Polestar One "CarandDriver".8932

Overview

Posh styling and an electrified powertrain converge on the enigmatic 2020 Polestar 1—the first car to come out of Volvo's now standalone performance brand. Essentially a two-door version of the luxurious Volvo S90 sedan, this hybrid sports coupe uses a mostly carbon-fiber body to save weight. The limited-production hybrid comes in only one trim, but it leaves you wanting for nothing. The 1 boasts an impressive electric-only range of 60 miles and will hold its own on a track, but that doesn't come cheap.

What's New for 2020?

The 1 is completely new for 2020, the first car to come from fledgling electric-focused performance brand Polestar.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

• Polestar 1: $156,500

Unlike the Porsche 911, the Polestar 1 offers few options. Which isn't all that surprising, given that the brand intends to produce only 1500 examples for the world. Buyers can have their choice of wheels and exterior and interior colors. That's it.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Up front, the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid has a turbo- and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to make a combined 375 horsepower and drive the front wheels. Out back, a pair of electric motors, each producing 114 horsepower, drives the rear wheels. This combination provides all-wheel drive and develops a total system output of 619 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That said, in EV mode, the 1 relies solely on the rear wheels, and in gas-only mode, the fronts take control. The engine is coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. What's more, this Polestar comes with ultrasticky 21-inch Pirelli P Zero tires, an electronically controlled suspension, a torque-vectoring rear differential, and big Akebono-sourced brakes. When we drove the 1, its performance attributes were on full display, the car espousing agility without a hint of understeer. Owners can adjust the damper settings, but they'll need to pop the hood and jack up the rear end to do so. And even then, the dampers struggle to make up for the 1's firm ride.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA hasn't provided fuel-economy estimates for the 1 yet, but Polestar claims the car's 34.0-kWh battery will provide about 60 miles of electric-only range. That's fairly high for the plug-in-hybrid class. Polestar also estimates the car will manage a gas-only combined fuel-economy rating of 26 mpg and 64 MPGe when electric bits get involved. When we have a chance to put the Polestar 1 through our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test, we'll update this story with results.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The interior of the Polestar 1 is clean and sophisticated and shares many components with its Volvo counterparts, the Volvo S90 sedan and V90 station wagon. The sleek dashboard screams luxury with its a mix of carbon-fiber and chrome trim. Leather is, of course, standard. The front seats—available in black or light gray—are comfortable but firm. There's room enough for two passengers, but beyond that, you're pushing it. The back seat reminds us of the 911's; its lack of legroom and the sloping roofline overhead make the space feel pretty confined. And the trunk, which can hold a mere four cubic feet of stuff, is smaller than the luggage compartment in the compact Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The Polestar 1 comes with virtually every piece of technology that a modern car could have, including the ubiquitous touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The vertically oriented screen is angled toward the driver for ease of use. Physical switches and buttons are scarce. In front of the driver sits a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster as well as a head-up display. There are two USB ports in the front row, and Bowers & Wilkins provides the audio system. The brand's app, called Polestar Connect, allows you to use your phone as a key. You can also adjust the cabin climate and lock and unlock the car from anywhere using the app.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Polestar 1 comes equipped with various safety features, including an advanced driver-assistance system called Pilot Assist. Borrowed from Volvo, this system engages the adaptive cruise control and the lane-centering technology to make highway driving easier. The Polestar 1 also has blind-spot detection, a 360-degree camera to help you navigate tight parking spaces, and rear- and front-park assist. The car hasn’t yet been evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Key safety features include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control with a semi-autonomous driving mode

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Polestar offers industry-standard warranty coverage. Unlike the Volvos on which it's based and rivals such as the BMW M8 coupe, the 1 does not come with any complimentary scheduled maintenance plan.

• Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
• Hybrid-component warranty covers eight years or 100,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance

Source: CarandDriver.