i owned xc60 t5 (MY2012) - same engine as s60, this engine is really lack of power. The spec on paper looks great and it does not exist in real life.

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Good luck.

 

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how much is the tune in the US? If it is $1500 for 8% increase.... I don't think it is worth the money.

 

I've seen $1300 for the T5. It gives a 15+% increase in torque, which is all that really matters for a street car. It also supposedly improves throttle and shift response, which may be worth more than the power increase. It would be good to hear from others who have actually tried it though.