POLESTAR, THE PERFORMANCE arm of Volvo Cars, kicked off its future as a new standalone electric performance brand with the unveiling of its stunning (yet unimaginatively titled) Polestar 1.

Up until now, Polestar was responsible for upping the ante of various Volvo cars, but now it is a carmaker in its own right building performance EVs, the first of which will roll off the production line in 2019.

And what a debut. The Polestar 1 has an output of 600hp and 1000Nm of torque which places it firmly in the performance car segment.

Newspress Newspress

It is based on Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) but approximately 50 per cent is new and bespoke, created by Polestar’s engineers. The two-door, 2+2 seat Grand Tourer Coupé has an ‘Electric Performance Hybrid’ drivetrain – an electric vehicle supported by an internal combustion engine – and Polestar claims it has a pure-electric range of 150kms, the longest full electric range of any hybrid car on the market right now.

Although there are no details regarding the powertrain, it will probably be based on the 2.0-litre turbo and electric motor setup found in the current Volvo S90 T8 and XC90 T8 plug-in hybrids.

Newspress Newspress

All future models from Polestar will be fully electric. The Polestar 2 will start production late in 2019 and will be the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) from the Volvo Car Group – looking set to rival the Tesla Model 3. It will be built in higher volumes than the Polestar 1.

Following the Polestar 2 will, unsurprisingly be the Polestar 3 which will be an SUV-style BEV.

Newspress Newspress

The order books for the new Polestar 1 are now open and Polestar will be opening standalone showrooms so potential customers can check out the Polestar 1 in the metal.

READ: 181 offers on Audi, SEAT Skoda and Volkswagen cars >

READ: The drop-top gorgeous new Aston Martin DB11 Volante has just been unveiled >