Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Volvo XC90 gets mild Polestar upgrades, and more could be on the way

By

Volvo XC90
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Volvo’s recently-purchased Polestar performance division is going to work on the XC90 SUV, but the upgrades will remain mild for now. While Volvo won’t release a full-blown XC90 Polestar just yet, this bodes well for the brand’s performance future.

The upgrades will likely be similar to the Polestar tweaks already made available for other models that use the Drive-E series of efficiency-focused engines. That means software tweaks affecting things like throttle response and shift speeds, rather than hardware upgrades. This may not produce any significant performance changes on paper, but it will give the XC90 a sportier feel.

Recommended Videos

The Polestar treatment will only be offered on the XC90 T6 and D5 models initially. The T6 will be sold in the U.S., but Volvo did not say specifically whether it would offer accompanying Polestar upgrades here as well. Also not mentioned was the XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, although Volvo has said that it plans to offer a Polestar-tuned plug-in hybrid at some point.

Polestar started out as an independent company selling Volvo performance parts and racing the company’s cars. It grew more closely aligned with Gothenburg through factory-backed racing efforts, and the recent S60 and V60 Polestar factory hot rods. Volvo purchased Polestar outright earlier this year, and is expected to turn the brand into a Swedish rival for the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG.

That means a more comprehensively-upgraded performance version of the XC90 is still a possibility. Polestar’s chief operating officer, Niels Möller, recently said that Polestar is looking at every model in Volvo’s lineup as a potential project, and that an XC90 Polestar could help cash in on the current popularity of SUVs. Between the BMW X5 and X6 M, Mercedes-Benz GLE63 AMG, and Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR, there’s certainly no shortage of hot-rodded luxury SUVs right now.

Another model would also help Volvo reach its sales goals for Polestar. While the idea of a performance Volvo is still somewhat niche, the company believes it can grow sales from 750 units this year (with just 265 imported to the U.S.) to about 1,500 per year in the medium term.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more