You can now visit the Polestar 1 at Polestar Space Singapore
06 Jun 2024|1,316 views
The Polestar 2 may be the only model by the brand on sale in Singapore currently, but that hasn't stopped its dealer, Wearnes Automotive, from showcasing other integral parts to the brand's identity in Singapore.
Much of that has been forward-looking. The Polestar 3 was already previewed at Polestar Space Singapore in September last year (and remains there still), while the Polestar roadster concept - set to inspire the 2026-due Polestar 6 - also enjoyed its tenancy along Leng Kee Road (until very recently), after first being brought out for the 2024 Singapore Motor Show.
The latest guest of 45 Leng Kee Road, however, is a car that provides a rare and precious glimpse into the genesis of the brand: The luminous Polestar 1. The car now resides in the recently-expanded portion of the Space, and has been here since the start of May.
It won't be surprising if the Polestar 1 looks and sounds unfamiliar to the average Singaporean despite being of unparalleled significance to the brand.
While the car was handed the task of ushering in the independence of Polestar as a standalone manufacturer (it was previously a tuning brand, associated with performance Volvos), production was limited to just 1,500 units worldwide across 2019 to 2021.
Production of the coupe was limited to only 1,500 units worldwide, with all of them made in left-hand drive
Polestar, if you'll remember, only made landfall in Singapore towards the end of 2021 - but perhaps more significantly, the Polestar 1 was only produced in left-hand drive. With Singapore's strict regulations for left-hand drive vehicles, it's thus unlikely the car would have been earmarked for our shores anyway. The unit currently on display is not for sale, and also cannot be driven on local roads.
Still, even if this is your first time setting eyes on the car, the Polestar 1 shouldn't look too foreign.
The model started life way back in 2013 as the Volvo Concept Coupe - before the folks in Gothenburg decided that it would work best as the torchbearer for the soon-to-be-independent Polestar.
Consequently, there are flashes of both existing Volvo and Polestar models in its sleek silhouette. The quietly luxurious Volvo S90 holds up the closest mirror image in our eyes; just imagine it getting put through a strict diet in combination with a bodybuilding regime, and the Polestar 1 is the likely result.
The subtle styling of the Polestar 1 contains flashes of both existing Volvo and Polestar models - although to the average observer, it is most likely to resemble the beautiful Volvo S90
Officially referred to as a "performance GT (grand tourer)", the car sports a muscular, two-door coupe-silhouette, but has room for four with its two additional back seats.
Polestar, of course, brands itself as an electric performance brand, and the 1 arguably remains the most faithful pursuit of this philosophy to date.
In Polestar's own words, the coupe was "designed to showcase advanced engineering and technology, and set the tone for the brand's future", with one of its most central qualities being its focus on lightweight construction.
Carbon fibre was used thoroughly for reduced weight and increased rigidity - while also helping to lower the car's centre of gravity.
The 1 was also fitted with adjustable Ohlins dampers, and six-piston Akebono brakes finished in gold - both characteristics which have grown into distinct brand hallmarks today.
On that note, considering that production of the car began nearly five years ago today, it's interesting to spot the other elements that would come to define the firm's modern image.
There are those frameless wing mirrors, for starters. As you swing its (also frameless) doors open, you'll also find a minimalist dashboard, as well as those lovely golden seatbelts lining all four of the coupe's seats. Back then, Polestar had already been clear about its more premium positioning too, with the car getting a 1,400-watt, 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system.
Gold galore: Those bright seatbelts and brake callipers have become modern visual hallmarks of the Polestar brand
Something that didn't trickle down to the Polestar 2, though? An active rear spoiler, which sits flush with the trunk when the car is at rest, but raises itself automatically above speeds of 105km/h (it can also be raised manually via a button on the driver's door armrest). The spoiler retracts on its own again when the car's speed falls below 72km/h.
But just as vital to the car's performance DNA was its unusual powertrain.
While Polestar is unambiguous about its identity as a fully electric brand today, the Polestar 1 was more of a dip than a fully-committed plunge into this philosophy, mating both electric and combustion power: As a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Interestingly, even as a plug-in hybrid, the Polestar 1 boasts more electric motors than many fully electric cars nowadays.
The Polestar 1 is not your typical plug-in hybrid; a total of three electric motors work together with its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine to produce an incredible 599bhp and 1,000Nm of torque. Even more special is the fact that two of these electric motors are mounted at the rear axle - one per wheel - allowing for torque vectoring
A whopping total of three electric motors work in combination with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine to power the car, including two on the rear axle - one per wheel - which allow for torque vectoring. System output? An incredible 599bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, sending the Polestar 1 from zero to 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds.
