Recently, Volvo announced that they are aiming for 50-percent of their overall sales to come from EVs by 2025. In 2017, Volvo became the first manufacturer to declare that its entire model range would become electrified in at least some form: mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric; And then they come out with ridiculous pricing for the flagship car from their performance brand, the Polestar 1. $155,000 to compete with the likes of Tesla Model S. Seriously, Volvo?

What are we getting for the premium-price?

The Polestar 1 has a sleek body design. The car rides on a version of the Scalable Product Architecture platform (SPA) that is already used for other Volvo cars like the XC90 and V90. The Polestar 1 will have a powerful 2.0-liter engine that generates 600 horses and 737 pound-feet of torque. It will also feature Öhlins dampers, Akebono six-piston front brakes, and 21-inch wheels. The Polestar 1 will be a plug-in hybrid with a 34 kWh battery pack and two electric motors to drive the rear wheels. It’s expected to return 93 miles (150 kilometers) of all-electric driving range.

It will take some time until customers can receive the car, as “pre-production testing” at Polestar’s plant in Chengdu, China, will not begin under the end of this year. The pricing confirmation comes after Polestar opened pre-orders to prospective customers in North America, China, and several European nations. For a $2,500 refundable deposit, customers could reserve a place on the list to buy the new model. Given the lofty price-tag, it looks like the maximum number of Polestar 1's on road will be through the subscription program which, like the Care By Volvo program for the new XC40, will bundle the car payment, insurance costs, and maintenance into one lump sum.

Polestar seems to be going full-force into the EV segment

Post the launch of the Polestar 1, the company plans to introduce a more affordable midsize car, called the Polestar 2, in 2019. Positioned to fight the Tesla Model 3, it’s likely to be far more affordable than the Polestar 1. And, after that, the Polestar 3 will launch; it’s slated to be “a stunning electric SUV with a beautiful aerodynamic silhouette.” That's quite an optimistic approach by Polestar after pricing its first hybrid car at way more than the competition.

Our Take

Although Polestar reports that more than 7,000 people have placed deposits, we are pretty sure this number will come down significantly, given the extravagant pricing. The car directly competes in the luxury-car segment, with the Tesla Model S P100D (which is all-electric), which is priced at $135,000 and the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, which starts at $99,600. Annual production of the Polestar 1 is rumored to be limited to about 500 cars, primarily because the process of building the carbon-fiber body and steel chassis is quite complicated. Statistics clearly suggest that Americans don't like plug-ins. Despite the impressive engine specs, is the Polestar 1 worth the premium for a 'plug-in hybrid'?

Whatever be the result, the 'reasonable' Model S P100D is now looking all the more value-for-the-money. We'll have to wait to see whether the Polestar 1 will be a hit, or just another case where an automaker has killed the product within 60 seconds of launch. Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section below.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Polestar 1.

Get up to date on the latest Polestar news.