Polestar 1 2019 preview

Here's the Carzone.ie preview to the 2019 Polestar 1.

What's this?

The launch, not only of a new car, but a whole new automotive brand. The Polestar name will be familiar to motorsport fans and petrolheads that are aware of faster niche Volvo models, but it is now being launched as a car manufacturer in its own right, and is being touted as the Volvo Car Group’s performance brand. The Polestar 1 will be its first model, a two-door, four-seat coupe set to go into production in the middle of 2019. It shares 50 per cent of its underpinnings with current Volvos, but aims to be far sportier than anything the Swedish company has produced to date.

What will its rivals be?

That’s a tricky question to answer at this stage, as the Polestar 1 is a unique proposition in many ways. Polestar plans to change the way of car ownership, offering its models on a fixed monthly subscription basis, and it has not confirmed prices yet. This is the range-topping halo model, though, so expect it to be costly – and made in limited numbers each year. Other coupes on the market with a similar level of performance include the Aston Martin DB11, Bentley Continental GT and Porsche 911 Turbo, though none of those have the same technology in terms of construction and powertrain.

Any tech info?

The Polestar 1 will be powered by a hybrid system that features a 2.0-litre petrol engine up front and two electric motors at the back. Total power output is quoted as 600hp, while there’s also 1,000Nm of torque on tap. Those rear-mounted motors can power the car for up to 150km on electricity alone, apparently. The Polestar 1 also uses Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension and a carbon fibre body.

What will the range be like?

The Polestar 1 is likely to be offered in a single, very well-equipped grade, though, at the time of writing, no plans for an Irish market introduction have been released. The company has, however, confirmed that it will follow up the ‘1’ with the purely electric Polestar 2 and 3, a sports saloon and SUV respectively.

Expectations?

We expect the Polestar 1 to be a very impressive and high-tech car to really take the fight to Tesla. However, it will also be expensive, so we don’t expect to see many on our roads. It looks great and should have a high-quality interior. If Polestar can deliver on the driving experience, as well, then this could become one of the most sought-after cars of its type when it does go on sale.

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