It's taken a while to get to South Africa, but finally the fire-breathing Volvo S60 Polestar is here.

Highlights

– Hardcore handling

– 258kW T6 engine

– Only 25 coming to South Africa

When you think of premium performance sedans, the likes of BMW's M, Audi's RS and Mercedes-AMG come to mind. Volvo is not a brand that you associate with performance, but the performance arm Polestar is trying to change your perceptions. The Volvo S60 Polestar is the flagship S60 and if this wild blue sedan drives as outrageous as it looks, then we could be in for some fun. Previously, the closest we could get to Polestar goodness was through approved dealership plug-in engineupgrades which gave you a little more power through an electronic remap. The Volvo S60 Polestar is a whole lot more than that.

Power comes from a tuned version of Volvo's 3.0-litre T6 engine. Pushing out 258kW and 500Nm, this vehicle is offering a lot of grunt and when compared to other premium performance sedans, it offers on par outputs. Top speed, much like the Germans, is a regulated 250kph.Performance is respectable, with the 0-100kph sprint dispatched in 4.9s thanks to an all-wheel drive setup and it'll hit 200kph in 17.7 seconds. In comparison, the normal Volvo S60 T6 R-Design does the same sprints in 5.9s and 20.9 seconds respectively.

It's not all about straight line performance however. Volvo Polestar has had considerable successes in the motorsport environment and successfully took on the dominant Holden and Ford brands in the Australian Touring Car Champions. To make a great race car, you need quality handling and brakes and Polestar has transferred its knowledge from the track into the road car. There areÖhlins shock absorbers, 80% stiffer springs and upgraded Brembo brakes which should ensure that the Volvo S60 Polestar turns and stops sharply.

We'll be driving the Volvo S60 Polestar at Red Star Raceway in Gauteng next week. Look out for our first impressions as we see if it can provide outright thrills without compromising on premium and luxury.

Volvo S60 Polestar Price in South Africa

The Volvo S60 Polestar will cost R735 000 and comes with a 5 year / 100 000km warranty and maintenance plan as well as a 5 year / unlimited mileage roadside assistance. There are only 25 cars coming to South Africa so we can say easily this is going to be quite a collector's piece.

Video