39DESIGN4
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The backlight is very steep
and allows the flat profile over
the passenger compartment,
which provides excellent rear
headroom not common in
fastback sedans.
The taillight composition
partially surrounds a concave
band across the upper rear
facade. It all looks rather simple,
but it is actually an artfully
complex rear end.
More sharp points as the
painted portion of the body
joggle upward to encompass
lower reflectors and again for
the license plate.
It’s hard to see surfaces on a
white car, but the central door
cut makes clear the shaping of
the body sides.
Orange brake calipers add
a slight touch of color to the
severe black and white scheme,
along with the red rear lamps
and—amusingly—orange valve
stem caps.
An interesting and well-
executed surface detail is the
sharp change of direction at the
hood cut that defines the fender
profile, flows back into a crease
along the top of the doors,
and begins to be undercut as
it continues all the way around
the back.
Door handles seem large
and obtrusive, but remember
Sweden is ultra-cold in winter
and people habitually wear thick
gloves. Global design is always
subject to local conditions.
Side glass composition begins
with a sharply leaning A-pillar,
runs straight, and ends in a
three-straight-element quarter
light shape that makes the
painted C-pillar seem less blind.
I particularly admire the
elegant shape of the fuel door,
aligning with the rear door at the
front, curving up in opposition
to the leading diagonal of the
taillight at the back.
1. Notice that there is a hard
line setting the hexagonal grille
frame apart from the bumper
mass, underlined by a little
indentation below it. Yet it’s
probably just molded in for
effect, not a separate piece of
plastic. Cheap and effective.
2. Hard to discern, there’s a
beady little round “eye” lamp in
each triangular front corner slot.- It’s also hard to understand
the purpose, visual or functional,
of these little panels, but they
do provide many more sharp
corners to punctuate the form. - Parallel lines on the hood
aligning with the upper grille
Thomas
Ingenlath
Interview
corners without actually
touching them result from
indenting the outer hood
panel. Subtle and very nice,
indeed.- Four little lamp units on
each side give an impression
of a high level of technical
competence. Complexity
almost always does that. - Shiny black horizontal bars
add a bit of visual width to the
total graphic composition. - There is an unobtrusive slot
below the lower two-bar grille.
It may be the only one of the
three frontal features that
actually passes air through it.
THE POLESTAR 2 was
presented at the 2019
Geneva auto show, where
we talked with Thomas
Ingenlath, chief designer
for Geely-Volvo’s Polestar
all-electric car division.
He’s also its chief executive,
a role that has been shared
by very few designers since
the age of pioneers like
Ford or Renault or Lancia,
who did everything at their
eponymous companies.
Polestar’s first product for
sale to the public will be
available within months,
with this Polestar 2 sedan
close behind the Polestar 1
coupe in the first quarter
of next year. We asked
Ingenlath why, specifically,
this very conventional car,
which could well have
an internal combustion
engine if one goes by its
physiognomy, would appeal
to new owners.
“We think that this
design will convince
people that it was made
by people who know what
they’re doing,” he said
while acknowledging its
conventional appearance.
It’s clear that Ingenlath and
his team—which includes
leader of exterior design
Maximilian Missoni and
interior design leader
Juan Pablo Bernal—want
to reassure buyers that
there was nothing of a
“science project” about
the first models from thishighly ambitious industrial
initiative. The cars are
undeniably good-looking
in a conservative way that
convincingly demonstrates
a solid competence and
the traditional strength
and safety-consciousness
of parent Volvo. It’s a
combination of virtues
that accomplishes the
goals deemed necessary
for this project.
Which, as Ingenlath
emphasizes, is truly
forward-looking. The
Polestar 1 hybrid has a
carbon-fiber body and
electronically controlled
suspension, and it’s a
resolutely sporting GT; the
Polestar 2 essentially uses
the Volvo S60 platform but
with an all-new body shell
featuring normal materials.
He sees no problem with
leaning on Volvo whenever
and however its volume
production components will
help reduce costs. The idea
of marketing the Polestar
only on the Web is part
of the revolution that this
all-electric brand brings to
market. Not intended to
be a large volume marque,
Polestars 1, 2, and 3 are
likely to account for no more
than about 50,000 units per
annum once the new factory
in China is online. That’s not
a big number, but everyone
concerned in the venture
expects it to be a big success.- So do we. AM
BYDESIGN
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LESTA
R^2Rear 3/4 View