The Geely-owned Polestar brand says it has previewed its future design direction with the reveal of the Formula 2030 concept car.

The Formula 2030 concept is the first showcar created under the leadership of Head of Design Philipp Römers. Working with the original Polestar formula to ‘remove the unnecessary, improve what remains and refuse to compromise’, Polestar says the Formula 2030 concept embodies the evolved values that define the brand: design, performance, and sustainability.

Philipp Römers, Head of Design at Polestar, says: “Design should always reflect the values and mission of a brand and that is exactly what we did with Polestar Formula 2030 concept. It is a physical embodiment of how we apply Polestar‘s core values of design, performance and sustainability to the next production cars. A bold evolution of our already well-established design DNA to strengthen the brand‘s positioning with performance at its heart.”

Exterior

The compact practical four-door sports car sits within its own segment, 4,680 mm long, 2,021 mm wide with a 2,780 mm wheelbase, and roof height just 1,350 mm from the ground – even lower than the Polestar 5 Grand Tourer. That positions the car somewhere between the forthcoming Polestar 2 and Polestar 7 dimensionally, and takes inspiration from the recently launched Polestar 4 SUV for its hint towards ‘low-slung practicality’.

Viewed from the side, the proportions ‘deliberately express power and performance, with a modern evolution of the classic cab rearward stance set into powerful rear haunches’. The long bonnet, short overhangs and 22-inch wheels continue the expression while in plan-view the typical Polestar shape, with coke bottle hips and power visually weighted to the rear, is particularly evident, the company says.

Nahum Escobedo, Head of Exterior Design at Polestar, says: “We wanted to evolve, while respecting, the core design values we demonstrated with previous models that define the Polestar brand in such a recognisable way. And with Formula 2030, with its clear Polestar design attributes like the Dual Blade headlights, wraparound visor-like windscreen and powerful haunches, we have done just that. But we’ve pushed perceptions, preconceptions and the expected as well, with our considered choices in form language, amplification of the performance topic and new detailing like the Single Blade rear lights.”

Interior

The Formula 2030 concept continues its evolution and inspiration mission with a performance-focused cockpit concentrated towards the driver. At the centre of attention is the 20-inch HyperDIM, a precisely curved Driver Information Monitor, mounted directly to the steering column always ensuring optimum focus for the driver.

The 12.2-inch Centre Screen Display (CSD) is integrated into the gently rising centre tunnel, which is designed to emphasise the importance of the driver’s primary position in the vehicle.

The horizontal interior band, similarly seen in Polestar’s production cars, wraps around the driver before flowing through the rest of the cabin bathed in indirect lighting. These design attributes point towards future Polestar interiors and provide the clearest indication of what comes next for the brand.

Three different drive modes, Performance, Normal and Autonomous, are selected by sliding the drive mode selector forward through the plane of the centre console. By doing so the physical attitude of the CSD and driving position are influenced to reflect the mode chosen.

In Autonomous mode the CSD remains upright and proud of the upper IP, providing easily read information relevant to that chosen setting while the seat and steering wheel move away from each other as the vehicle takes more control. As the driver moves through Normal mode to Performance, the CSD lowers further and sits flush into the surface while the steering wheel – and HyperDIM – pull themselves closer to the driver’s chest, optimising the cabin for enthusiastic driving.

Polestar says it is committing to rebalance the mix of physical and digital with a mechatronics solution for its controls, thanks to a panel of physical controls positioned below the CSD. Entirely customisable, both physically – allowing users to choose between different types of control such as rocker switches or rotary controllers – and digitally, these eight controls provide quick and easy access to the most used functions in the car. Individual hot keys can also be programmed to provide user-defined functions.

Juan Pablo Bernal, Head of Interior Design at Polestar, says: “With the Formula 2030 concept we’re reducing the unnecessary, distilling the experience to its very essence and enhancing the elements that truly matter to set the tonality and ambition for future Polestar interiors. As a performance brand, we see a renewed focus on the driver, and so we re-balance the digital and physical. We introduce physical buttons and controls, and we believe we have achieved a tactile harmony suited for our premium positioning.”

As with Polestar’s production vehicles, Google Gemini is integrated into Formula 2030 with Google built-in, providing advanced AI for all vehicle occupants through a natural, conversational voice experience.