• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • South Korean Brands Get Bigger Share of January Sales
  • Investors Unfazed as Tesla Reveals New SEC Probe
  • GM and Lithium Americas Partner for U.S.-Sourced Lithium
  • First Look: 2024 Range Rover Velar
  • Q&A: Mazda North America’s CEO Jeff Guyton
  • Tesla Owners Stung by Capitalism
  • Mercedes Updates GLE Models for 2024 Model Year
  • First Look: Mazda’s Bigger, More Luxurious New CX-90
  • GM Net Income Rises for Q4 But Falls for Full Year 2022
  • GMC Launches Production of Hummer SUV; Needs Until 2024 to Fill Outstanding Orders
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro EV
    • A Week With: 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Z71
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > reviews > Polestar’s First EV Looks Like Modern Take on Classic Volvo P1800

        Polestar’s First EV Looks Like Modern Take on Classic Volvo P1800

        Order bank opens next week in 18 global markets.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        March 07, 2018
        The Volvo P1800 reborn? Not quite. This is the all-new Polestar 1 performance PHEV.

        It started out as a motorsports contender then went on to become Volvo’s in-house performance tuner. But with the debut of the Polestar 1 at this week’s Geneva Motor Show, Polestar formally transitions into Volvo’s high-performance sub-brand.

        And it will focus exclusively on vehicles with electrified drivetrains. The Polestar 1 features a twin-motor plug-in hybrid coupe churning out an impressive 600 horsepower. Pure battery-electric offerings will follow, company officials said, while adding that they plan to take a novel approach to selling their low-volume, high-performance offerings.

        Insight!

        “We will focus on electric mobility and make it a reality by having something that is not just a dogmatic electric vehicle but something that is desirable to drive,” said Thomas Ingenlath, the former head of Volvo design who, late last year, was reassigned to run Polestar.

        (Live from Geneva! Click Here for our coverage of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.)

        The Polestar 1 makes its Geneva debut.

        When Volvo initially bought Polestar a few years back, the intention was to come up with sportier versions of the Swedish automaker’s existing products. But the subsidiary has now been given a much freer hand, according to Ingenlath.

        “As a startup, we get to experiment with new offerings and service and design that we couldn’t do at Volvo,” he explained in Geneva. “We have a chance to do things that are not all-inclusive, that are more elite, edgy, higher profile. That are not for cars you buy for your family, but for yourself.”

        The Polestar 1 isn’t entirely new from the ground up. It starts out with a shortened version of the Volvo V90 platform. And anyone who knows the history of the Swedish automaker is bound to recognize the uncanny resemblance between Polestar 1 and the classic Volvo P1800 of a half-century back — albeit with very modern details like Volvo’s Hammer of Thor headlights.

        The 2+2 GT is motivated by a drivetrain similar to the Volvo T8 Twin-Engine. There’s a four-cylinder 2.0-liter gas engine that is both turbo and supercharged and which drives the front wheels. It’s paired with two motors mounted on the rear axle. The combination deliver 600 horsepower and a hefty 738 pound-feet of torque. That should be good for spinning some tires, though Polestar has not yet said what the car’s 0 to 60 launch time is yet.

        A look at the Polestar 1 interior through the 2+2 GT's nearly all-glass roof.

        It does claim the plug-in hybrid has the longest range in its class, 150 km, or about 94 miles, using the European NEDC test cycle. Typically, the EPA ratings cut that by 25% or more, but even around 70 miles that would be substantially better than, say, the Chevrolet Volt or any other current PHEV.

        The drivetrain layout not only provides through-the-road all-wheel-drive but allows the Polestar 1 to torque vector through tight corners, increasing power to the rear outer wheel to enhance aggressive steering.

        Polestar claims to be generating quite a bit of early interest, with 6,000 initial hand-raisers. How that will translate into actual sales we’ll find out next week when it officially opens up its order bank. But the number has begun “gathering momentum from the moment the car was revealed,” said Ingenlath, adding that, “With our current plans to produce 500 cars per year, it’s possible that we have exceeded our production potential in these early stages.”

        According to the former Volvo designer, Polestar plans to sidestep the traditional retail model and will go with a subscription approach to sales. In some markets, such as the U.S., it will still need to distribute through franchised dealers. But the ordering process will be skewed to online.

        (Click Here for a round-up of all the noteworthy new products making their debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.)

        Polestar 1's gas engine drives the front wheels, twin electric motors handling the rear.

        Volvo already has some experience with this, especially in the States where the latest version of the V90 wagon can only be special-ordered. And the automaker is experimenting with a subscription approach for the new XC40. Buyers go online and spec out the vehicle the way they want. Pricing then includes everything but gasoline, covering not only service and repairs but taxes, fees and insurance.

        Pre-orders will start on March 13 in 18 markets, including the U.S., China, Sweden and Germany, buyers asked to put down fully refundable €2,500 deposits – which would translate into $3,104.30 for Americans.

        As for the vehicles, they will be produced at the new Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, not far from the headquarters of Volvo’s – and Polestar’s – parent, Geely. Volvo now operates two assembly plants for its mainstream models in China. It was also the first automaker to export Chinese-made vehicles to the U.S.

        (Click Here for a review of the new Volvo XC40.)

         

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8 best front

        A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8

        Jan. 25, 2023

        A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe

        Jan. 20, 2023
        2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate best

        A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate

        Jan. 18, 2023

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        What Are You Looking For?

        See More
        Buying a car? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Buying a car? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Reviews and Resources When You Are Looking For a New Car
        Collection
        Car Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        Car Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends

        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends
        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends

        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends
        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Recommends

        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Close
        Reviews and Resources When You Are Looking For a New Car
        Collection
        Car Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        Car Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends

        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends
        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends

        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends
        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Recommends

        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Close
        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: