Volvo’s Polestar performance brand has announced the new Polestar 1, the first vehicle in the stable and it’s a doozy. The Polestar 1 is a 600 horsepower hybrid that looks as though it’s been taking notes from the Ford Mustang. Except that, being a hybrid, it really, really hasn’t.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Volvo is switching away from making traditional gas cars. The Polestar 1 is a compromise on that vision, being an electric vehicle that comes with a battery-only 150km range and a backup 2.0 litre four cylinder internal combustion engine. The combination gives the Polestar 1 the 600hp that bumps it into the performance category. As if the design wasn’t a dead giveaway.
The Polestar 1 is going to be packing a new Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension and a carbon fibre body (weight reduction, for the use of). It’ll also enable torque vectoring thanks to an electric double rear axle, further adding to its performance credentials.
Upcoming features are a “phone-as’key” function that will let users (more on that in a moment) and permitted third-parties to access and drive the car using a smartphone app. And then there’s paying for the case.
According to the company, “Polestar will also move away from today’s traditional ownership model. Cars will be ordered 100% online and offered on a two or three year subscription basis. The zero-deposit, all-inclusive subscription will also add features such as pick-up and delivery servicing and the ability to rent alternative vehicles within the Volvo and Polestar range, all incorporated into one monthly payment.” Which is an interesting tack to take, moving us away from cars as owned items — something that has been predicted as vehicles become more autonomous.
The Polestar 1 will hit the market in mid-2019, with two new all-electric models following at a later stage.
Source: Volvo