I love oddball cars that defy convention and aren’t simply another “version of” something that’s already on the road, and when Volvo first announced the Polestar 1, it ticked all my boxes. Last weekend, I drove the Polestar 1 in the Bay Area and was not disappointed.
Before we dive into the driving experience, right up front, the Polestar 1 is an intriguing, somewhat curious proposition. This first car from Volvo’s performance EV offshoot is built in China (not Sweden), and is a plug-in hybrid (not an EV) although offering a 75-mile range in “Pure” electric mode. It’s clad in weight-saving carbon fiber (which is also used to strengthen the chassis), yet the car weighs a hefty 5200 lbs, and skips the electronic suspension used by virtually every other car in this weight class (like the Bentley Continental GT) in favor of conventional dampers - which are MANUALLY adjusted, by a dial atop each wheel - between sport and comfort settings. It’s all-wheel-drive, turbocharged and supercharged, has 619hp, and storms to 60mph in a hair under 4secs. Oh and it’s $155,000 and total production over the next three years is limited to 1500 cars worldwide – with just 450 of those cars coming to the United States – making this as rare as a Ford GT.
How does it all work? Amazingly well. I think it’s incredibly handsome, especially in “Midnight” (dark blue), which really shows off the sharp fender creases made possible by its carbon fiber body; steel or aluminum can’t be folded this sharply, it’ll snap. The interior is understated and tastefully put together, although as much of the kit is shared with less pricey Volvos, some elements including the manually-adjusted steering wheel and lower seat cushion extenders were underwhelming; leather covering virtually every surface – including the ultra-thin, end-stitched sun visors, like something from Tanner Krolle – makes up for this, as does the glass roof which spans the length of the cabin. The Polestar 1 does go in for a bit of theater: the controls for the aforementioned manual dampers, manufactured by Ohlins, are beautifully and artfully displayed under the hood, with dials that gently click like the input selector on a high-end stereo amplifier. In the trunk, a clear plexiglass panel reveals bright orange cables and plugs connecting the batteries to the electric motors powering the rear wheels. It’s a geeky-wonderful trick that helps distract one from noticing that the Polestar 1 has a very, very small trunk: I’d guess three cases of wine would fit from left to right, at max. And yes, to me, that’s a relevant unit of measure. At least there are two small rear seats for overflow, albeit suitable for soft luggage only.
Click the Orrefors crystal gear selector into Drive and pull away; the car moves with purpose and substance. The suspension is firm and super-connected to the road, absorbing bumps and lumps as you’d expect from a high-performance luxury GT, but with a directness - thanks to those gorgeous Ohlins dampers - rather than pneumatic, numbed-out thumps we’ve all become used to with electronic suspension set-ups. Get on the throttle and the car pulls like...619HP and over 700lb/ft torque. Composed, forceful, and unrelenting. You can switch between the five drive modes on-the-go: AWD, Pure (electric only), Hybrid, Power, and Individual. Two electric motors drive the rear wheels; the 2liter, 4cylinder, turbocharged and supercharged engine sending power to the front. It all works flawlessly. I didn’t have the chance to really push the car through corners, both as we were in a caravan of Polestar 1‘s in a lead-follow, and also as my husband, who just had a shoulder replacement, was my passenger.
These were final development prototypes: the first US production cars will arrive in March-ish, with China and Europe getting their cars starting towards the end of this year. I love that this car is an original and will, inevitably, leave some people scratching their heads. True personality can be…polarizing.
