Polestar

The Polestar 2 has been priced for various markets across Europe and North America, kicking off between the $90,000 and $95,000 bracket depending on market. Scheduled to commence production in "early 2020" ahead of first deliveries in June next year, the Polestar 2 will be priced from £49,900 ($90,914) in the UK, and €58,800 ($95,632) in Germany. Guide pricing for North America is currently estimated at US$63,000 ($93,348), though the final figure is still to be confirmed.

"I bet you've all driven Volvos and said they are safe, the interior is beautiful, the design is minimalistic, but I bet none of you have said that's the best car I've ever driven," Polestar chief operating officer Jonathan Goodman told Australian media at Polestar headquarters outside Gothenburg.

The design of Volvo and sub-brand Polestar's new Android-based infotainment system has been revealed as part of the build up to the unveiling, later this year, of the Polestar 2, a new electric sedan set to rival the Tesla Model 3. Polestar's new demonstration website has been designed for tablets and smartphones only, allowing enthusiasts to experience the layout of its new tablet-inspired infotainment system, which will eventually take over from Volvo's Sensus system.

The Polestar Engineered upgrade package for the Volvo S60, V60 and XC60 T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrids has been detailed, ahead of the S60's formal debut next week. The Polestar package has a revised engine control unit, which bumps the output of the US-spec plug-in hybrid drivetrain to 309kW of power and 670Nm of torque. That's an increase of 11kW and 30Nm over the standard 298kW/640Nm T8 Twin Engine setup.

Alongside its unveiling of the Polestar 1, its change in manufacturing locations to China and the announcement of upcoming Polestar 2 and 3 models, Volvo’s soon to be electric sub-brand also revealed details of a subscription model the company says is the future of automobile ownership. The Polestar subscription service will see users pay no upfront deposit and have their entire ownership costs covered in flat monthly payments, including insurance, maintenance and an array of other services.