ArcaMax

There's a Volvo you may be very interested in if you're looking for something like a Porsche Macan GTS that looks like a Volvo.

A Volvo with close to twice the standard power -- and for about $15,000 less to start than what comes standard in the Macan GTS.

What It Is

The Volvo XC60 is a compact crossover made by the Swedish brand known most of all for its safe vehicles. The XC60 T8 Polestar is an extremely powerful -- and very quick -- Volvo that can safely make mincemeat of a Porsche Macan. Because it is powered by a turbo-supercharged engine augmented by a powerful plug-in hybrid system.

Prices start at $47,050 for the base B5 Core iteration of the XC60 -- and that one comes standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder/mild-hybrid drivetrain that touts 247 horsepower, which isn't much less than you get in the base trim Porsche Macan -- which looks like a Porsche. It also has a 2.0-liter four and touts 261 horsepower -- and costs $62,900 to start.

The T8 Polestar iteration of the XC60 lists for $75,200, but for that you get a modified version of the 2.0-liter/hybrid drivetrain. One that touts 455 horsepower and 523 foot-pounds of torque as well as the capability to travel about 36 miles without burning any gas at all, assuming you left it plugged in to charge overnight.

For a lot more money -- Porsche money -- you could also buy the most powerful iteration of the Macan, which is the GTS, which lists for $89,000. And for that you do get a larger (2.9-liter) V6 engine but not as much horsepower (434) nor the plug-in capability, because this one's not a hybrid.

What's New for 2025

The XC60 carries over essentially unchanged -- with a few trim designation changes.

What's Good

-- T8 Polestar is a Porsche slayer -- that looks like a Volvo.

-- A plug-in Porsche slayer that can run without burning any gas.

-- Interestingly different from the rest.

What's Not So Good

-- Ride might be too firm for some.

-- Some of the fun functions -- such as being able to stream movies through the LCD touch screen -- are turned off unless you're parked.

-- Even though it's less expensive than a Porsche Macan, it's still expensive.

Under the Hood

Like so many other crossovers, the XC60 comes standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a "mild hybrid" system that shuts off the engine when the vehicle isn't moving (or coasting/decelerating).

This combo makes 247 horsepower, output that's competitive with the other 2.0-liter fours you'll find under the hoods of so many other crossovers. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The point is that there's nothing special about that.

What's very special is the 2.0-liter four and plug-in hybrid combo that powers the T8 Polestar iteration of the XC60. It has a turbocharger and a supercharger, plus the power of a pair of high-output electric motors. This ensemble summons 455 horsepower and 523 foot-pounds of torque -- enough to get this Volvo-looking crossover to 60 mph in just over four seconds. Which makes this Volvo quicker than every Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini made during the '70s and most of them into the '80s and '90s.

It can also be driven for about 36 miles on battery power alone, which makes this Volvo a fuel-flexible vehicle as well as a (temporarily) "zero emissions" vehicle. You can run on gas -- or electricity. And you don't have to stop -- and wait -- for electricity.

On the Road

Did this Volvo just do a wheelie?

It feels like it did -- when you floor the pedal from a dead stop and 500-plus foot-pounds of torque come online. But this is an all-wheel-drive ride, so instead of getting air under the front tires -- and leaving rubber all over the road -- it grabs the asphalt like a startled cat sinking its claws into your flesh and jumps forward so immediately it takes a long second for it to register in your head what just happened.

This is, after all, a Volvo.

And Volvos are not supposed to accelerate like Porsches. This one does, which is a form of entertainment that's as rare as it is delightful. Chiefly -- as regards the latter -- because no one expects it. Not your friend or wife who just got their neck adjusted when you punched it -- and not the Porsche Macan driver sitting in the next lane over at a red light waiting for the light to turn green.

Then it does -- and he's still sitting there. Wondering what just happened. It's not possible! How could it be? And then: I want my money back!

This Volvo also lives up to what's under the hood in the curves. The seatbelts auto-cinch tight as the cornering forces get close to 1G, which doesn't result in the tires losing their grip unless you do actually get close to pulling that many Gs. Push it some more if you have the skills; the Volvo's capabilities won't let you down. And when you've decided to settle in for the long haul, you'll enjoy seat heaters that get piping hot rather than just warm -- same goes for the steering wheel heater. It gets hot enough to heat through the gloves you may have thought you needed to wear.

Swedes don't mess around when it comes to such things.

At the Curb

The XC60 is a small crossover -- just 185.4 inches end to end -- but it is a Volvo crossover and so not shaped like a crossover trying to look like a 911, say. Like the Porsche Macan. Which does look 911-like. But that look costs space. The Porsche's only got 52.3 cubic feet of total cargo-carrying space versus 63.3 cubic feet for the Volvo, and because it sits lower -- to look like the Porsche it is -- it has less headroom for passengers inside.

In the Volvo, there is the same 38 inches of headroom for both the front and rear seat occupants -- because the XC60's roofline isn't low and doesn't slope toward the rear in order to make it look like it's something other than a crossover. And there's also 38 inches of legroom in the back, which means this Volvo crossover is just exactly that. Meaning, it is a practical vehicle that just happens to really haul the mail.

The T8's plug-in port adds to the image of practicality while also being practical. It is located where it ought to be -- for practicality -- up front on the driver's-side front quarter panel, which means you don't have to back the thing up to get close enough to reach the outlet on the side of your house or inside the garage.

The Rest

The T8 comes loaded, which means you get almost everything standard -- which means there are just a few cost-adding options available. Two of the few are a Protection package that adds all-weather floormats and a child seat booster package. This contrasts -- again -- with the Porsche Macan, which is also well-equipped as it sits but gets very expensive when you add a few of the numerous options available. A loaded Macan GTS -- which is already $89,000 to start -- can easily cost six figures when loaded.

And it still won't have as much power as the $75,000 -- loaded -- XC60 T8 Polestar.

The Bottom Line

If you're looking for a Porsche wolf in Volvo sheep's clothing, this is the one you've been looking for.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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