Andreas Engel and Martin A. Bartholdi
Polestar 1: The high-tech Swede
E-mobility is conservative, fun-free and eco-friendly? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Hardly any other vehicle refutes this more impressively than the plug-in hybrid coupé Polestar 1. The flagship of Volvo’s performance subsidiary shows: E can also be really awesome!
What a car, we think at first glance: wide, powerful, elegant. No wonder, the Swede from Chinese manufacture (Volvo has been part of Geely since 2010) attracts everyone’s attention. As dynamic as the Polestar 1 looks, its drive concept under the body, which is largely made of carbon, is also special.
Three electric motors on board
A double-charged two-liter petrol engine (309 hp) is combined with two electric motors on the rear axle (116 hp each) and the so-called integrated starter generator ISG between the engine and transmission (68 hp). This can both support the combustion engine and feed electricity back into the battery. This leads to less consumption: In combination with the two batteries, which with their 34 kWh provide for 100 to 125 electric kilometers, the test results in values between 0.7 (everyday use, frequent recharging) to over 8.0 l / 100 km (Long distance, a lot of motorway).
drive 4-cylinder turbo gasoline engine (227 kW) + 3 electric motors (2x 85 + 1x 50 kW), system output 447 kW (609 PS), maximum torque of 1000 Nm, 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Performance 0–100 km / h 4.2 s, top 250 km / h (limited), electric range WLTP / test 124/105 km
Dimensions Length / width / height 4.59 / 1.94 / 1.35 m, weight 2361 kg, trunk 125 l
environment Consumption (100 km) WLTP / test 1.3 l + 20.0 kWh / 5.2 l + 18 kWh, 30/123 g / km CO2, Energy A
price from 165,000 francs
The Polestar runs and sticks
But the drive also offers a lot of power. When we call up the 609 hp and up to 1000 Nm system power, the Polestar knows no stopping: In super sports car style, it runs up to 100 km / h in 4.2 seconds, and even during the intermediate sprint on the German autobahn, when the electric motors from 160 km / h are additionally fired by the combustion engine, the propulsion is enormous. The V8 in the Bentley may bring similar performance on paper. But it feels like we’re in a brand new science fiction flick in Sweden, but in a classic that has been viewed hundreds of times at Continental.
The hybrid coupé is not designed for litter like the Bentley: The Polestar 1 lies super tight on the road and has just enough residual comfort that the intervertebral discs do not have to suffer. On the other hand, the 2.3-ton sled whizzes around corners so actively that the corners of the mouth stick to the top just like the fat 21-inch model on the asphalt.
Production until the end of 2021
Of course, the Polestar 1 doesn’t offer a lot of space – the trunk shrinks to a measly 150 liters due to the battery above the rear axle. He can still hide the fact that the built-in technology in the interior, such as infotainment and assistance systems, has been around for a number of years.
But the Swedes created a real figurehead for the Polestar brand (read the driving report of the Polestar 2 here), which could one day become a coveted collector’s item due to the limited number of 1500 pieces. The Polestar 1 can still be ordered from 165,000 francs – production will expire at the end of the year. Anyone who wants to own a grandiose coupé with an incomparable drive concept should strike now.
Bentley Continental GT V8 Mulliner: Committed to the automotive nobility
This comparison is actually an affront. How can the proletariat in the form of Polestar 1 even come close to competing with the British nobility? Even the model name of the Bentley sounds majestic: Continental GT V8 Mulliner.
Like Buckingham Palace on wheels, the English luxury coupé stands in front of us, sparkling in chrome and with a pompous radiator grille and huge rims. In the latter, the attention to detail is evident: the central Bentley-B does not rotate, but always aligns itself vertically while driving. Exaggerated gimmick? Maybe, but it shows the royal claims of the luxury liner.
drive 4.0 V8 turbo gasoline engine 550 PS (404 kW), 770 Nm @ 2000-4500 / min, 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Performance 0–100 km / h 4.0 s, top 318 km / h
Dimensions Length / width / height 4.85 / 1.97 / 1.41 m, weight 2165 kg, trunk 358 l
environment WLTP 12.1 / 12.6 l / 100 km, 275/294 g / km CO2, Energy G
price from CHF 273,970
Understatement with eight cylinders
The Continental GT dispenses with electric frippery like the Swedish challenger and continues to rely on a pure gasoline engine. This can be interpreted as not very open to modern times – but the technology under the sheet metal is by no means out of date. The British reduce fuel consumption with eight instead of twelve cylinders (read the test of the Continental GT Speed with W12 engine here) and a smaller displacement, the loss of which is compensated for by two turbos. When the load is low, the V8 switches off four cylinders!
Nevertheless, if required, 550 PS (404 kW) and 770 Nm provide propulsion in line with class. The four-wheel drive sprints to 100 km / h in 4.0 seconds. With the standard all-wheel steering, the 4.85-meter-long Continental can also quickly turn corners, although curves are not exactly the top discipline because of the impressive weight of almost 2.2 tons Noble coupes are.
Float in another world
The luxury of a feudal palace adds weight to the car. Comfortable armchairs with massage and climate functions, supple leather and other chrome trim allow us to immerse ourselves in the world of the royals. We are so isolated from the outside world as if the drawbridge had been pulled up. The double-glazed windows swallow all outside noise, even the V8 seems to be booming from far away. In addition, there is the grandiose air suspension, which lets the Bentley float as if on clouds even over uneven roads.
The Polestar does not offer such luxurious comfort. After a weekend trip over Swiss passports, you almost need a chiropractor to correct your spine. The Continental GT, on the other hand, wraps its occupants in wadding and lets them get out relaxed and refreshed even after long journeys.
Coupé with title of nobility
With the Continental GT V8 from in-house tuner Mulliner, Bentley offers a piece of British craftsmanship. The vehicles are individually manufactured according to the customer’s wishes – no matter how unusual they are. This of course has its price; in our case 273,970 francs. But you also get the automotive nobility title at the same time.