Premium car maker Volvo Cars has
acquired 100 per cent of Polestar, the Swedish high performance car company,
including the Polestar brand. Polestar will now be used as the model name for
special high performance Volvos.
Polestar will also in future
utilise Volvo’s twin engine electrification technology to develop next
generation performance cars, said a press note from Volvo Cars.
Volvo is the largest
manufacturer of plug in hybrid cars in Europe and leader in advanced vehicle
electrification technology. Volvo currently develops and manufactures some of
the most powerful, most environmentally-friendly hybrid engines in the
automotive industry.
Volvo and Polestar share a
long history. They have been working in motor sport since 1996 and in recent
years signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop Polestar versions of
Volvo cars that combine a comfortable Volvo driving experience with a very high
level of power and handling.
“Driving a Volvo Polestar is a special
experience. We have decided to bring this experience to more Volvo drivers,
placing the full resources of Volvo behind the development of Polestar as the
model name for our high performance cars,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and
chief executive of Volvo Cars.
In 2015, Volvo expects to sell 750 Polestar
versions of the V60 wagon and S60 sedan globally. Polestar sales are forecast
to increase to between 1,000 and 1,500 cars a year in the medium term under
Volvo’s ownership. The Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar feature a 350 horse power T6
engine, making the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.9 seconds, and an extensively
developed chassis. The car demonstrates Volvo’s and Polestar’s engineering
philosophy of delivering an engaging, precise and confident driving experience.
Polestar Performance Optimisations offer
increased mid-range engine performance in combination with supporting changes
for the gearbox and throttle response to make the car more dynamic and
responsive to drive.
The Polestar brand is already firmly
established internationally through the sale of Polestar-branded Volvos. Volvo
will also benefit from the sale of aftermarket Polestar performance
optimisation kits for existing Volvos.
No financial details of the deal have been
disclosed. Existing Polestar Performance employees will become Volvo employees.
The Polestar racing team will
remain under the control of Christian Dahl, the former owner of Polestar, and
will be renamed. The Polestar brand will continue to work alongside Christian
Dahl.
“We are extremely satisfied
with the way the performance business with Volvo has developed. But we are a
racing team first and foremost. This is an opportunity to return our full
attention to our core business – to develop and race Volvo cars,” said
Christian Dahl.
Source: Volvo Cars