Polestar 1 Needs A Rival And It Should Be The Buick Avista
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Polestar no longer focuses its skills solely on in-house tuning for Volvo cars. In fact, it’s a standalone brand within Volvo Cars Group now, and it revealed its first car yesterday: the Polestar 1, a plug-in hybrid performance coupe with 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.
That’s not too shabby for a plug-in hybrid, and the Polestar 1 boasts other performance cues such as a carbon-fiber body and Öhlins’ Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension chassis technology. So, in a world of performance cars, what will compete with the Polestar 1?
At General Motors, there’s a likely candidate that’s arguably just as striking as Polestar’s new coupe: the Buick Avista concept. The Avista concept graced the 2016 North American International Auto Show with its striking looks and a 400 horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. For now, it seems the Avista is dead, but why can’t it come to life with a PHEV powertrain?
Like it or not, electrification is the way forward, and we’ll see more 48-volt mild-hybrid systems and dedicated plug-in hybrids flesh out automakers’ vehicle portfolios. GM already announced 20 new battery-electric cars by 2023, and that doesn’t count for any hybrids along the way. We see no reason why Buick’s proposed range-topping vehicle couldn’t be a plug-in Avista.
Not only would it give Buick some green credentials, but the Buick Cascada will need replacing in the future, especially since Opel is no longer a part of the GM family. Buick chief Duncan Aldred already signaled support for a new Buick halo car after Cascada. And if we’re talking image, what’s more attention-grabbing than a sexy coupe with a semi-environmentally friendly, yet powerful, powertrain? Buick stands to benefit.
Maybe Buick already read our minds, but the Avista seems too good to toss away. With our envisioned Avista plug-in hybrid, it would also keep the car from stepping on the Chevrolet Camaro’s toes, too. Buick is the fourth largest premium brand—ahead of Cadillac at that—in the United States now, thanks to crossovers. To further cement its image, it needs something striking, and perhaps, electrifying.
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Exactly
Polestar 1 is a really gorgeous car. Same as the Avista. But the thing is, polestar 1 is FWD based AWD with the electric motors at the rear wheels like any volvo’s SPA platforms. The Avista is a gorgeous car as well. If the Avista goes production, it needs to have a longer wheelbase for sure and offer some type of awd or something Iike that. But I’m certainly not too sure if Buick would do it because of Cadillac. Unless they take Cadillac up a notch
They need to take Cadillac up a notch and take Buick up a notch as well. I think Buick’s problem is that it is too close to Chevy and not quiet good enough fo the price difference. Spend a few dollars less and get almost the same car in a Chevy or spend a few dollars more and get a Cadillac.
Need more separation between the three of them and not just in price but in substance also.
That’s what I’m thinking too! I somehow think interior quality wise Cadillac needs to be at most above Volvo if not at the level of the double B’s ( Benz, BMW) and then take Buick where Volvo is at. I shouldn’t have to get certain stuff optional at Buick where I can get most of the safety features standard on the Volvo except for some reason Volvo makes you pay for blis except the blis it nudges the car back when there’s incoming traffic behind you
It is time time to end “Sloan’s Ladder”, and take both Buick and Cadillac upmarket.
Each brand offers a different tone of luxury. VW owns multiple luxury brands and isn’t obsessed with cannibalizing sales.
Buick, even without Avenir, must go up against Volvo, Lexus and with FWD Audi. Buick have fantastic global potential due to its blank slate reputation and would be the best option for GM re-entering Europe.
Cadillac makes great cars on par with Benz/BMW yet is a shunned, bruised brand in need of design reboot.
Both brands need to chase the higher margins of luxury. General Motors must be as generous to Buick as they’ve been with Caddie.
But then, would that have to make GMC go upmarket as well? Again I do agree GMC needs to be more differentiated than the Chevy counterparts just like Buick.
Ya, I can see Cadillac shutting down something cool from Buick.
So we’ll wait for a couple more years and see what Cadillac comes up with.
Volvo and now Polestar have clearly taken design inspiration from both Buick (& Audi): The inverted waterfall grill and hammer headlights tell me that Geeley studied Buick for the Chinese market.
Avista would be fairly easy to build much like Firebird was. A sophisticated global Camaro would be a worthwhile investment for The General.
Buick is experiencing a growth spurt and it is time to build on the current success.
HOW ABOUT CALLING IT A RIVIERA,LOVE THE CAR LOVE THE NAME
Or Electra
Love that name Electra. But I think it should be reserved for a top of a he line Buick using the omega platform with an upgraded volt type Powertrain selling for around $75,000.
A R Riviera done right would probly get me interested in Buick again.
