Polestar has opened its first Irish dealership, with the official opening of the doors at the brand's new home in Sandyford, south County Dublin.
Hang on, hasn't Polestar been on sale in Ireland for a few years now?
It certainly has been, but up till now, Polestar - a brand spun off from Volvo as a performance and electric marque, and owned by Chinese car maker Geely - had been operating on a largely internet-based sales model, with only a single Polestar location.
That location, cleverly made from recycled shipping containers, wasn't so much a dealership as a display area, where potential customers could view cars and organise test drives, but then had to go back to a laptop to do the actual buying.
Why the change?
Well, Polestar has had a bit of a global change of heart, realising that while some buyers are happy to just point and click, others prefer a more traditional dealership experience, so thanks to the new 'Polestar Space' facility in Sandyford - just next door to the original location as it happens - you can now choose from both when picking your Polestar 2, 3, or 4.
What's the new dealership like?
It's very white on the outside, and very clean and Scandi on the inside, pretty much as you'd expect. In keeping with Polestar's general sense of eco-friendliness, it's also not a green-field site, but a conversion of an existing building.
Inside, you'll find a seven-car showroom - Polestar only has three models right now, but more are coming very soon — and three customer handover bays. The Space is being operated by Spirit Motor Group, which has vast experience in the Irish market.
Alan Moore, Managing Director of Spirit Motor Group said: “Ireland's exclusive Polestar Space is now open and features the full range of Polestar models, offering our customers a premium in space buying experience. We look forward to welcoming many new customers to Polestar Dublin in Sandyford, particularly those who will be taking delivery of their new 252 Polestar from July onwards.”