Volvo’s sub-brand Polestar has previewed the final production version of its new 5 grand tourer in a 'behind the scenes' video that explores how its design will be evolved from the striking Precept concept.
Polestar’s UK R&D centre has become a development hub for the ground-breaking Precept model, as the firm presses ahead with a production car’s launch in 2024. Design work is ongoing, and at this early stage, it is clear that the production car will be marked out by a more steeply raked roofline, physical door handles, more subtly integrated side skirts and a gently reworked rear end.
- Production Polestar 5 still in design stage
- Engineers looking at mass producing sustainable materials used in the concept
Exterior designer Nahum Escobedo said "there's definitely a lot of things we still need to solve" but emphasised that the design tweaks will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. "From concept to production," he said, "we are very close to that idea."
The 5 was confirmed for production last year after being closely previewed by the Precept, a one-off that was originally used as a showcase for the ambitions of Volvo’s sibling brand. It featured a number of innovative materials with sustainability as a core theme – flax-based composites cut weight by up to 50 percent and achieved a reduction in plastic weight by up to 80 percent.
The Precept’s interior also uses materials such as recycled PET bottles, reclaimed fishing nets and recycled cork vinyl.
Polestar’s UK team is focusing on the Precept's development, looking into challenging engineering solutions, as the Swedish manufacturer looks to upscale and mass-produce the various sustainable materials used in the EV.
The brand will also significantly increase the number of employees at the UK R&D centre in MIRA Technology Park. Its workforce will double to around 500 personnel in the near future, while the centre will continue to work closely with the headquarters in Sweden.
This isn’t the first time that Polestar has expanded abroad. Along with a factory in Chengdu, China, the brand will build the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV, due in 2022, at Volvo’s US factory in Ridge Hill, South Carolina.
“Going electric is a pivotal moment in the history of cars,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “The combination of British engineering talent and Swedish expertise will ensure our cars are among the highest performing and most sustainable on the road.”
Will Polestar come to India?
Currently there is no word on whether Volvo’s all-electric sub-brand will be coming to India. Volvo on the other hand has started electrifying its India line-up with the recently launch of the mild-hybrid petrol XC60, XC90 SUVs and the S90 sedan. The XC90 is also available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Come 2022, Volvo will launch its first EV, the XC40 Recharge in India.
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