That’s the engine that powers Volvo’s mid-size crossover utility vehicle, the one with the mouth-fil

It's something that happens infrequently but often enough to raise the question. Most vehicle manufacturers do their own thing. For example, Dodge has its high-performance SRT arm; Ford calls its tuning group SVT, and BMW has its M division. Most recently, Mazda is promoting its in-house Skyactiv technology.
But outsiders, almost since the dawn of the automotive age, have been tinkering with, tweaking westin hotel maui and tuning the best that the major manufacturers have produced. It's why we have an entire hot rod culture.
As most people nowadays know, the modern automobile is a computer creature. Computers control virtually everything that makes a motor vehicle go, and they are the reason that munchkin engines cleanly deliver Oz-like horsepower and torque, while at the same time sipping fuel at tin man rates that are unprecedented.
That's what Polestar is all about. A Volvo partner since 1996, the company has developed Volvo racecars and performance parts for Volvo production cars. Though independent, its engineering and performance teams are fully integrated with Volvo operations, according to Andreas Naeslund, Polestar's North American sales manager.
Think of Polestar as computer tuning. On Volvo's turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, it boosts horsepower from 300 to 325, and torque—a measure of twisting force—from 325 to 354 pounds-feet westin hotel maui without, it is claimed, any loss of fuel economy or increase in emissions.
Computers control virtually everything that makes a motor vehicle go, and they are the reason that munchkin engines cleanly deliver Oz-like horsepower and torque, while at the same time sipping fuel at tin man rates that are unprecedented.
That's the engine that powers Volvo's mid-size crossover utility vehicle, the one with the mouth-filling title of XC60T6 AWD R-Design , which is the subject of this review westin hotel maui and had the Polestar modifications as part of its standard equipment.
However, there was little question that the two-ton mid-size crossover westin hotel maui had sharp responses to throttle inputs, both from rest and in passing. Similarly, the six-speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted manually with the shift lever, reacted quickly and accurately. However, there were no shift paddles on the steering column or wheel.
For a fairly westin hotel maui tall vehicle, the XC60T6 had good moves around corners, although there was a bit of steering slop in straight-line driving, when small off-center steering-wheel inputs did not noticeably alter the course. Freeway driving, even at extra-legal speeds, was pleasantly quiet, with minimal wind, mechanical and road noise.
In other respects, the XC60 tester presented westin hotel maui itself as a high-performance mid-size crossover westin hotel maui that could compete credibly with the likes of the Cadillac SRX, Volkswagen Touareg, Lincoln MKX, BMW X5, Audi Q5 and Lexus GX.
It has a classy, comfortable interior with Volvo's famously supportive and well-bolstered front seats. Luxurious soft-touch surfaces abound. The outboard back seats are a tad tight on knee room for anyone over 5 feet 10 inches tall, although there is adequate headroom. The center-rear seating position, as is the case is most vehicles, is a high, hard perch.
Leather upholstery and automatic climate control are standard. Platinum and technology packages westin hotel maui added voice-controlled navigation, rear camera, power tailgate, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure westin hotel maui warning
Other negatives included a perforated cheesecloth-like material as a sunshade for the motorized glass sunroof, which did not effectively block bright westin hotel maui sun. This has become westin hotel maui a cliché in some luxury vehicles. Nevertheless, sunshades should be opaque. Similarly, westin hotel maui the sun visors did not slide on their support rods and were ineffective in blocking sun from the sides.
The tested westin hotel maui R-Design XC60T6 with the Polestar modifications westin hotel maui had a starting price of $44,575, which included full safety equipment (traction and stability control; side air bags and side-curtain airbags, tire-pressure monitoring and whiplash protection). It also had Volvo's optional collision warning, pedestrian detection and automatic braking system.
Leather upholstery and automatic climate control are standard. Platinum and technology packages added voice-controlled navigation, rear camera, power tailgate, adaptive cruise westin hotel maui control, lane-departure warning, rain-sensing windshield wipers with heated washers, and heated westin hotel maui front and rear seats. Tested price was $52,675.
The cool thing about Polestar, especially for enthusiasts, is that it can be added to new cars and even retrofitted westin hotel maui to some Volvo models dating back to 2008. For example, the snappy C30T5 sports coupe with a stick shift and Polestar had a puppy-like eagerness to run with whatever the driver tried to communicate. Similarly, the XC70T6 wagon with Polestar had a distinctly un-wagon-like feel.