[MUSIC PLAYING]
KURT NIEBUHR: Auto
manufacturers know where we are,
and they know
where we're headed.
And the internal
combustion engine,
although it's had
a really good run,
and we're in a golden era
of it, I think, right now--
it's time is limited.
Most manufacturers
do realize this,
but there's no clear
solution forward.
There's no one choice.
So a lot of them are
hedging their bets.
They have solutions across
a multitude of platforms.
Currently, the best option
looks like electrification.
Hybrids are now so ubiquitous
that they've largely
lost their fascination.
This Polestar 1 aims to bring
some of that fascination back.
Now, it's a hybrid.
It isn't a full EV.
But if you look at it as
a stepping to the brand
and to the company
itself, then the car
starts to make a
little bit more sense.
Now, Polestar is moving
into the full EV realm.
The Polestar 2 is
on its way out,
and the company showed
a Precept concept
which is even further away
from this hybrid Polestar 1.
But this car aims to
show that hybrids do not
have to be dull or derivative.
They can be incredibly stylish,
and they can also be fun.
So how much does
the Polestar cost?
Well, it starts
at about $155,000,
and it really doesn't
have a lot of options.
You basically have a
choice of paint colors,
and you have a choice
as to whether or not
you want the paint to be
gloss or a matte finish.
Choosing the matte finish
sets you back about $5,000.
You have three choices
of wheels, all of which
are zero-cost option, and you
have two interior choices.
You can get an all-charcoal
interior, or like our test car,
you can get it outfitted
with zinc front seats, which
are kind of like an
off-white color with the rest
of the interior being charcoal.
Now, these are fairly exclusive.
We've heard that there's a
limited run of about 1,500
of these cars being
built, and all
of them for left-hand-drive
markets only.
The US has 150 versions a year
that are earmarked for it,
and we have heard that the
first year is sold out.
So if you're interested,
you should probably
contact Polestar right now.
So the Polestar 1 is a hybrid.
So let's talk about
the components that
make it a hybrid.
Up front is an internal
combustion engine,
which is 2.0 liters.
That is a twin-charged
engine, which
is really cool because it is
supercharged and turbocharged.
Now, that engine cranks
out 326 horsepower
and 384 foot-pounds of torque.
That's a lot for
a 2-liter engine.
Mounted to that 2-liter
engine is an integrated
starter generator.
That just kind of serves as
a torque fill at lower RPM.
In the back, there are
two electric motors
on the rear axle.
Those combine to
make 232 horsepower.
The Polestar 1 makes 619
horsepower and 738 foot-pounds
of torque--
738.
I love hybrids I love them.
Something else that makes
the Polestar 1 really unique
is the way that
it's built. Now, it
sits on Volvo's SPA platform,
which is a scalable project
architecture.
It shares that platform with
the XC90, the S90, the V90.
Those cars all sit
on a steel floor pan.
But that's where
the similarities
end because from the floor pan
up, the Polestar 1 is CFRP.
Everything is-- the bumpers, the
hood, the roof, the A pillars,
everything.
That actually shaves 500 pounds
off the weight of the car,
compared to if the car had
been made with say, aluminum.
Using CFRP also increases
the torsion rigidity
of the structure by 45% over
a similar steel structure.
As a bonus, the designers really
loved how the CFRP structure
carried the lines
and the creases
along the length of the car.
Judging by the
way the car looks,
you can't argue
with their decision.
So more about the Polestar
1's unique twin-charge setup--
it's in pretty good company.
There haven't been a lot of cars
that have utilized that setup.
But the first one--
the first one-- is
probably the best one.
It is the Lancia
Delta S4 Stradale.
Now, that was the road-going
version of the legendary Lancia
Delta S4 Group B Rally Monster.
That's good company to be in.
Honorable mention goes to
the Nissan March Super Turbo,
which was an adorable
930 CCs but still managed
to crank out 100 horsepower.
Now, in order to
be a hybrid, there
has to be some electrical
componentry involved,
and with the Polestar
1, it's got batteries
and two electric motors.
One of those batteries sits
in between the front seats,
kind of in the
center console area.
The second one sits on
top of the rear axle.
Under that battery pack sit
the two electric motors,
each with their own
planetary gear set.
Now, what that means is
real-time torque vectoring
and across the rear axle.
How does that work?
I'd rather show you
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Torque vectoring helps a
5,100-pound car behave like
a 3,100-pound car.
Ooh, wow.
Now, most ESE systems
use brake activation
to help get a car
through a corner, which
seems counterintuitive.
It's using the brakes
to help you go faster.
