Polestar 1 review

It’s very Volvo inside: the switchgear, touchscreen and general architecture are all overly familiar from saloon cars costing around a quarter of the price. To us, this isn’t much of an issue, as Polestar’s more prosaic relative has been absolutely nailing its interior design of late.

This is still a cabin in keeping with the car’s image, too. Compare it to a similar BMW or Mercedes and it’s competitive. What it’s not, is bespoke and hand-crafted like a Bentley. Inside there are only two colour choices – dark grey or beige, with options kept to a minimum by high standard equipment levels: Bowers and Wilkins stereo, Nappa leather and the like.

You get more choice outside: exterior trim in chrome or black, wheels with three different finishes and five paint colours, each of which is available in either gloss or matt finishes (the latter a £5,000 option). The roof is darkened, laminated glass that cuts out 95 per cent of UV – there’s no other option and it does without a sliding cover.

This is good for headroom up front, but the crossbeam at the back sits above rear passenger’s heads. Factor in the very restricted knee/legroom and this is not a car suitable for squishing teenage children in the back. But it is a light, airy place to spend time and there’s an overwhelming sense of calm inside – a Swedish speciality – that complements the whisper-quiet hybrid and electric modes perfectly.

You’re not going to get four people’s luggage in the boot, by the way. Doubtless a set of golf clubs will fit sideways, but the boot doubles as a display case for a lot of orange wiring. This is the Polestar’s second engine bay of course, so it’s chosen to put the batteries under a clear cover. A cool talking point or the naffest thing on Earth? Our team is split. Compared to the subtly handsome, crisply styled exterior, it’s a stark plot twist to see the electrification screaming out at you. We hoped Polestars were the plug-in cars for people who don’t like to shout about it.