The Polestar 1 and 2 models are now on sale across the United States and Canada.
Polestar 3 will be the brand’s first crossover.
The Polestar Precept Concept will inspire a new production model scheduled for 2022 or 2023.
A new brand has recently been introduced in the North American market, although Volvo enthusiasts will obviously recognize the Polestar badge adorning the company’s high-performance model variants.
Polestar has recently become a standalone brand dedicated to electrified vehicles, sharing platforms with Volvo and parent company Geely, and its first models have gone on sale in a limited number of dealerships across the United States and Canada so far. In addition, all vehicles are manufactured in a new assembly plant in China. There is more to come, but for now, here’s what to expect from the Polestar brand in 2021.
The Polestar 1 is a limited-production, plug-in hybrid performance luxury coupe, and the very first model to be revealed by the new company. Its powertrain consists of a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0L inline-four spinning the front wheels, two electric motors spinning the rear ones, and an integrated starter generator, for a combined output of 619 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. It can cover a distance of about 52 miles or 84 kilometres in fully electric mode, and starts at USD$155,000 in the U.S., and at CAD$197,000 in Canada.
The Polestar 2 is a compact-sized five-door fastback that, unlike the Polestar 1, is fully electric, as all future models of the brand will be moving forward. Two electric motors work together to provide 408 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque, along with an all-wheel drivetrain. Its driving range is rated at 233 miles on a full charge by the EPA, and 375 kilometres by NRCan.
The brand’s first crossover will be named Polestar 3, of intermediate size, and should arrive for the 2022 model year, which means we’ll probably see an official debut happening sometime in 2021. No technical specifications have been announced yet, but the Polestar 2’s powertrain seems like a good candidate for duty in the Polestar 3.
The Polestar Precept Concept four-door grand touring sedan was supposed to be revealed at the 2020 Geneva Auto Show, but since that didn’t happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the car made its first public appearance at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show instead. Citing positive reaction to this showcase of the brand’s future design direction, a production version based on this concept will be introduced in 2022 or 2023, and could possibly be revealed in late 2021 as the Polestar 4.