Put a Camaro-inspired nose cut on the Avista concept – instant 2019 Camaro!!
Well here is what we face here.
First off the Avista is not a production car and many changes would be required, many fans of the car would not like.
Second it would have to be sold at a price that may out pace even Buick. The volume would be low so the price would have to capture the investment.
Three it would require a global market more than just North America and China.
Finally the market is rejecting most sedans now let alone coupes.
As much as I would love to see a Riviera the future for a car like this is limited and short.
The only paths at GM for a coupe is either leave the segment to Cadillac once they have their house in order or let the design fall to the Camaro in production form when it is fully updated. By then the Camaro would be considered a global GT in left and right hand drives.
A coupe is mostly for image anymore as they are no longer profit centers unless carefully structured for the segment it is in. Even then the profits are low,. If not carefully planned and marketed it will never last past 5 years.
One last thing how many sales would it rob from the Camato too. They can not afford to lose many more if they want to make a business case.
The style vehicle that holds most promise of volume and profit may be one like the FNX R. That is were the market as a whole could bite. We could see 35k sales with an Alvista or 150k-200k with a FNX R.
There are dreams and then there are realities and realities can slap you right in the face.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra has had the Midas touch as her decision to introduce a Chevrolet twin of the Buick Encore was a big hit and just recently Barra crushed Canada’s Unifor union and got the CAMI factory online again; Barra does have the capital to spend and take a chance as the Buick Avista would borrow the best traits of the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac ATS.
Just asking anyone know the target price here? I suspect it is not going to be Camaro or Buick cheap. Not saying they are cheap either.
Another consideration is the Camaro is getting a refresh that may only be around 3 years once the new refresh arrives. By then a ATS replacement will be here on the next gen Alpha. Then the Camaro moves to it.
So it would be 3 years before we would see a Buick coupe on a new platform even if they were working on one. They will not do a new car on a p,atform that is in the last few years before being replaced.
Also till the ATS coupe dies it may be not come back making room for a Buick coupe. Let’s face it the ATS coupe is rare.
It is time for Buick to truly move upmarket. China would pay Audi-like prices for upmarket Buick models only sold in Avenir trim.
Much like Hyundai originally kept Genisus within the brand Buick should be selling a small selection of $55,000 + Lexus and Audi killers for China and the US.
GM is capable of giving both Buick and Cadillac compelling product.
autoblog is reporting this will go for around $150K.
https://www.autoblog.com/2017/10/17/polestar-1-maybe-you-can-buy-one-after-all/
that can’t be right. no sane person will spend that much on this vehicle.
One thing to remember is that a fully loaded S90 T6 inscription is about almost $70k with options. So since the the body of the Polestar 1 is mostly carbon fiber as well as a piece that’s underneath the car. So I would think it’s pushing 100k since it’s pretty much a potential S90 coupe T8 hybrid except it has a enhanced battery
I would hope that ” if ” GM wanted a electrified coupe that it is bigger than a Camaro , then there is no problem stepping on Camaro sales . BMW has just released their concept hybrid 2-door luxury coupe and it is a stunner , now Polestar gives us a glimpse of this car .
GM could build the Avista if they wanted too , but the current management seems to be scared to build anything that would have limited sales . The Cascada being a halo car for Buick must frustrate Buick dealers . It’s a cheap ragtop , what Buick could afford is a range topping luxury car and price it in the low $100,000 price range . a car you are not going to see in every driveway in America .
Sales of their SUV’s would help pay for the car , GM has done things like this in the past with Cadillac . The buying public wants too see more than vehicles that are mere appliances . Find a young Harley Earl and design a sexy car .
It would take $50k or more to support a low volume Buick that would not compete with the Camaro.
The real questions to be asked and answered honestly are how much would someone pay for a Buick coupe and just how many can you move?
That is a big task in today’s market and what hinders a business case.
GM has become profitable and now is getting Wall St interest and the last thing they need is a car that makes little money and has a short life when the money could go to a program with greater return.
This is the side of business today that sucks but it is a real factor that is faced. Today it is not enough to just make money it is about max return on investments.
One thing to note is that the Polestar 1 is only going to build 500 of them in one year. Not sure if you can actually buy it just because volvo is letting customers to rent the volvos or polestars in this case.
Volvo, I since being bought by Geely, mimics Buick design. Didn’t realize others aside from myself noticed the commonalities.
Avista should be built as a four door making no changes to C-pillar. With Opel gone Buick can once again turn to Cadillac for platforms and with Cadillac in China both brands can share tooling and lines.
Avista could be a great Regal replacement for with RWD being the differentiator from LaCrosse. Polestar could be challenged. With Cadillac still confused a space has opened up for Buick.