The Motorist 03 | Page 34

A German and a Swede walk into a bar. Both of them have three litre turbocharged engines and sonorous six cylinder sounds. Both have four doors and enough boot space for a family. To make matters worse, both offer great performance and comfort. What do you choose? For any petrol-head, this may sound like a joke, but it isn’t. Looking at the Volvo S60 Polestar and the BMW 340i on paper can be a confusing affair, because the vehicles are nearly one and the same. The differences lie when you get behind the wheel of both cars. For starters it must be said that the S60 was at a disadvantage here. The Volvo is more dated than the newly facelifted BMW 340i and you notice that straight away when you’re in the cabin. Although well built, you can see that a new car is due soon, which it is, but we’ll touch on that later. A combination of Alcantara and leather is the trim Volvo chose for their performance version of the S60. Seats that are well bolstered but exceptionally comfortable add to the sporty ambience in the cabin. As usual Bluetooth systems and technology items are standard in the car, but when you have 258kW at your disposal your attention gravitates more to that. Upon pressing the “start” button is where you see the real magic of this car, because a very fruity engine tone comes alive. If you’re out to annoy neighbours and the elderly going for walks, the Polestar should be your vehicle of choice. This is because when the car is engaged to Sport Mode, the noise doubles and the car becomes almost as loud as its blue paintwork. Naturally one doesn’t imagine a Volvo as a car designed for apexes and tight corners, but that’s what you get in the Polestar. Aided by a four wheel drive drivetrain, the Volvo is able to corner confidently without any fear from the “Naturally one doesn’t imagine a Volvo as a car designed for apexes and tight corners, but that’s what you get in the Polestar” driver. At this point one may think the car would be the preferred choice between itself and the BMW, but the Polestar is not without fault. Again it goes back to age, since its six speed automatic is not nearly as fast as the 340i’s gearbox. For everyday use the gearbox cannot be faulted since it’s smooth and comfortable. When it comes to the fast stuff though, the eight speed automatic in the BMW outshines the Volvo’s gearbox without question. As a result, this drastically changes the personality of the Volvo Polestar. It’s essentially a comfort orientated car that looks good and can go fast, whereas the BMW 340i is a performance sedan that can be driven civilly. The 340i with its new engine drives with a sense of eagerness that often needs to be reined in as it so quickly runs through its gears. You would not be ridiculed for believing that the BMW has a double clutch system in the 340i. The setup in the car works so well, even though it only offers 240kW of power, it is faster than the Volvo too. Interior trim levels of the 340i also reveal the newer age of the BMW, which is more modern than the Volvo. That being said, the Volvo is more comfortable as an everyday commuter but the BMW 340i is no back breaker, even in Sports Package guise. For someone looking in this segment, it may seem like a tough choice between the two, depending on who you are of course. It’s a reality that people buy cars based on appeal and as similar as these two cars are, they speak to different people. The BMW 340i is the car a younger person buys when they assume more responsibilities such as children. On the other hand the Volvo S60 Polestar is what a more mature person would consider when looking to add excitement to his/her life. It’s still a Volvo by heart, but with a brutish child lurking within. This may all change quite soon though because a new Volvo Polestar is due, one that features a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine. It promises more power (270kW to be exact), more excitement and hopefully an updated gearbox. So even though the BMW 340i won this round since you cannot buy the current S60 Polestar, the fight will continue very soon. Prices: • • Volvo S60 Polestar: R735 000 (Sold Out) BMW 340i : R733 000 By Francisco Nwamba