Volvo’s First Polestar Car Is Here, and It’s a 600-Hp Hybrid Ripper
In recent years, Volvo’s taken quite a few steps to reinvent itself as a luxe, dare we say sexy, tech-centric automaker. It’s brand new performance brand, Polestar, is the result of this Tesla-killing initiative. The Polestar 1 Coupe is the first standalone car from this new division, and it’s lightyears ahead of your college prof’s old, boxy Volvo.
This two-door, four-seat supercoupe boasts an “Electric Performance Hybrid” powertrain, meaning it combines dual electric motors from the rear wheels with a 2.0L four-cylinder gas engine for the front. In Pure electric mode it makes 218 horsepower, while in Power mode it puts out 600 horsepower.
It can also go 150 km on electric-only power, which is the largest electric-only range of any hybrid currently on the market.
Then there’s the way this bad boy looks. Its sleek, muscular, dapper lines might have you mistaking it for a Mustang GT from far away — certainly not a bad thing. Its design language is quintessentially Scandinavian — neat, uncluttered, and minimalist, with most of the detailing concentrated in the light units and the grille.
Production on the Polestar 1 begins in 2019 and will be limited to 500 cars a year. After that, Volvo will roll out the all-electric Polestar 2, a mid-sized car, and the Polestar 3, a larger SUV. You sweating yet, Tesla? We know we are. Because this thing is hot.