Mounted at the rear of the car as well is a 34kWh battery, giving the Polestar 1 a WLTP-rated electric-only range of 124km. This impressive figure meant that at the time of its release, the car had the longest electric-only driving range of any PHEV in the world.
We may never get the chance to drive the Polestar 1 here, but international reviews were glowing, with praise directed at both its power and the brand's unique take on the perennial luxury grand tourer format. Notably, British automotive journalist and presenter, Chris Harris, was so enthralled by the car that he bought one for himself - and this, despite being based in the U.K. and having to drive it on the country's right-hand drive-designed roads.
1, 2, 3: With the Polestar 1 now present alongside both the road-going Polestar 2 and a previewed prototype of the Polestar 3, visitors can now get a complete look of the first three models by the firm at Polestar Space Singapore
While the Polestar 1 remains an early outlier of sorts with the brand now having gone fully electric, that's not to say that the performance DNA and new-age outlook it helped to pioneer have disappeared.
Polestar Singapore is currently gearing up for the launch of two models in the third quarter of 2024: The Polestar 3 and Polestar 4, each of which offers a slightly different take on the increasingly-popular electric SUV formula. Alongside the Polestar 1 and 2, the former is still present at Polestar Space Singapore for viewing.
The Polestar 3, as the largest car in the existing lineup thus far, will not only be the brand's first SUV, but also its new top-of-the-range model when it is launched here. Offered solely with a dual-motor setup, its interior also promises to take the eco-luxury leanings of the Polestar 2 to greater heights.
On the other hand, the Polestar 4 sports a sleeker silhouette with its positioning as the 'coupe-SUV' of the lineup. But styling aside, the 4 boasts an unprecedented design feature on modern cars: It doesn't have a rear windscreen. Instead, a rear-mounted 2.5 megapixel HD camera stands in its place, offers clarity and a wide range of vision.
Polestar says this was done to allow designers to move the rear roof header backwards - meaning that the car can retain its coupe-SUV silhouette without the typical compromise in rear passenger head room normally experienced with such a body style.
Beyond the 3 and 4, the brand also has the Polestar 5, an all-electric grand tourer, as well as the aforementioned Polestar 6 in the pipeline. As a hard-top convertible, the latter promises to be the sportiest model from the brand yet, and will utilise a revolutionary bonded aluminium architecture - not just for gains in rigidity, but for better recyclability too.
Sgcarmart understands that the Polestar 1 will be around for "a limited period" only - so you'll have to act fast if you want get up close with this still-stunning piece of the brand's history.
The Polestar 2 may be the only model by the brand on sale in Singapore currently, but that hasn't stopped its dealer, Wearnes Automotive, from showcasing other integral parts to the brand's identity in Singapore.
Much of that has been forward-looking. The Polestar 3 was already previewed at Polestar Space Singapore in September last year (and remains there still), while the Polestar roadster concept - set to inspire the 2026-due Polestar 6 - also enjoyed its tenancy along Leng Kee Road (until very recently), after first being brought out for the 2024 Singapore Motor Show.
The latest guest of 45 Leng Kee Road, however, is a car that provides a rare and precious glimpse into the genesis of the brand: The luminous Polestar 1. The car now resides in the recently-expanded portion of the Space, and has been here since the start of May.
It won't be surprising if the Polestar 1 looks and sounds unfamiliar to the average Singaporean despite being of unparalleled significance to the brand.
While the car was handed the task of ushering in the independence of Polestar as a standalone manufacturer (it was previously a tuning brand, associated with performance Volvos), production was limited to just 1,500 units worldwide across 2019 to 2021.
Production of the coupe was limited to only 1,500 units worldwide, with all of them made in left-hand drive
Polestar, if you'll remember, only made landfall in Singapore towards the end of 2021 - but perhaps more significantly, the Polestar 1 was only produced in left-hand drive. With Singapore's strict regulations for left-hand drive vehicles, it's thus unlikely the car would have been earmarked for our shores anyway. The unit currently on display is not for sale, and also cannot be driven on local roads.
Still, even if this is your first time setting eyes on the car, the Polestar 1 shouldn't look too foreign.
The model started life way back in 2013 as the Volvo Concept Coupe - before the folks in Gothenburg decided that it would work best as the torchbearer for the soon-to-be-independent Polestar.
Consequently, there are flashes of both existing Volvo and Polestar models in its sleek silhouette. The quietly luxurious Volvo S90 holds up the closest mirror image in our eyes; just imagine it getting put through a strict diet in combination with a bodybuilding regime, and the Polestar 1 is the likely result.
The subtle styling of the Polestar 1 contains flashes of both existing Volvo and Polestar models - although to the average observer, it is most likely to resemble the beautiful Volvo S90
Officially referred to as a "performance GT (grand tourer)", the car sports a muscular, two-door coupe-silhouette, but has room for four with its two additional back seats.
