The Swedish automaker is leaving behind its former life as the maker of super safe, super boxy wagons, and embracing an existence dedicated to technological prowess, electric propulsion, and svelte design.

So it was only a matter of time before the Swedish automaker confronted Tesla, the electric automaker Elon Musk built on those same principles. To prepare for battle, Volvo called on Polestar. If the name's familiar, it's because Polestar has long been the arm of Volvo dedicated to building race-ready cars , like AMG does for Mercedes. In June, Volvo officially revamped the brand, shifting its focus to the sort of high-end, high-performance electric cars that can compete with Musk's motors.

Today, Volvo gave the world its first glimpse at the kind of car Polestar will be turning out, and the early impressions are good.