Polestones 01 is a spitting image of the Defender 130
Pininfarina-designed Polestones 01 hybrid SUV hits Chinese market
Another luxury SUV debuted in China, the Polestones 01. It is made by electric vehicle (EV) startup Polestones Automobile owned by Rox Motor, a two-year-old Shanghai-based company that calls itself a “car-making project focusing on off-road new energy vehicles.”
The Polestone 01 is penned by Italian design house Pininfarina, which now has a base of operations in Shanghai and now makes designs for BAIC, Chery, FAW, Foton, and JAC, among others. Its dimensions (and body styling) are almost the same as the Defender 130, while some of its exterior features take after the newly launched Lexus GX.
“Oriental aesthetics advocate less is more. We harnessed the Chinese character ‘SHI’ throughout the design of the Polestones 01. ‘SHI’ is derived from Chinese classics: Library Theory and Practice. It is embodied in the smart and dynamic headlight design, the three-dimensional and gentle taillights, and the square and stately air-intake grille,” said Matteo Piguzzi, Vice President of Design at Pininfarina Shanghai.
Inside the Polestone 01 has a leather dashboard, an LCD split screen, hidden air vents, ambient lighting with 256 colors, a 9-inch streaming media rearview mirror, and an air purification system. As a luxury model, the second-row seats come standard with heating and massaging, while the front seats have ventilation, heating, and massage features.
But its best feature is its versatility. Its industry-first rear-end restaurant system is a compact kitchen workspace with a water dispenser and an induction cooker powered by a 220V external discharge interface. Buyers can also remove the 270-degree canopy for open-air driving or dining, while the second and third-row seats (of the seven-seater model) fold flat to make a king-size bed.
Some safety features include six cameras, five millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors for the base model, while the top trim gets three LiDARs, 12 cameras, five millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.
Under the hood is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo engine that powers two electric motors. Output is 469 HP and 740 Nm of torque. Polestones says it goes from 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and has an all-electric range of 235 kilometers.
How much do you think a luxury hybrid SUV like this will go for in the Philippines?
