Polestar will begin production of its upcoming compact crossover, the 7, in 2028 at sibling firm Volvo's new Slovakia factory.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding for Volvo's third European plant – currently under construction in Kosice – to build the electric Range Rover Evoque rival, which is set to be Polestar's highest-volume model yet.
It will be the brand's first European-built car. The Polestar 2 and Polestar 4 are made in parent company Geely's facilities in China, as will be the upcoming Polestar 5 sports saloon, while the larger Polestar 3 SUV is built alongside its Volvo EX90 twin in the US.
Polestar has confirmed the 7 – officially previewed below – will use a 'technology base' from Volvo, which will mean it benefits "from group component sharing, cell-to-body technology with next-generation battery density and performance, as well as the next generation of in-house-developed e-motors".
That "technology base" will be shared with two upcoming Volvo models, including the upcoming third-generation Volvo EX60, which will be the first car to use the company's new SPA3 platform – designed from the ground up for electric vehicles, rather than being adapted from an ICE architecture.
However, Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that, irrespective of any shared components, the 7 will "behave totally like a Polestar", with the company's R&D teams working "to make sure that Polestar DNA, in terms of chassis tuning, behaviour, look and feel, comes in".
Citing the stark differences between the Polestar 3 and the closely related Volvo EX90 as an example of how two cars that share a platform can still be obviously differentiated models, Lohscheller said: “If you take the Polestar 3 and the EX90, I would argue it’s executed very well. The Volvo is comfort and safety, nice and easy for the commute; the Polestar is a performance car – you feel it in how it drives. The suspension is different; the chassis tuning is different.”
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Whilst I find the model numbering a bit odd, I've always thought quite positive towards the brand, the latest RWD 2 is quite a good drive and I was offered an extended (weekend) test drive in a 4 and took it, whilst it isn't exactly engaging to drive it was ok, it didn't feel under powered, performance tailed off above 75 but then that's no different to to the EV6 I used to have, which is a similar sized car, but the 4 is in different league in terms of interior quality, but then it's also a lot more expensive than the Kia.
Are Polestar cars only painted in three colours?, I've seen white black and grey.
Why is everyone putting 'joke' wheels on their EV's (except Cupra).
Looks like a clowns car and difficult to take seriously.
Volkswagens alloy design is awful now too -sort of spirograph designs, with that awful spun shiny finish( 'Diamond finish' they call it) which we all know from decades ago, and unlike a 'diamond', wears really badly and then looks scruffy.
Me thinks that the designers have run out of ideas and just playing with ever wackier ideas.....clearly nice 5 or 7 spoke wheels are no longer allowed.
It's an Autocar render, not real.