Volvo’s reported plan of turning Polestar into a standalone brand is about to take its first big step toward reality as a report from Autocar revealed the Swedish automaker’s intentions of developing a bespoke sports coupe as the first model to exclusively wear a Polestar badge.

According to Autocar, the planned model won’t be a completely new one, but will instead be based on an existing Volvo model. But that’s likely about the only thing it’ll share with the parent company. Everything else, including the generous use carbon fiber and the tuned engine, will be all about establishing Polestar as a legitimate performance sub-brand that will eventually stand on its own, independent yet still connected to Volvo. Specific details about the car have yet to be released, but the report says it will make good use of carbon fiber and be tuned for 600 horsepower, enough to help it line up against established performance coupes like the BMW M6 and the Porsche Panamera. No timetable has been set on when the performance sports coupe will be launched, but the current plan appears to have the Polestar debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show this coming September.

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Good move to keep it in-house for the time-being

I understand the urge and excitement surrounding Polestar’s turn into a standalone sub-brand. There’s absolutely no question that an individual Polestar model will generate more interest than simply tuning existing Volvo models, slapping a Polestar badge on them, and then calling it a day. But that strategy is going to take some time to bear fruit considering how aggressive Volvo has been in recent years in building its own brand back to relevancy. Nurturing Polestar during its own stages of infancy would be smart because it would help the company grow organically, which in turn could help the new performance brand succeed long-term as a standalone company.

The first Polestar model is reportedly based on an existing Volvo model. That’s probably best as Polestar will need time to develop its own bespoke models. In the mean time, Polestar will need to become profitable in order to cover costs of a ground-up development. Volvo itself said that when it’s ready to stand on its own, Polestar will have “specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars,” and that “these synergies will allow it to design, develop and build world-beating electrified high-performance cars.”

At this point, Volvo is still in the process of building up its own mechanical and technological expertise, so it’s a smart move for the automaker to launch Polestar’s sub-brand status with a car – possibly even two – that will be based on an existing Volvo model. Besides, it’s not like this planned bespoke sports coupe is lacking on any headline-grabbing features. It will reportedly carry 600 horsepower, which would immediately make it more powerful than any other Volvo model on the market today. It’s also expected to drown in high-end amenities, something we’re only beginning to appreciate from Volvo.

I like the roadmap Volvo is charting for Polestar. It may not be the fastest way to establishing the performance brand, but it’s a nuanced one that has the potential to reap bigger benefits in the future.

References

Read our full review on the Volvo S60 Polestar.