Polestar, of course, brands itself as an electric performance brand, and the 1 arguably remains the most faithful pursuit of this philosophy to date.
In Polestar's own words, the coupe was "designed to showcase advanced engineering and technology, and set the tone for the brand's future", with one of its most central qualities being its focus on lightweight construction.
Carbon fibre was used thoroughly for reduced weight and increased rigidity - while also helping to lower the car's centre of gravity.
The 1 was also fitted with adjustable Ohlins dampers, and six-piston Akebono brakes finished in gold - both characteristics which have grown into distinct brand hallmarks today.
On that note, considering that production of the car began nearly five years ago today, it's interesting to spot the other elements that would come to define the firm's modern image.
There are those frameless wing mirrors, for starters. As you swing its (also frameless) doors open, you'll also find a minimalist dashboard, as well as those lovely golden seatbelts lining all four of the coupe's seats. Back then, Polestar had already been clear about its more premium positioning too, with the car getting a 1,400-watt, 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system.
Gold galore: Those bright seatbelts and brake callipers have become modern visual hallmarks of the Polestar brand
Something that didn't trickle down to the Polestar 2, though? An active rear spoiler, which sits flush with the trunk when the car is at rest, but raises itself automatically above speeds of 105km/h (it can also be raised manually via a button on the driver's door armrest). The spoiler retracts on its own again when the car's speed falls below 72km/h.
But just as vital to the car's performance DNA was its unusual powertrain.
While Polestar is unambiguous about its identity as a fully electric brand today, the Polestar 1 was more of a dip than a fully-committed plunge into this philosophy, mating both electric and combustion power: As a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Interestingly, even as a plug-in hybrid, the Polestar 1 boasts more electric motors than many fully electric cars nowadays.
The Polestar 1 is not your typical plug-in hybrid; a total of three electric motors work together with its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine to produce an incredible 599bhp and 1,000Nm of torque. Even more special is the fact that two of these electric motors are mounted at the rear axle - one per wheel - allowing for torque vectoring
A whopping total of three electric motors work in combination with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine to power the car, including two on the rear axle - one per wheel - which allow for torque vectoring. System output? An incredible 599bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, sending the Polestar 1 from zero to 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds.
Mounted at the rear of the car as well is a 34kWh battery, giving the Polestar 1 a WLTP-rated electric-only range of 124km. This impressive figure meant that at the time of its release, the car had the longest electric-only driving range of any PHEV in the world.
We may never get the chance to drive the Polestar 1 here, but international reviews were glowing, with praise directed at both its power and the brand's unique take on the perennial luxury grand tourer format. Notably, British automotive journalist and presenter, Chris Harris, was so enthralled by the car that he bought one for himself - and this, despite being based in the U.K. and having to drive it on the country's right-hand drive-designed roads.
1, 2, 3: With the Polestar 1 now present alongside both the road-going Polestar 2 and a previewed prototype of the Polestar 3, visitors can now get a complete look of the first three models by the firm at Polestar Space Singapore
While the Polestar 1 remains an early outlier of sorts with the brand now having gone fully electric, that's not to say that the performance DNA and new-age outlook it helped to pioneer have disappeared.
Polestar Singapore is currently gearing up for the launch of two models in the third quarter of 2024: The Polestar 3 and Polestar 4, each of which offers a slightly different take on the increasingly-popular electric SUV formula. Alongside the Polestar 1 and 2, the former is still present at Polestar Space Singapore for viewing.
The Polestar 3, as the largest car in the existing lineup thus far, will not only be the brand's first SUV, but also its new top-of-the-range model when it is launched here. Offered solely with a dual-motor setup, its interior also promises to take the eco-luxury leanings of the Polestar 2 to greater heights.
On the other hand, the Polestar 4 sports a sleeker silhouette with its positioning as the 'coupe-SUV' of the lineup. But styling aside, the 4 boasts an unprecedented design feature on modern cars: It doesn't have a rear windscreen. Instead, a rear-mounted 2.5 megapixel HD camera stands in its place, offers clarity and a wide range of vision.
Polestar says this was done to allow designers to move the rear roof header backwards - meaning that the car can retain its coupe-SUV silhouette without the typical compromise in rear passenger head room normally experienced with such a body style.
Beyond the 3 and 4, the brand also has the Polestar 5, an all-electric grand tourer, as well as the aforementioned Polestar 6 in the pipeline. As a hard-top convertible, the latter promises to be the sportiest model from the brand yet, and will utilise a revolutionary bonded aluminium architecture - not just for gains in rigidity, but for better recyclability too.
Sgcarmart understands that the Polestar 1 will be around for "a limited period" only - so you'll have to act fast if you want get up close with this still-stunning piece of the brand's history.
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