If you have read our report on the Volvo P1800 versus the Polestar 1, you knew there was a sequel to come. In this report, we discuss the Polestar 1 and our experiences with it.
Coming home
After I had collected the car, it is always a bit of a test drive. Since the first part was on the motorway, I actually had time to discover the various buttons and functions. Soon, I felt at home in the Polestar. The seats give enough support and the interior radiates tranquillity. Yes, I am on my way with a GT.
Première
When we first came across this new brand during our visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2018, it was unclear for a while. Polestar was supposed to be a full electric brand, but their first creation turned out to be a hybrid?
The Polestar 1 was clearly a statement to show where the new Volvo brand was heading. Now, three years later, it has been announced that production of the Polestar 1 will end in 2021. A total of 1500 cars will have been built by then. This low production number and the special character of this car makes it an instant collector’s item.
Gran Tourer Coupe
The fact that the Polestar 1 is a Gran Tourer Coupé is revealed by its dimensions and two-door bodywork. However, the fact that there is 609 bhp under the hood is not apparent at first glance. The car has beautiful lines, the rear of which clearly shows that the P1800 served as inspiration.
One can argue about taste and colour, but the line of this Polestar 1 could charm everyone who saw it. We liked it too, and you may not believe it, but the car is much prettier in real life than it is in photographs.
Exclusive materials
The designers had free rein, especially because of the materials used. The entire bodywork is made of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). The use of this material results in a weight saving of 230 kg. This SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform is specially reinforced by a crossbar made of Carbon Fibre that increases rigidity by 60% and makes the chassis more rigid.
Hybrid & four-wheel drive
The Polestar 1 will also be the brand’s first and only hybrid. It has a two-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, which is given extra life by a supercharger and a turbo. The combination of the two gives an output of 309 hp and torque of 435 Nm. The first electric motor, which also functions as a starter, is mounted on the crankshaft. This produces 68 hp and 161 Nm of torque and will also fill the ‘gear shift gap’. The starter generator can also charge the battery up to 80%, which is more than enough to cross cities in the future where, for example, internal combustion engines are no longer permitted.
As if this were not enough, each rear wheel has its own 116 PS electric motor, 240 Nm of torque and a planetary gear set that allows true torque vectoring. This technology ensures that when accelerating in bends, it is not the inner wheel that is braked – as with a conventional differential – but rather the outer wheel that is accelerated. This allows the driver to get back on the gas earlier in the turn while maintaining stability and precision.
That the Polestar 1’s roots lie with Volvo cannot be hidden, and certainly not from the front. The Thor’s Hammer lights are immediately noticeable. The grille also looks very familiar. In itself, this did not bother us. What we found a bit more difficult is the interior. Considering the price tag of the Polestar 1, we would have liked to see something else than a dashboard that could have come straight out of a V60. Not that it isn’t functional, but it isn’t exclusive at all.
Battery
The Polestar 1 has a powerful battery pack of 34 Kwh. That is as much as the average city EV such as the Honda e. However, this Honda can do 200 km and the Polestar only 125, but that could never spoil the fun. During the entire test period, I had the feeling that I was driving a very economical car. The Polestar 1 is still the record holder in hybrid cars for its electric range.
On the road
When you have 609 horsepower under your right foot, it is almost inevitable that you will feel the urge to put your foot down. At the first attempt, I didn’t feel comfortable at all. The car seemed to be searching for grip and showed oversteer, which soon made me lift my foot. Maybe not very logical for many, but by switching off a number of driving aids (especially the Lane Keeping Aid system proved to be difficult) things went a lot better.
Sound
Even though you know that some of the engine sound is artificial, we never had that “fake” feeling. The sounds were natural and still gave that extra sporty touch. The other sound comes from the Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system. Thanks to no less than 15 speakers, this car offers plenty of sound.
Performance
As mentioned earlier, the Polestar 1 has a combined power output of 609 PS and a massive torque of 1000 Nm. This gives this still heavy car (2350 kg) almost wings. An acceleration from 0 to 100 in 4.2 seconds makes one dizzy. This means that this Polestar 1 accelerates faster than an average Porsche.
The cornering was also very smooth. Even when cornering faster, we really had the feeling that the car was sticking to the road. In normal use, you will mostly drive electrically; if you push the accelerator a little harder, the petrol engine will willingly but almost imperceptibly assist. In Power mode, the petrol engine will keep on running; the reaction to the throttle feels much more alert. The six-speed gearbox shifts smoothly, although some German premium brands do a better job.
Tough guy
Despite the good seats, you feel every unevenness in the road. Some might say it has a sporty suspension and this is probably the reason for its exemplary handling. On the other hand, you are glad when you get off that cobblestone track. Under the bonnet there are two adjustment points for the suspension. We wisely kept away from them, but apparently you can use them to fine-tune things.
Technology on board
As mentioned before, many items come back from a Volvo interior. The head up display works perfectly, just like the navigation and voice control. Is it all good then? Not really, in our opinion. You have to operate far too many things through the touch screen, which causes you to lose focus on the road. The button to select the different driving modes (Hybrid – Pure – AWD – Power) is also just plain clumsy. Moving the car from Drive to Reverse also causes some stress (if it has to be done quickly). Why this requires a double action remains a mystery to me.
Safety both active and passive
Almost everyone knows that Volvo is a brand that prides itself on its many safety features. It is therefore logical that this line is extended to Polestar. The seatbelt buckle is engraved with 1959, the year Volvo introduced the seatbelt. Crash tests with Volvo’s first carbon fibre body have taught them how these materials behave in extreme conditions. The Polestar 1’s specially designed crash structure proved to work well. Furthermore, the Polestar of course has all kinds of active safety systems such as pedestrian detection and so on.
The mirrors on the Polestar 1 are also exceptionally good, and they are a fine example of design.
Stopping power
When you put a car with this much power (and weight) on the road, you need to adjust the stopping power accordingly. The brakes have been specially developed by Akebono (brake supplier to the McLaren F1 team). This leading Japanese brake specialist has developed a special aluminium monobloc caliper with six pistons for the Polestar 1. The front discs have a diameter of 400 mm and are ventilated and perforated. We have tested them and found them to be good!
Conclusion
I recently read an article about the Polestar 1 in which it was written that it is not really a car for every day use. I would like to contradict that. The car drives very pleasantly, it is very easy to get in and out of the car and you can enjoy an excellent music system. Ok, the boot with its 143 litres is small. And the suspension is hard, but all the rest is pure pleasure.
It also meets all requirements as a company car. The car comes across as very discreet, especially compared to a Porsche, for example. It is very interesting from a tax point of view, because with emissions of only 26 g/km, it is 100% tax deductible. It is more exclusive than many other sports cars and offers tons of driving pleasure.
Okay, a price tag starting at 159,000 euros is not cheap, we are well aware of that. But everyone knows that there are other amounts driving around on our streets.
This report would not have been possible without the willing cooperation and help of the following people, whom I would like to thank sincerely.
Renaat Maes(owner P1800s)
Lieven de Keulenaer(Volvo garage Beveren)
Municipality of Beveren
Laure Vandeghinste (press officer Polestar)
Sam Mertens
Report: Patrick Verheeken
Photos: Patrick & Loïc Verheeken
