Remapping a XC60 - anyone tried it?

[Inglewood]

Has anyone tried remapping a XC60 to either increase its bhp from the standard 185bhp or/and its torque? Does the fuel mpg improve also?

My XC is a 2008/9 earlier version with 97k miles and possibly could do with a ‘little more’?

[AP90]

Hello Mark

As I understand it, there is what is called a "Polestar" upgrade which is essentially a Volvo approved upgrade/remap

However it is quite expensive, £600-900 give or take. Apparently this optimises performance and economy but has to be done via the Volvo dealership network, a search of the forum will bring up quite a few threads on this

How this would differ from a standard diesel tuning house and cost I am uncertain

Wiser heads than I will chime in shortly I expect.

I have a D4 AWD which is the slowest of the range, I don't have a beef with the performance but I have never towed with it but have carried large loads on long commutes with no problem

[MacV50]

I also have D4 AWD but I had Polestar done and it does make the car noticeably quicker without impacting mpg.

As mine is an auto, the gearbox shifting is also optimised so makes it more worth the cost. I do think Volvo should have a cheaper option for manual cars

There's likely to be plenty of tuning firms out there that could remap for much less money but I'm not sure they could do anything with the auto gearbox

[Easington]

Volvo will offer discounts on the Polestar Optimisation periodically.

I paid £374 for mine

[Inglewood]

Let’s hope there feeling generous soon as would like to get the official one from Volvo if at all possible but can’t afford the full massive list price cost

[Buckshot61]

Polestar is overpriced for a very small increase in power. It´s better to get BSR or Rica. They make a difference.

[Inglewood]

Are BSR and Rica both different brands or types of remapping units or brands?

[AndyJudge]

Mine's running a polestar remap & yes it makes a difference esp on an auto in sport mode.

Yes the increase isn't much but the driveability of the car is much better. Not noticed any drop in economy in fact in some situations I would hazard a guess to say it's improved a touch.

It's expensive but I did get mine on offer when I purchased the car which was been sold to me with Volvo warranty etc. so wanted to preserve this

On an older car yes maybe Rica or BSR will give you more bang for your buck.

[MacV50]

Originally Posted by Buckshot61

Polestar is overpriced for a very small increase in power. It´s better to get BSR or Rica. They make a difference.

Depends on the engine. My D4 5 pot went from 190 to 220bhp which is decent enough while still retaining full Volvo warranty. A 4 pot D4 only gets an additional 10 bhp for the same money. Perhaps Volvo should price the upgrade based on the BHP increase and also if you're also getting the gearbox optimisation

Appreciate warranty might not matter to some folk but I had mine done when the car was around a year old.

[DavidI]

Originally Posted by Inglewood

Has anyone tried remapping a XC60 to either increase its bhp from the standard 185bhp or/and its torque? Does the fuel mpg improve also?

My XC is a 2008/9 earlier version with 97k miles and possibly could do with a ‘little more’?

I have just PX'd my 2009 XC60 D5 SE Lux Auto which I had Polestar Optimised back in 2015.

My power increase from 205 to 225 bhp was moderate, but it was the increase in torque from 420 to 460 Nm which was the more noticeable, in part because it was delivered earlier in the power band than standard.

But my Polestar package was more than just this tickle to power & torque. What made the car feel different was their tweaks to throttle response / gear change points / holding onto gears longer. In short, my XC60 felt more alert.

The cost to me back then was a shade over £500, which I still feel was money well spent.

What put me off following the Rica / BSR route was the increase to my insurance premium. With the Polestar the cost was nil and the remainder of my Volvo Selekt warranty remained valid.

Through all the years I have owned Volvo's I have documented all my fuel expenses, calculating them manually rather than relying on the unreliable computer figures. One fact with the Polestar Optimisation is the fuel economy remained unchanged, just as they claim.