2021 Polestar 1 Review: A New Star

Auto123 reviews the Polestar 1, Volvo's enigmatic new plug-in-hybrid performance car.

The Polestar name remains an intrigue for many motorists. Yet Volvo enthusiasts are surely familiar with the name. Polestar has been Volvo's performance division for years and has now achieved brand status as a company dedicated to producing partially or fully electric models. In the tradition of the Swedish automaker’s penchant for restraint and sobriety, don’t waste your time looking for the Volvo logo on the car, or even the Polestar name. No, your Polestar 1 will be anonymous on the road, save for the Polestar logo.

Nor should you waste effort looking for a Polestar dealership in your neighborhood. There will only be three Polestar stores in Canada: one in Montreal, one in Toronto and one in Vancouver. To feed the few outlets, only 500 Polestar 1s will be built annually for all markets over the next three years. Of those, only twelve will head to Canada (150 are labeled for the United States). The Polestar 2 will arrive next spring, followed by the Polestar 3.

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Gasoline and electricity
The Polestar 1 is a plug-in hybrid model capable, according to the manufacturer, of driving 125 km in pure electric mode. During our test drive, we did 119 in highway mode, which is very good, and definitely close enough not to make a liar out of the automaker.

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