RE: 408hp Polestar 2 revealed ahead of Geneva

RE: 408hp Polestar 2 revealed ahead of Geneva

Wednesday 27th February 2019

408hp Polestar 2 revealed ahead of Geneva

Second production model will be a five-door fastback with over 300 miles of range



It's been a little while since Volvo announced its intention to spin its in-house tuning division, Polestar, off into a standalone brand. The task of its first product, the imaginatively titled Polestar 1, was simple: to provide Volvo with an entry point into a more premium market which its own brand - as well-regarded as it was - couldn't hope to access. Also to encourage buyers in that echelon to make the switch to electrification, getting a jump on Tesla in the process. Oh, and to completely revolutionise the entire industry, removing the "burden" of the ownership experience by convincing customers to subscribe to an all-inclusive lease-only model rather than buying the car outright. Y'know, the usual.

That car is about to enter production, with 500 examples set to be manufactured each year. It seems to be on track to meet at least some of its lofty targets, too, with over 6,000 customers having expressed their interest in the niche machine before order books even opened. But time waits for no man, or manufacturer, and with rivals readying their own electric ranges, the moment for Polestar to unveil the next stage of its plan has arrived.


And this is it: the equally as imaginatively titled Polestar 2. Where the first car was a high-end hybrid, this one will be a mass-market EV, taking on the likes of Tesla's Model 3 with a starting price of €39,900. For its first year of production, however, it'll be available in Launch Edition guise only, increasing the cost to €59,900 and raising the 2's sights to the likes of the Porsche Taycan.

For that price subscribers will get "a premium five-door fastback" based on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture and powered by a 78kWh battery and two electric motors. Target range is over 300 miles for the all-wheel drive electric powertrain, which produces 300kW (408 hp) and 487 lb-ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of "less than 5 seconds." Underneath, many of the recognisable components from the 1 remain, including a Performance Pack featuring Ohlins dampers, Brembo brakes and 20-inch forged wheels.

There's familiarity in the styling, too, though perhaps not as much as fans of the 1 might have hoped. Where that car was based on the lines of the S90, the 2 gets a little more rope with which to hang itself. The recognisable Volvo/ Polestar design cues are all there, and are particularly evident from the rear, but you'd be forgiven for confusing the finished product for a Peugeot or Citroen at a glance - though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Inside, meanwhile, you'll find an Android-powered infotainment system, bringing features such as Google Maps to the car's 11-inch touch screen display.


Speaking of the car's new look, Maximilian Missoni, Polestar's Head of Design, said: "We decided to bring something different to the segment. Our avant-garde design has evolved from Polestar 1 into an edgier, bolder statement. We have also designed a standard vegan interior with progressive textiles that will appeal to the forward-thinking audience who will subscribe to Polestar 2." Yum.

As is Polestar's way, the 2 will only be available to order online. Production is set to begin in early 2020, with both left- and right-hand drive variants available - unlike the 1, which could only be bought with the wheel on the wrong side. Initial launch markets are set to include China, the USA, Germany, Sweden and the UK, with the car due to make its first public appearance at next week's Geneva show. We won't have to wait as long to find out how it looks in the metal as we will to see how it drives, then, but you can be sure that more than a few people in Palo Alto will be waiting with interest to find out both.









Author
Discussion

Andrewph75

Original Poster:

48 posts

150 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Looks good. Does the electrification trend mean a new horsepower war. Envy the teenagers of tomorrow getting hands on their parents family car with 400+ BHP...

Chr1sch

2,585 posts

192 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
We have an i3 in the family and these are looking pretty appealing for a commuter vehicle i must say.

A bit like 'Cupra' i just don't get why they don't call it a Volvo - it looks and feels like one, why try and pretend it isnt...

scottygib553

507 posts

94 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
That interior looks lovely.

abzmike

8,241 posts

105 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Apart from the seat belts the interior is like a coal mine.

At least the Chinese water torture of their drip-feed marketing campaign is finally getting somewhere. According to the website starting at €60K though...

Harry_523

350 posts

98 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
scottygib553 said:
That interior looks lovely.
You spelt dull wrong...

If it gets a proper lift back though, or an estate version later, it could be appealing biggrin

strath44

1,358 posts

147 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Sorry I'm also not sure if I get this one, seems like its targeted to people who are less into cars and more into branding! I can't see why the 2 polestar offerings wouldn't complement the Volvo range a this basically looks like a s/v60 hatchback position.

