Polestar has been releasing small segments of its first concept car via its Instagram account, which now paint a partial picture of the finished product. The mystery concept, scheduled to be unveiled in Shanghai on Oct. 17, will certainly be electrified in some way.
Polestar is now Volvo’s electric car subbrand and the concept will almost certainly be a coupe, likely in the style of the Concept Coupe shown by Volvo at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. The 2013 concept showcased the talents of Volvo designer Thomas Ingenlath, who was new to the automaker at the time, while also giving the world a glimpse at the latest Volvo design themes.
Ingenlath is now the CEO of Polestar, so it makes sense that the brand’s first model may follow up on themes revealed in Frankfurt in 2013.
While we’ll have to wait another week to find out just what will power the first Polestar concept — it could use Volvo’s T8 PHEV powertrain — it’s clear the new brand has Tesla in its sights, even though Polestar didn’t start out that way. An outside tuning house that was purchased by Volvo, Polestar is currently being transformed into a premium performance and electric marque that will not wear the Volvo badge but will trade on being designed and backed by Volvo.
“We want to redefine the brand, moving it away from having gasoline-powered cars to offering electrification and something that we call progressive performance,” Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson told Automotive News earlier this year.
