The Gorgeous Polestar 1 Is Going Away at Year\u2019s End

The final build slots have opened for the Polestar 1 luxury coupe as production at the Chengdu, China, plant is shutting down at the end of the year.

A Polestar official told Autoweek that since the car was launched in 2017 it was always intended as a limited-production model. Deliveries began in 2019, and the U.S. has been allocated around 125 a year.

“We’ve received an overwhelming response from customers and press following the 2017 debut of the Polestar 1 and subsequent deliveries in 2020,” said Polestar North America boss Gregor Hembrough. “With 619 horsepower, yet retaining the longest electric range of any hybrid vehicle on the current market, this hybrid grand tourer is a testament to the design and technological innovation Polestar passionately pursues.”

The Polestar 1 is both the brand’s halo car and the car that launched the Volvo EV/performance brand. The car is built on a shortened version of Volvo’s flexible SPA platform, also underpinning the XC90, S90, and V90. The 1’s hybrid powertrain consists of two electric motors on the rear axle and a 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine, plus an integrated starter generator at the front. It’s all good for 619 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque.

The lovely body is carbon fiber, and other tech goodies include six-piston Akebono brakes and adjustable Öhlins dampers. The coupe also has mechanical torque vectoring. With 34 kWh of battery capacity, Polestar says the 1’s 60 mile pure-EV range is still the longest of any hybrid.

The final production run is available to buy online at Polestar.com and as before, qualified customers can visit Polestar Spaces across North America for a test drive.

Next up is the Polestar 3, an electric performance SUV expected this year. The Precept, a concept shown last year that the company says showcases its vision in terms of “sustainability, digital technology, and design,” is also headed to production.

Want a Polestar 1? Let us know in the comments what you think.

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