Remember the Volvo Coupe Concept? That’s the 2014 design study which debuted Volvo’s current design language and the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform. Also that was three years ago. Recently, Volvo’s subsidiary, Polestar, revealed a pre-production car, the Polestar 1, which looked to be a dead ringer for the Coupe concept. Coincidence? We think not, even though the auto maker has officially confirmed nothing. This car is Polestar’s first standalone hybrid ‘super’ coupe after its departure from Volvo. The Polestar 1 will form a halo for the Polestar brand.
The Polestar 1 is a two-door, four-seater Grand Tourer Coupé with an ‘Electric Performance Hybrid’ drivetrain. The Polestar 1 boasts of power figures that will put supercars to shame – 592bhp and 1000Nm. The 1 is powered by two electric motors driving the rear wheels. The motors are coupled with a Volvo Drive-E 377bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine powering the front wheels. The electric car is supported by an internal combustion engine which claims a range of 150 kilometres on pure electric power.
Appearance wise, the Polestar 1 looks like a coupe version of the S90 sedan. Even the cabin is akin to the Volvo brethren. The headlamps are Thor’s Hammer LED units similar to the ones seen in the recently launched XC40. Instead of a grille, there is a grid of sensors on the fascia. The 1 measures 4.5metres in length. The large sporty alloy wheels hide the Akebono six-piston brake callipers with 400mm discs.
The Polestar 1 is based on the same Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) as the Volvo S90. However, Polestar says that 50 per cent of its underpinnings are unique to the 1. For instance, the Polestar 1 is the first car to be fitted with the all-new Ohlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) technology. The bodyshell is carbon-fibre, thereby making it lighter and 45 per cent stiffer. Additionally, the 1 uses a double electric rear axle with torque vectoring.
The 1 can only be booked online and is offered with a two or three-year subscription plan. However, Polestar Spaces will surely come-up around the globe for a more personal touch of the brand. Polestar Spaces will be standalone facilities and not within existing Volvo retailer showrooms.
The Polestar 1 will be built at the Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China. The facility is currently under construction and is due for completion in mid-2018. Following the production of 1, Polestar promises an all-electric 2 model that will commence production in late 2019. It will be a mid-size battery-electric vehicle (BEV), a first from the Volvo Car Group. The Polestar 2 will rival the Tesla Model 3 and will be a volume product unlike the 1. Polestar also disclosed its plans of introducing an SUV as a third product which will be called the 3. Volvo and its parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding, have announced plans to invest 640 million Euros in the development of the Polestar brand.
