Volvo’s newer, greener cousin has had its passport stamped for Australia.
Polestar will launch in Australia by the end of 2021, as part of its expansion through five new Asia Pacific nations.
There’s not much in the way of detail about how Polestar will operate when it lands in Australia.
Polestar sells its cars through an online portal and operates Polestar Spaces, shops modelled on high-end boutiques where potential owners can learn more about the brand.
Volvo hasn’t locked in how many Spaces will be opened in Australia but has previously said the brand will stand alone, meaning it shouldn’t be relegated to a deep, dark corner of every second Volvo showroom.
The first car coming Down Under will be the Polestar 2, a Tesla Model 3 rival with 470km of range from its 78kWh lithium-ion battery on the WLTP test cycle.
With 300kW and 660Nm from its dual-motor powertrain, the Chinese-made 2 will hit 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds from standstill.
If it looks a bit familiar, that’s because the Polestar 2 is based on the same CMA architecture as the Volvo XC40 SUV.
Inside, it features a touchscreen infotainment system built on Google’s new Android Automotive bones.
Before it was an electric brand under the Geely umbrella, Polestar was a racing skunkworks for Volvo.
With that in mind, the Polestar 2 is offered overseas with a performance package featuring Ohlins dampers.
In Australia, Polestar will be run by Samantha Johnson, who will report to Nathan Forshaw, head of Polestar China and Asia Pacific.
