Polestar 1 makes world debut

UPDATE 18/10/2017 6:00pm: Volvo has confirmed that -- contrary to its previous advice -- the Polestar 1 will only be produced in left-hand drive and therefore won't be available in Australia. Subsequent models including the mid-size Polestar 2 electric sedan and Polestar 3 electric crossover will be produced in right-hand drive and available here post-2019.

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First it became Volvo’s performance vehicle partner and then its wholly-owned in-house hot tuner; now Polestar has revealed its first stand-alone model.

What’s more, the strangely named Polestar 1 – revealed tonight in Shanghai ahead of its Australian release in mid-2019 – has been confirmed as the first of three electrified performance cars from the Volvo sub-brand.

Teased numerous times in the lead-up to tonight’s reveal, the Polestar 1 will be the halo model for Volvo’s new standalone electric performance brand, although it’s not strictly a pure-electric vehicle.

The first model from Polestar is a carbon-bodied, rear-wheel driven two-door, 2+2-seat ‘Grand Tourer Coupé’ with an ‘Electric Performance Hybrid’ drivetrain that’s claimed to produce 600hp (about 450kW) and 1000Nm of torque, placing the car “firmly in the performance car segment”.

In line with Volvo’s commitment to produce only electrified vehicles by 2019, the Polestar 1 is in fact a plug-in hybrid incorporating an internal combustion and a powerful battery, much like the XC90 T8 that employs a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

Full details are yet to be revealed, but the Polestar 1’s pure-electric driving range is claimed to be 150km – “the longest full electric range of any hybrid car on the market”, says Volvo.

Polestar 2 – a mid-size electric sedan aimed directly at the upcoming Tesla Model 3 -- will be the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) from the Volvo Car Group. The Scandinavian car-maker said production will begin later in 2019, in “consequently higher volumes than Polestar 1”.

“The initial phase of the Polestar product roll out will then be completed by the subsequent arrival of a larger SUV-style BEV, the Polestar 3, which will create a modern expression of electric performance and driving dynamics,” said Polestar.

All three Polestar cars will be produced in the state-of-the-art new purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, which is currently under construction and due for completion in mid-2018, and all of them will set “a new industry benchmark for performance vehicles”, says Volvo.

Volvo Car Group says Polestar’s technology and product offering will benefit from its economies of scale, helping it to “accelerate design, development and production processes at fraction of the time it takes other new entrants”.

Based on Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) but said to be about 50 per cent new, Volvo says the Polestar 1 will be the world’s first car to be fitted with all-new Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi).

Notably, the Polestar 1 will also wear a carbon-fibre body shell, reducing kerb weight, increasing torsional stiffness by 45 per cent and lowering the car’s centre of gravity, says Volvo.

Another crucial factor in living up to the promise of being a true driver’s car is the fitment of a double electric rear axle that enables torque vectoring. “This supports the driver with precise acceleration on each wheel to keep the maximum road grip and maintain speed while cornering,” said Volvo.

Also new for the Polestar 1 is the fact you won’t be able to buy it. Instead, cars will be ordered 100 per cent online and offered on a two- or three-year subscription basis.

Volvo says the zero-deposit, all-inclusive subscription will include pick-up and delivery servicing and the ability to rent alternative vehicles within the Volvo and Polestar range, all incorporated into one monthly payment.

“The flat rate subscription means that having a Polestar car becomes a hassle free experience for the customer,” said Volvo, which opens the Polestar 1 order book globally today.

“This is facilitated by Phone-As-Key technology. It allows the owner to share a virtual key with a third party, and also enables access to a host of other on-demand features. This concierge service ensures that the customer only needs to focus on the enjoyment of driving.”

Ordering and configuring of Polestar cars will be conducted online via a Polestar app or online portal, or at one of a number of new ‘Polestar Spaces’ to be opened – independent of any Volvo showroom -- around the world.

“Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar on the bonnet,” said Polestar CEO in Shanghai tonight. “A beautiful GT with cutting edge technology -- a great start for our new Polestar brand.

“All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand".