2020 Polestar 1 Review

Name: 2020 Polestar 1 Review
Brand: Polestar
Price: 63801 USD

Price Estimate: $63,801 - $73,706

+37

The 2020 Polestar 1 is a significant car for many reasons, particularly because it's the first production model for Polestar since Volvo spun off the brand to focus primarily on electric mobility. The 1 pairs a potent but practical plug-in hybrid powertrain with a wide and elongated coupe body composed mostly of lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic. It's quick, comfortable and handsomely styled. And with only 1,500 units to be sold worldwide, it also has the potential to become a collector's item.

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Polestar 1 model years

2021
2020

Polestar 1 for Sale

2020 Polestar 1 Review

byMark Takahashi^{Correspondent
Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the Edmunds YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.}

Pros

Stable and nimble handling
Comfortable seats and ride quality
Plug-in hybrid fuel efficiency
Limited production ensures rarity

Cons

Plain interior design considering the car's price
Small trunk and rear seats

What's new

Debut model for the new Volvo-based Polestar brand
High-performance plug-in hybrid
Kicks off the first Polestar 1 generation for 2020

Overview

The Polestar 1 is a two-door plug-in hybrid coupe. It can run on electric batteries hidden between the front seats and in the trunk, or it can run on a supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. Or it can run on both. All told, the system cranks out 619 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque and nets an estimated 60 miles of all-electric range too. Polestar will make only 1,500 cars globally over three years. Each vehicle is built and hand-assembled at the company's production facility in Chengdu, China.

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The 1 is Polestar's first production vehicle built from the ground up. For years, the brand served as a tuning house, pumping up Volvos such as the S60 and the V90 in the same vein as AMG for Mercedes-Benz or M for BMW. Now an independent manufacturer, Polestar will focus on luxurious, high-performance vehicles with advanced electric powertrains.

The Polestar 1 has a total battery capacity of 34 kWh and uses Type 1 and Type 2 charging connectors. Under AC power, there is up to 11 kW of onboard charging available. Polestar says it requires about nine hours to fully charge the battery from empty on a standard 110-volt home outlet, or roughly four hours with a 220-to-240-volt wall unit. There is also DC fast charging, which increases capability to 50 kW and charges the Polestar 1 up to 80% capacity in under an hour.

On top of all that technology is a full carbon-fiber body that increases stiffness and reduces weight. All the weight savings serve to offset the massive heft of the battery packs, allowing the Polestar 1 to unleash its considerable power and carve canyons as well as lighter sports cars.

Overall, we're fond of the 2020 Polestar 1. It's a thoroughly enjoyable and impressive halo car with an unmatched ability to switch between eco-friendly and aggressive thrust for a plug-in hybrid.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Good

8.0

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

8.5/10

How does the 1 drive? The Polestar 1 doesn't feel like it has 619 horsepower because of how smoothly it cruises into triple-digit speeds. In our testing, it ripped to 60 mph in a mere 3.9 seconds. Powerful brakes from Akebono scrub off speed at amazing rates, stopping this portly 5,200-pound coupe in just 99 feet. For context, that's slightly shorter than a Porsche 911 GT3 Touring. In casual use, the brakes at times feel a little grabby, though hybrid brakes are often tricky to tune.

Handling and daily drivability are commendable. Tight, twisty roads are dispatched with the help of torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. Even without the electronic aids, the manually adjustable Ohlins suspension delivers exceptional body control and smooths out the road beneath. The steering could stand to be a bit more communicative on the highway.

Comfort

8.5/10

How comfortable is the 1? The Polestar seats are very comfortable. There isn't a lot of adjustability, but you can still dial in long-haul comfort. They also offer decent lateral support to keep you secure under higher cornering loads. The manually adjustable suspension, in its standard setting, hits a sweet spot of compliance and control. But even in its firmest setting, it doesn't deliver as punishing a ride as some competitors.

The climate controls are accessed entirely through the touchscreen menu, which means there's a lag before the system becomes active after starting the car. There is an option to precondition the cabin; once set, it maintains target temps well. There's no vibrations to speak of, but there is a fair amount of road noise on rough textured surfaces. When the roads are a bit smoother, this hybrid is about as quiet as they come.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? The Polestar 1's wide and low body beltline doesn't just look good. It also makes for excellent visibility of the road in all directions and creates a sense of spaciousness for front occupants. The long doors provide ample space to slip inside; just watch for the lower rocker sills that jut out a bit. We knocked our shins a few times.

The form-follows-function narrative changes slightly when it comes to the user interface. The Sensus infotainment system plucked from the Volvo parts bin has the aesthetic benefit of a clean, minimalistic design, but it comes with the downside of having to access everything digitally. This means lots of swiping between screens when you're on the move, which can be distracting.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? Much of the Polestar 1's tech has been proven out to some degree in Volvo's vehicle lineup, so it's better than the average exotic. Everything from the excellent 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system to a suite of advanced driver's aids is included, all of which make it more useful as a daily driver. While the adaptive cruise and lane keeping assist are pretty effective at relieving traffic stress, the parking cameras' low angles make for slightly awkward visual references.

Smartphones pair easily via Bluetooth, which allows clear playback for podcasts, phone calls and music using the native system interface. Or you can plug into one of two USB ports to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, which is also standard. The vertical orientation of the touchscreen, though, downsizes the display of those systems a bit.

Storage

6.5/10

How’s the storage? At just 4.4 cubic feet, the rear trunk is tiny. The Polestar 1's batteries and electronics take up the bulk of the area. That said, it's easier to access and more usable than the trunks of either the BMW i8 or Acura NSX because of the low liftover height. In-cabin storage is a bit sparse too, which isn't uncommon for this segment. The center console has an extremely shallow bin meant just for phones and other small flat items, while the door pockets are a pretty nice size and rubber-lined.

Front-facing car seats or booster seats can be used in back, with car seat anchors relatively easy to access through zippered slits. A rear-facing seat will fit behind the passenger seat if it's adjusted to its front-most position, but it's not really practical. If you're not transporting small humans with you, the rear seats can act as overflow storage, be it for groceries or outerwear.

Fuel Economy

8.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates you'll get 26 mpg combined when the 1 is running in hybrid mode, which is about what the BMW i8 returns but with much more performance potential. We started with a partial battery charge (35 miles of indicated charge) on our 115-mile evaluation route and drove in hybrid mode. The car returned an impressive 36.6 mpg, which was spot-on with what the computer calculated on board.

The Polestar 1 has a 34-kWh battery that provides an estimated 52 miles of electric range, and based on our observations this range seems realistic. Charging at its maximum 11 kW of AC power will give you a full battery in about 3.5 hours. It is also equipped with DC fast-charging capability that'll get you to an 80% charge in less than an hour.

Value

8/10

Is the 1 a good value? Perception of quality for an exotic car is almost as important as actual quality. The bulk of Polestar 1's expense goes into the hybrid powertrain as well as its carbon-fiber body, which saves a lot of weight and helps create a stiffer structure. But these things go mostly unnoticed because they're either underneath the car or covered with paint.

The interior of the Polestar, while luxurious and soundly assembled, looks far less exotic than you'd expect at this price. In fact, it looks like it's from a regular Volvo. That said, this will be a rare car with just 1,500 units produced, and compared to its closest hybrid competition, it's a much better value for the features, performance and practicality.

Basic warranty coverage is pretty standard at four years/50,000 miles, but Polestar covers hybrid and battery components for eight years/100,000 miles (10 years/150,000 miles for California residents).

Wildcard

9/10

It resembles a Volvo but it's more handsome, and there's nothing else quite like it on the road. It outshines the aging BMW i8 in nearly everything except cool gullwing doors, and it's more rare and less expensive than an Acura NSX. It draws attention everywhere it goes without trying. It's the equivalent of an attractive person who's unaware of it.

The Polestar 1 may not blow you away as much as other exotic vehicles with its straight-line speed, partially because it develops power so smoothly, but it changes direction amazingly well. The hybrid system with its torque vectoring, along with the excellent Ohlins suspension, works to make spirited driving effortless yet enjoyable.

Which 1 does Edmunds recommend?

Since this is such an exclusive, low-volume car, there's only one well-equipped spec to go with.

2020 Polestar 1 models

Each Polestar 1 comes standard with a huge range of premium features, from luxury to safety, and there are no packages to tack on. Features include a full-leather interior, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, LED lighting, keyless entry and ignition, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system paired with an infotainment system that uses a 12.3-inch touchscreen display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is also included.

Since this is in no small part a Volvo product, the generous list of safety features should come as no surprise. They include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera and Volvo's Pilot Assist, a suite of features that bundles adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking and collision mitigation.

The sole paid option is matte paint, which runs $5,000.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Polestar 1 2dr Coupe AWD (2.0L 4cyl Twincharger gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.72 per gallon for premium unleaded and $0.14 per kWh for electricity in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$134/mo

$155/mo

Avg. Compact Car

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2020 1 Highlights

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$155,000
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$4,225 Based on income
Engine Type	Plug-in hybrid
EPA Electric Range	52 miles
Combined MPGe (Electric + Gas)	58 MPGe^{MPGe is the official metric that the EPA uses to measure the efficiency of alternative-fuel (including electric) vehicles. Just like regular MPG shows how far a car will travel on one gallon of gas, MPGe shows how far a vehicle will drive on 33.7kWh of electricity - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Combined MPGe is the combined total of 45% city MPGe + 55% highway MPGe.}
Cost to Drive	$134/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	9.0 hours
Seating	4 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	4.4 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the 1 models:

Pilot Assist w/ Adaptive Cruise Control: Automatically adjusts the car's speed to speed up or slow down to match traffic and keeps the car centered in the lane.
Blind-Spot Information System: Illuminates a light in the sideview mirrors if a vehicle is in the Polestar 1's blind spot.
Collision Mitigation Support: Can help steer the car to avoid or lessen the chance of a front or rear collision.

2020 Polestar 1 Review

2020 Polestar 1 Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which 1 does Edmunds recommend?

2020 Polestar 1 models

Polestar 1 Reviews

There are no consumer reviews for the 2020 Polestar 1.

2020 Polestar 1 videos

Top 10 Best-Looking Cars According to Edmunds' Mark Takahashi

2020 1 Highlights

Safety

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