Polestar

Auto China (Beijing Motor Show) became the first international auto show of the post-corona era when it took place between September 26 and October 5. The show was quite different from past events but still brought plenty to see.

Polestar built its debut all-electric car to compete with those of Tesla, and while the Polestar 2 will demand a deeper dive into the pockets for now, the vehicle has come in a little cheaper than the price flagged last year.

The sporty, low-slung, all-electric Precept concept takes a decisive step away from from the toothy, repackaged Volvo styling of previous Polestar designs, looking every bit the part of a performance halo.

​​Following the reveal of its debut hybrid GT back in 2017, Polestar has now unveiled a fully electrified sedan it hopes will broaden the brand’s appeal, with a sub-five second 0-100 km/h sprint and a range to make some rivals sweat.​

Volvo's Tesla-hunting electric offshoot Polestar has opened up a demonstration website for the user interface it plans to run on the upcoming Polestar 2. Based on Android, it'll include the Google Assistant, Google Play Store and whatever apps you like. Plus, it seems to want to be fun, too.

​Those closely following the progress of Volvo’s electric vehicle spinoff Polestar may know it is the first time the Swedish automaker has explored carbon fiber construction. And part of that exploration is smashing cars to bits in crash tests.

After revealing its luxury hybrid grand tourer in October last year, Polestar is now starting to put the first pieces in place. The company announced today that it has kicked off production of the very first Polestar 1 verification prototypes, with customer models expected sometime in 2019.

​Subscriptions for high-end vehicles are emerging as real alternatives to traditional car ownership, with the likes of Audi and BMW all launching services to that effect. Polestar made mention of a similar option for its forthcoming debut hybrid earlier this year, and has now shared more details.

Following an initial launch in October last year and a full reveal at the Geneva Motor Show last month, Volvo has now given its Polestar 1 grand tourer a price tag during this week's Auto China 2018 in Beijing.

With experience as Volvo's performance arm, Polestar is now transitioning toward becoming an independent badge with its own lineup of electrified performance cars. This week, the company showed the first model that will bear its name: the sporty, 600-hp Polestar 1.

Hybrid power used to be associated with boring eco-minded driving, but the technology is evolving. Having announced plans to electrify its entire range by 2019, Volvo has unveiled a hot hybrid XC60. With more than 400 hp on tap, it's a family SUV to make hot hatches look slow.

Since rounding out the 90 series lineup with the V90 estate back in February, Volvo has been focusing a little more downmarket, previewing the new 40 series while working on the 60 series. Now it's circled back to the top. The XC90 T8 Polestar now becomes the most powerful Volvo ever.