54
2020
POLESTAR 2
The subbrand formerly
known as Volvo’s performance
division, Polestar was
rebranded as a quasi-
independent car manufacturer
in 2017 with Volvo and China’s
Geely as its caring parents.
After revealing its first model,
the Polestar 1 luxury coupe,
the Swedish subsidiary is
keeping its momentum going
with its upcoming four-door,
the 2020 Polestar 2. The 2 is
being billed as an “avant-garde
five-door fastback, packed with
distinctive design flourishes,”
which is to say it’s the type of
lifted sedan with a swooping
roofline that luxury car buyers
can’t seem to get enough of.
Aimed squarely at the higher
end of Tesla’s Model 3 lineup,
Polestar 2 starts at $63,000
before federal and other tax
incentives in the U.S. The
price might seem a bit steep
at first glance, but Polestar
made sure the fastback had
the performance to back up
the cost. Polestar claims a 0-60
time of “less than five seconds”
thanks to two electric motors
producing a combined 408 hp
and 487 lb-ft of torque.
Polestar 2 is high on interior
design, as well, with an
Android-powered infotainment
system accessible through
an 11.2-inch center screen
and a 12.3-inch digital gauge
cluster. Polestar thoroughly
Google-fied the car’s interface
with Google Assistant, Google
Maps, and the Google Play
store included. Users will be
able to control most settings
with their voice, and theON SALE:
Now (preorder)
BASE PRICE:
$63,000Just a few years ago, the
midsize pickup field was better
suited to archaeologists than
automotive enthusiasts, but
now General Motors’ Chevy
Colorado and GMC Canyon
doppelgängers share the
road with Jeep’s Gladiator,
the returned Ford Ranger, an
updated Toyota Tacoma, and
soon a Ram Dakota. Expected
to arrive in 2020 for the 2021
model year, the upcoming
Dakota might be exactly what
you expect—or it could yet hold
some surprises.
Although details are still
entirely speculative, somesystem will be able to respond
to commands on a case-by-case
basis using machine learning.
Traditional interior elements
received the Scandinavian
design treatment. Polestar
made heavy use of geometric
shapes to style the vehicle,
such as the hexagonal shifter.
The brand also opted for
alternative materials, including
black ash, reconstructed wood,
and textile surface panels, allof which are vegan. Nappa
leather is available, as well, for
those who still enjoy the smell
and feel of quality hide.
A third model is on the
horizon. Whereas the 2 is a tall
sedan, the coming Polestar 3
is said to be a crossover with
a coupelike roofline. Polestar
COO Jonathan Goodman has
stated that the third addition
to the lineup will be released
at the “back end of 2021.” AM2021
RAM
DAKOTA
ON SALE:
Mid-2020 (est)
BASE PRICE:
$25,000 (est)profitable brands stepping on
each other’s toes.
Given Jeep’s position as the
off-roadiest brand in the FCA
family, that could leave Ram
to push the Dakota into the
more citybound and, dare we
say, realistic, everyday uses
most pickups actually get put
to—think something more
along the lines of Honda’s
Ridgeline, minus the unibody
construction and carlike
driving demeanor (or, viewed
from the other end, plus body-
on-frame toughness and a
satisfyingly trucklike driving
demeanor). The Dakota is also
likely to offer both single and
quad cabs and both short and
long boxes.
Threading the needle with
the Dakota gets even harder
when you consider the Ram
Classic, the marque’s previous-
gen pickup, which is still onbaseline expectations are
likely to be met: a body-on-
frame structure, a choice
of gas or diesel V-6 or gas
turbocharged four-cylinder
engines, and a careful job
of positioning around the
Gladiator’s space in the
market. That latter element
might be the trickiest part of
the Dakota’s development,
as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
won’t want its two mostsale alongside the current Ram
1500 and which will continue
after the Dakota’s launch.
Whatever the Dakota’s final
form, it’s certain to meet a
market recently repopulated
with very strong competition.
But given Ram’s distinctive
styling, strong powertrain
selection, and broad, often
brand-loyal fan base among
pickup buyers, we’re already
stocking up on the popcorn. RAM DAKOTA: ANDREI AVARVARII