Volvo’s Polestar to launch first model in 2019

Not a Volvo, not a Volvo, not a Volvo. The order books open today. Fellow Swedish brand Koenigsegg was consulted in the early stages of the carbon fibre project for it’s the very first time Volvo has used the material to this extent.

They plan to make Polestar, now the name of Volvo’s performance range, a separately-branded electric performance vehicle brand.

“Our vision is that the Polestar subscription model and services that we will offer will define the Polestar brand as much as our cars will”.

The rear wheels will be powered by two electric motors with a total power output of 215bhp and these will be coupled to a Volvo Drive-E 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 377bhp to the front wheels.

Aside from the unimaginative name, the design looks quite rakish – we have a flowing roof with a good amount of glass, a muscular frame with massive fenders and what looks like a retractable spoiler on the trunk lid.

The Polestar 1 is a performance electric hybrid, but with the longest pure electric range of any hybrid auto in the world, we consider it an electric vehicle with support from an internal combustion engine. Polestar is now taking orders following the car’s launch in Shanghai, China, this week.

Following in the footsteps of Volvo’s new subscription service announced with the 2018 XC40, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s no hard sale in sight for the Polestar’s cars either.

The Polestar 1 coupe will be the new brand’s flagship sedan; sports a 600hp hybrid powertrain.

Polestar also sold performance packages for Volvos under the Polestar Engineered name.

To help counteract all of that weight when the vehicle is in motion, the coupe is also the first auto to be fitted with the Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi). The driver can also change the damper settings from within the vehicle should they wish through configurable driver modes.

The lightweight material is both adhesively and mechanically bonded to the rest of the car’s steel body. Generous use of carbonfibre gives it a lightweight construction, while the weight distribution as a 52 per cent rear bias.

The 1 and every subsequent model will be produced at bespoke Polestar production centre now being built in Chengdu, China.

The company expects to construct a maximum of 500 Polestar 1s a year in Chengdu, but to scale-up for future all-electric models.

As a effect, this is more than just a coupe version of the S90 Sedan, especially if we take into account the four-seater Polestar 1 has an ace up its sleeve when it comes down to the powertrain.

Typically snazzy Volvo cabin too.

Per Polestar, if performance is what you’re seeking, one major differentiating feature setting this auto apart from other electric vehicle competitors is what the company defines as Progressive Performance. One-upping Porsche’s new Passport scheme seem already, Polestar says it is looking to remove what it calls “the inconvenience of ownership”. There will be no deposit and a flat rate monthly fee will include insurance and maintenance, and access to Volvo’s wider range of cars should you need something bigger, smaller or SUV shaped for a specific journey.

Polestar’s first auto may not go into production for more than a year, but the automaker is coming out the gate momentum.