With a torque vectoring
system, each wheel on that axle
is independently operated.
So it can actually slow
the inside rear wheel down
while speeding up the
outside rear wheel,
adding speed to
make you go faster.
This thing just
accumulates speed.
You don't realize it
until you look down,
and you're like, oh, yeah,
now we're going fast.
This is fast.
That's very fast.
This car-- this car
weighs more than an F-150.
This is ridiculous.
It should not handle this well.
SPEAKER 2: Does
that make you happy?
KURT NIEBUHR: [LAUGHS]
I love torque vectoring.
Actually, that-- you know what?
We need to make a bumper
sticker that says,
"I heart torque vectoring."
It is the future.
Another benefit to not
using a brake to help
you go faster system is that
you don't overheat your brakes.
Now, Polestar reached
out to Akebono.
And if you haven't
heard of Akebono,
they make the brakes from
McLaren's Formula 1 car.
And these brakes do not fade.
These are-- oh, these are
massive 6-piston front calipers
on 15.7-inch rotors.
The back-- 4-piston calipers
on 15.4-inch rotors.
And they are up to the task.
I haven't had them fade at all.
Have I mentioned
this car's heavy?
It's heavy, and these
brakes have not faded.
This is a good partnership.
It's a good partnership.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Of all the drive
modes, the power mode
is where it's at on
a road like this.
Now, the Polestar 1 doesn't
sound very thrilling.
It's not that evocative,
especially when
you consider that it has a
supercharger and a turbocharger
on it.
That should sound really wild.
Now, other cars in this class
like the Mercedes S Class
or BMW M8, for example--
they're packing V8s.
Behind their acceleration,
there's some real thunder.
But this car just emits kind
of a pleasing mechanical whirr.
It's not bad.
It's just not very
thrilling, either.
Now, speaking of
partnerships, Polestar
partnered with a Swedish
suspension powerhouse.
Now, I know how
to say their name.
It's pronounced "oo-leans."
But I know that if I say
"oo-leans" through the video,
people are going to go,
oh, it's spelled Ohlins.
You pronounced it wrong.
So I'm just going to
pronounce it Ohlind.
Polestar partnered with Ohlind.
Now, that's pretty neat because
Ohlind has provided manually
adjustable shocks.
They give you a wrench
and a set of instructions
and some graphics
under the hood.
Why?
Well, it's cool.
You get to adjust
your own shocks.
But adjustability can
lead to the opportunity
to really screw something up.
Now, thankfully for
everybody, this car
comes from the factory
with a great setting.
Make no mistake about it.
The ride is firm, but it still
has a fair bit of compliance.
And it rounds off bigger bumps
and really sharp impacts.
The ride feels
expensive, and it feels
better than a heavy car
on air springs would feel.
That tends to be
a bit ponderous,
and it can pound over the road.
This car just feels
light and on its toes.
It is absolutely a
performance-oriented GT car.
If you think you've seen
this interior before,
you're right-- this is
fairly standard Volvo stuff.
It's certainly not going
to set the world on fire,
but it does an admirable job of
fitting in at this price point.
As with other Volvos,
though, the interface
does leave a little
bit to be desired.
It's a bit clunky and can be
not terribly intuitive at times.
But upcoming Polestars will
use an Android-based system
with a completely new interface.
The interior is still good, even
at this elevated price point.
That said, road noise is
elevated over what you
will get in a competitor's car.
Now, that's likely down
to the carbon fiber
structure and the generous
and enormous glass roof.
It's far from annoying.
A crank of the Bowers & Wilkins
audio system does the trick.
As an added bonus,
visibility here
is superb forward,
backward, and both sides.
Like the interior, if you
think you've seen this before,
you're right.
The Polestar 1 has its roots
in the Volvo Coupe concept
that debuted in Frankfurt.
Now, it's supposed to show
the future of Volvo design,
but it also contains hints
of the classic P1800,
especially in the rear flanks.
You can also see it in the
grille just a bit as well.
And with that
cut-down greenhouse,
I think it looks like the
Bertone Coupe, which I really
like.
The Polestar 1 serves
as the introduction
to Polestar the manufacturer,
not the touring car
building, racing, high
performance Volvo tuner
of the past.
But it doesn't define
the limits of the brand.
The Polestar 2, a full battery
EV, is very near to market,
and the company's
Precept concept
pushes that even further
with a true commitment
to sustainability, both in
construction and materials.
Think of it as a stepping stone,
but an insanely stylish one
that strives to make the
most of what we have now.
I know I'm probably
missing the point,
but I can't help
but wonder what it
would be like if it had a V8.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
