First Polestar model could be a 600-horsepower hybrid coupe

Just a few weeks ago, Volvo announced that its Polestar performance division would be spun off into a standalone automaker. Polestar cars would be performance electric vehicles and no longer wear Volvo badging. At the time, it was unclear how much Volvo would be left under the skin. A report from Autocar suggests that while the cars may still be based somewhat on Volvo platforms, Polestar will have a great deal of freedom when it comes to bespoke platforms. The first of these new Polestar models will be a 600-horsepower coupe, says Autocar.

The move to electrification comes as no surprise, as our interview with former Volvo design chief and new Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath stated that the future of Polestar and Volvo rests with electrification. When Volvo first announced Polestar's newfound autonomy, it sounded like the brand would focus on pure EVs, going up against models from Tesla and some Mercedes-AMG. Autocar's report says at least some of the models will be hybrids. Either way, it fits with Volvo's new electrified future.

We don't have a clear indication on when we might see the first of these new Polestars, but it may be as soon as the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. This will be a huge undertaking for the brand, which until now has only provided highly-tuned variants of existing Volvo models, similar to BMW's M division. These new models would put Polestar closer to AMG. In 2010, AMG released the SLS, the first model designed and built solely as an AMG model.