MOTORS: Polestar swaps salespeople for salaried product specialists
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I’ve yet to find someone who enjoys the car showroom experience.
With the exception of committed petrolheads, many people find the business of buying a car equal to a trip to the dentist, with the added trauma of negotiating with a persistent salesperson whose eye is more on their commission than supplying the customer the car they want.
In this digital age, there are now many more options than entering the automotive lion’s den and the latest comes from the Swedish electric brand Polestar, who have opened their latest Space centre - their first in Scotland - in Glasgow’s massive Silverburn Shopping Centre.
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It’s the seventh in the UK and is designed to offer a relaxing minimalist environment and a complete contrast to the traditional hard-sell car showroom.
Rather than salespeople, it has product specialists who are there to give expert advice about electric cars and importantly are salaried and not paid commission on sales.
They can help guide potential buyers through the ordering process which can be done at the Space or later at home in their own time on the Polestar website and test drives are available.
It’s a smart set-up and signifies a shake-up in the Chinese-owned brand’s structure which has seen it break away from partner company Volvo to operate as a separate entity within the group.
The Glasgow Space is Polestar’s only physical presence in Scotland as everything is done online with servicing, maintenance and repair handled by existing Volvo dealerships around the country, including Arnold Clark in Inverness and John Clark in Aberdeen.
But they have another close connection with Scotland, using high-quality sustainable leather from Bridge of Weir Leather in Renfrewshire for their upholstery.
That will feature in their new Polestar 3 luxury SUV and 4 SUV Coupe models which will be launched later this year.
In the meantime, the existing Polestar 2 fastback model has been updated with an improved range, efficiency and performance while also reducing its carbon footprint.
Thanks to larger batteries and new electric motors, the car can now travel up to 22 per cent further up to 400 miles while using 9 per cent less energy. It will also charge 34 per cent faster, in less than half-an-hour on a DC unit or around eight hours overnight on a domestic wallbox.
One of the biggest changes has been to move the transmission in the single-motor versions from front to rear-wheel drive matching the equivalent Volvo models which say Polestar engineers, makes it more fun to drive by shifting weight over the driven wheels.
After the official opening of the Glasgow Space, I spent a great day with the latest long-range dual motor version with four-wheel drive. In typical west coast torrential rain, the car was superbly sure-footed and eager through the twists and turns of the country roads.
For the more enthusiastic, there’s an optional Performance Pack which produces more power and torque with manually adjustable Dual Flow Valve dampers, 4-piston Brembo brakes, forged alloy wheels and Polestar’s signature gold detailing inside and out.
The car is built in Taizhou, China, for the local market and exported to markets in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific and since the launch of the original model four years ago it has appealed to buyers looking for premium Swedish design and style with the latest electric technology, but there are still only around 1600 on Scottish roads. That’s bound to increase with the new models.
There have been some tweaks to the exterior but one thing which hasn’t changed is the starting procedure. It’s a bit unnerving, but there’s no ignition and no start button. You simply sit in the driver’s seat and select Drive and you’ll be on your way. When you stop, you put it into Park and it shuts down automatically.
It doesn’t feel quite right and I found myself returning to check it was locked and switched off.
Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor AWD
PRICE: £52,950
ENGINE: Permanent magnet electric motors, single speed transmission
POWER: 416 hp
TORQUE: 740 Nm
TOP SPEED: 127mph
0-62mph: 4.5 secs
RANGE: 368 miles
CHARGING TIME: AC 8 hours DC 28 mins
