Is the Polestar optimisation worth it for a 2010 XC60?
 

Hi,

I'm considering the Polestar upgrade at my local dealer, though they are charging nearly £700 for a 20 BHP improvement (plus some changes to the auto gear changes).

I have a 2010 D5 Auto.

Is it worth it, are there other/better options for similar or less money?

I live in Stockport.

Thanks.

It would be the first thing I would add, you might want to wait until its on offer and ask the dealers if they have one that has had it done already for you to try.

I had an XC90 that had it on for the day when mine was in for service a few years back and boy did that shift, had one of those slip road/rear view mirror moments never to forget!

its the torque and gearbox optimisation that make it special, not about hp.

I've a 2015 D5 AWD Geartronic with Polestar & yes it makes a difference.

Using it in normal auto mode the car has a bit more grunt than standard & is generally a bit more responsive than a non-polestar car (I had a 2012 D5 AWD Auto to compare).

Sticking it into Sport unleashes the beast, the car accelerates with a lot more urgency from low speed/standing starts. At higher speeds the car changes down readily without having to bury the throttle to trigger the kickdown switch.

Mpg impact I've not really noticed a major hit, the car reports about 36-37mpg mixed driving which is around what the previous car was returning.

On a run at a fairly steady speed I'm getting about the same Mpg as well.

I'm glad I spent the £695 to have it mapped when I purchased the car.

The little blue badge also looks great on the Caspian Blue paintwork as well

I’ve got a 2010 S80 D5 SE Lux with the Polestar upgrade and it does make a huge difference, especially in-gear acceleration times it is damn fast and makes overtaking a breeze, I did have the same car without Polestar and whilst good, this is far, far better and the fuel consumption hasn’t suffered to much...

There will always be other decent options such as MTE and Shark Performance remaps. Whilst the Polestar is now the sporty partner for Volvo, the dealer charge is silly for what it is.

I have a MY2009 D5 Auto with official Volvo Heico chip tune.

Is it worth it?
No idea.
I've never driven a D5 Auto without the tune, so cannot say if it is "better" or "worse".
I actually have no idea if my car is "under powered", or "over powered".
It just is what it is.

I suggest Polestar is the same.
Unless you have knowledge of what standard performance is like, you will have no ability to assess whether the Polestar change makes any difference to your vehicle and driving style whatsoever.

Apart from the badge on the back of the car.
And the paperwork in the vehicle manual.
And the hole in the bank account.