The ride height is strange and I suspect a reuslt of the usual over photoshopping of the wheel proportions to make its advertised stance look good - which it doesn't! It also looks squashed for some reason!

Looks no better styled than a Kia Optima in my eyes (not that they are bad cars) and rather similar also!



Edited by strath44 on Wednesday 27th February 13:03

nicholasm

145 posts

184 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but do you have to lease the Polestar 2 (I assume so, as the article mentions "subscribers")? If so, what does the EUR 59,900 amount actually get you? Is it X years of leasing?

Quhet

2,409 posts

145 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
It's profile looks a bit like the 'new' Saab 95

steveb8189

473 posts

190 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Chr1sch said:
A bit like 'Cupra' i just don't get why they don't call it a Volvo - it looks and feels like one, why try and pretend it isnt...
Different concepts though. Polestar was only bought by Volvo in 2015 - having been a private company (albeit under a few different names) for the past 20 years. I guess the reason to keep the name alive is due to the history brand value associated with Polestar. A (little) bit like VW and Bentley.

Cupra on the other hand seems to be spun off as a separate company to allow for creation of niche models rather than mass market. I see that more like Lexus and Toyota

MX6

5,983 posts

212 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
That's quite a stylish design inside and out. It seems to be one of those SUV/crossover type motors that has a low roof line and "fastback" rear, which does give it a sportier look but must surely reduce practicality. Not the sort of car I'd go for, but the sort my partner would be nagging me to buy no doubt.

The interior appears very gloomy there, though that's fine with me. I've never really been into the floating screen thing, I think they look better when they are more integrated, and it does seem to obscure the center air vents as well.

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Quhet said:
It's profile looks a bit like the 'new' Saab 95
That was my first thought too. Handsome thing.

jack_86

335 posts

91 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
I don’t get it people hate the x4/x6 but love this. Sorry but I think it looks horrible and dated already.

Nerdherder

1,773 posts

96 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Did the Polestar 1 ever reach the public roads and where? Never seen one or ever heard about someone spotting one. Which seems weird to me because the Netherlands is a Volvo loving country.

DUMBO100

1,878 posts

183 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
I really like the design, the wraparound windscreen is definitely a bit Saab. It’s futuristic, retro and a 400bhp family car

225

1,331 posts

225 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Interior looks a bit naff to me. Same as tesla where someone seemingly designs a dash then gets told the car needs a big screen in there so they just chuck one in. Audi can manage integrated screens so why can't electric car manufacturers?

chris-fm270

24 posts

65 months

Thursday 28th February 2019
quotequote all
strath44 said:
The ride height is strange and I suspect a reuslt of the usual over photoshopping of the wheel proportions to make its advertised stance look good - which it doesn't! It also looks squashed for some reason!
Edited by strath44 on Wednesday 27th February 13:03
The ride height will be down the batteries being in the floor, which will raise the seat relative to the bottom of the car (as the batteries will be under the seat). This means to have "normal" looking proportions you either need to make the car either wide (Tesla) or long, or go for something like this. I expect we will see a few more electric cars with this sort of raised hatchback look (see Jaguar iPace).

Nerdherder said:
Did the Polestar 1 ever reach the public roads and where? Never seen one or ever heard about someone spotting one. Which seems weird to me because the Netherlands is a Volvo loving country.
Polestar 1 is limited to 500 units a year starting in mid 2019, so you won't see one for a while. Also being low volume I expect a few will be stashed away.

Zumbruk

7,848 posts

259 months

Thursday 28th February 2019
quotequote all
The usual hideous "iPad propped against the dash" control panel. Yuck.

danp

1,603 posts

261 months

Thursday 28th February 2019
quotequote all
nicholasm said:
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but do you have to lease the Polestar 2 (I assume so, as the article mentions "subscribers")? If so, what does the EUR 59,900 amount actually get you? Is it X years of leasing?
EUR 60k to buy it - they’ve not given details of subscription prices yet.

Presumably the 40k one would have a smaller battery (and less power)? Else seems quite a hike to have the “launch edition”.

Cupramax

10,469 posts

251 months

Thursday 28th February 2019
quotequote all
I actually quite like that plus decent range, and it’s going to be €39k, but really €59k? So early adopters get bummed 20k for some extra chintz. No thanks.

st4

1,359 posts

132 months

Thursday 28th February 2019
quotequote all
It looks a credible alternative to an iPace - and priced to match. I quite like it but as a design the iPace is a cracker. If you're in the market for an expensive premium electric car it has to be worth a look.