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TBH, I find the design of the Polestar a bit 'meh'!. It doesn't really do anything for me.
Ignoring the environmental side of things re electric cars, by far the most interesting opportunities for EV's come with packaging. Because the electric motor takes up so little space and because batteries can be configured to fit into whatever space is available (usually flat and under the floor granted), the possibilities are huge. Yet what Polestar have done here is just make a normal car, but electric. Which seems a wasted chance to do something distinctive and utilise more of what could be done, space wise, within the cars footprint.
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It shares a platform with XC40, hence there’s a superfluous transmission tunnel.
Under the bonnet, all the gubbins are hidden with only the windscreen washer cap visible. This does leave a bit of storage space in there, typically taken up with AC charging leads, but it could equally easily take a bit of shopping or a squashy bag.
Edited by mcb100 on 23/06/2021 at 18:32
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Got to agree bbd, I think the styling is very underwhelming especially at the money. It’s not a car I’d buy. To be honest, after my recent experience with modern Volvo ownership, the quality is nowhere near what it once was. The rust appearing on my low mileage 7yr old XC60 has put me off ever having another.
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With electric cars, most manufacturers seem to be using the new tech along with a radical internal make over (too radical IMO) allied a bland, boring front end. I also abhor these 'Fisher Price' plastic colour flashes too.
Take the VW ID3, inside it looks like an expensive kiddies toy car with an impractical white steering wheel and a poxy instrument binnacle (yes black is available).
The front of the Mustang Mach-E isn't faithful to its name, it's characterless, Teslas look dull and uninspiring, and why, why, why, is safety being compromised by controlling many functions via a screen?
I honestly dont think the majority of motorists are convinced or enamoured by the functional blandness of EVs. I'm certainly not, and have absolutely no interest in buying an overpriced 'jelly mould' with an electric motor. AKA a dodgem!
Sorry but if this is a serious revolution in motoring change, then manufacturers have to do better and provide designs we can embrace, not something that looks like it belongs on The Jetsons.
Of all the EV's the Polestar seems to have retained some of the 'traditional' looks, but has some internal blandness, and is priced way out of the average motorists reach.
Cost and blandness will be the biggest obstacle to a wider take up of EVs IMO.
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The shape and styling of EVs is all about least wind resistance and range. The makers do not seem to publish "drag co-efficient as in old days, it would be interesting to know. I think 2.7 to 2.9 was considered to be good on old designs. I expect weight saving is also high on the list of a desirable mods
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It should be a great car for £50K. But kerb weight is a power-sapping 350kg more than my aluminium Audi A8 and not significantly quicker. Will it be getting rusty by 7yrs too?
I have just removed the fifteen year old front wheel arch trim (to service the screen wash apparatus) and there is not a hint of corrosion anywhere - all metalwork looks as new. I wonder what the price will be for an eight year old Polestar, and whether it will be as reliable and durable for the next seven years - as my Audi has been since I bought it over seven years ago.
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I like the Polestar styling my self simply because it is underwhelming and looks like a normal car.
It's smart and generally understated which is how a Volvo should be.
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You mention it being £50,000, but a new A8 starts at £73,785…
I’m not sure why it would corrode any more differently, and who knows what the residual value will be in years to come.
Given your well publicised thriftiness, I’d assume you took advantage of huge depreciation to buy the Audi seven years ago?
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Given your well publicised thriftiness, I’d assume you took advantage of huge depreciation to buy the Audi seven years ago?
Yes - I paid £12k, so I suppose I've had my moneysworth by now. It's hardly surprising not many were sold - the W12 originally cost about £72K, £12k more than the V8. However, this retirement indulgence does cost around £1000 a year for fueling my low 3K annual mileage, but I kid myself it has probably stopped depreciating now....just like the TR7 ;-)
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TBH, I find the design of the Polestar a bit 'meh'!. It doesn't really do anything for me.
Ignoring the environmental side of things re electric cars, by far the most interesting opportunities for EV's come with packaging. Because the electric motor takes up so little space and because batteries can be configured to fit into whatever space is available (usually flat and under the floor granted), the possibilities are huge. Yet what Polestar have done here is just make a normal car, but electric. Which seems a wasted chance to do something distinctive and utilise more of what could be done, space wise, within the cars footprint.
The most practical shape for an EV in terms of use ot space would be the one-box shape with a wedge front end, similar to what most MPVs looked like a few years ago. However the buying public has deserted MPVs in favour of SUVs, which have conventional bonnet and therefore less space.
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The most practical shape for an EV in terms of use ot space would be the one-box shape with a wedge front end, similar to what most MPVs looked like a few years ago. However the buying public has deserted MPVs in favour of SUVs, which have conventional bonnet and therefore less space.
True enough, but with the I Pace, Jaguar managed to liberate both an enormous amount of interior space for its size with clever packaging, but still retain some Jaguar styling cues.
Teslas look dull and uninspiring
Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder, but I completely disagree with this. Yes, Tesla could probably have been a bit more adventurous with the shape of their cars, but without being hamstrung by expectations of what the cars of an established brand 'should' look like, they went with aerodynamics. And while, compared with the vulgar, over-styled monstrosities being churned out by the 'establishment', they may seem a little bland, I think that is more about what we have come to accept. If you look at the styling cues of most current premium brand cars, they are like caricatures of themselves, with vast grills, badges, wheels spoilers etc. Because of this, I don't think that many people can appreciate subtlety anymore, but I really like the purity and purpose of the Tesla Model S which, despite having been on the go since 2012, remains one of the most aerodynamic production cars there has ever been.
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I believe one of the reasons for Tesla being accepted is they look half normal. Boring, conservative, call it whatever you like but it is working. So many electric cars look like concept cars, albeit I now cant think of any, weird..
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So many electric cars look like concept cars, albeit I now cant think of any, weird..
Maybe there aren't many/any?
To be most electric vehicles look like any other cars on the road and don't look any different...some are better than others.
Personally I find the Tesla a dull car on the outside and inside......really can't see the appeal at all.
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