Polestar has just unveiled their first ever car, a brand new 600 HP two-door 2+2 seat Grand Tourer Coupe with an electrified powertrain. Well, almost brand new.

Built in the Polestar Production Center in Chengdu, China, the Polestar 1 sits on Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture, although approximately 50% of it is new, created by the brand’s engineers.

While we can try guessing what the other 50% stands for – the kind you expect to see on a car that goes from show-piece to one step before production, some of it is definitely not as “bespoke” as you might think. Aside from a few subtle exterior differences, the styling of the 1 is almost identical to that of Volvo’s Coupe Concept from 2013.

That car was also based on the Swedish automaker’s SPA architecture, and featured a design that paid homage to the classic P1800 (built between 1961 and 1973). It’s obvious that starting the design phase from scratch would have been more costly for Polestar.

Yet, let’s not be too hard on them. Those subtle differences are still more than worthy of our attention, such as the more aggressive headlights with sharper edges and smaller daytime running light graphics. Then there’s the front bumper, which on the Polestar 1 features more compact air vents and a slightly less elegant shape than on the Coupe Concept. As for the grille, it’s got black surrounds, fewer slots and no badge – it’s a bit strange seeing a badge-less Volvo, at least as first, don’t you think?

Moving on to the rear, if you look really close you’ll see that the two models are a bit more different than they were when viewed from the front. Where on the Coupe Concept the upper edges of the taillights were angled one way and met the actual opening of the trunk, on the Polestar 1 they’re angled the exact opposite way and don’t reach as high up. The middle section of the taillights is also more pronounced on the Polestar 1, while the bumper and diffuser look a bit more practical, if you will.

Last but not least when it comes to exterior styling, the mirrors and door handles are also less Concept-ish on the Polestar 1, which makes perfect sense seen as how this car is going into production in mid-2019.

As for the interior, we wouldn’t blame you for digging what you see on the Coupe Concept more. It’s definitely sharper, more stylish and a little futuristic too, even by 2017 standards – not to mention 2013 standards. The cabin of the Polestar 1 on the other hand reminds you of just about every new Volvo model, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but concept cars will almost always trump production models when it comes to aesthetics.

Are you fans of the Polestar 1, or would you rather have seen the Swedish brand build a production version of the Volvo Concept Estate? It’s just as stylish as the Coupe Concept, but more practical and arguably more distinguished.

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