The 2012 Volvo C30. Image: Volvo
Of all the reasons to buy a Volvo. “because I can have it tuned” probably doesn’t make the top ten very often. Nonetheless, Volvo does indeed have a corporate tuning partner, Polestar, which has developed a line of performance software for select 2008 and later Volvo models. If you own a C30, C70, S40 or (soon) a V50 with Volvo’s T5 engine, Polestar’s tune will net you an additional 23 horsepower and 29 lb.-ft. of torque.
Here’s the best part: your Volvo dealer will reflash the ECU for you, and the upgrade doesn’t impact your existing warranty coverage. Polestar claims that it won’t negatively affect fuel economy, either, but we suppose that depends on how much you enjoy your new tune. The price is a reasonable $1,295 installed, which is on par with tuning upgrades from other aftermarket vendors.
Polestar is the company behind Volvo’s racing efforts, and it’s worked its magic on the new S60 T6 R-Design, which gets a bump from 300 to 325 horsepower. Will the partnership between Volvo and Polestar result in more cars like the highly entertaining S60 T6 R-Design? We certainly hope so.
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
