It sounds like Volvo’s return to the coupe segment will be worth the wait

Volvo hasn’t offered a coupe since the C70 was deep-sixed in 2013. A two-door model is understandably not very high on its list of priorities, but top executives we’ve talked to have always hinted the brand could return to the coupe segment sooner or later. A new report coming out of England sheds insight into when — and, importantly, how — the long-awaited comeback will happen.

Without citing sources, British magazine Autocar reports the model won’t join the V90 and the XC60 in the Volvo lineup. Instead, it will be developed, built, and sold by Polestar, a budding subdivision that promises to put an equal focus on electrification and performance. It will take the form of a high-performance coupe that makes extensive use of lightweight composite materials like carbon fiber in order to keep weight in check. Volvo is relatively new to the carbon fiber game, so it has a little bit of catching up to do.

Engineers will use Volvo components when appropriate in a bid to keep development costs in check. For example, the coupe will ride on one of Volvo’s modular platforms, and its gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain will be built using off-the-shelf Volvo components. However, Autocar’s sources revealed the two-door will boast over 600 horsepower, which is more than enough to send shivers down the Germans’ spine. Will it be any good to drive on a twisty road, though?

Nothing is official yet, but we’re tempted to say yes. Geely, the Chinese company that owns Volvo, recently purchased a controlling stake in famed British sports car manufacturing Lotus. If anyone in the industry knows how to make a car that handles like a dream, it’s Lotus. And, Volvo is open to the idea of tapping into its British step-sibling’s knowledge to make a world-class chassis.

“I don’t see any problem using Lotus’ knowledge. I think it’s pretty applicable across the board,” Roger Wallgren, the principal engineer of vehicle dynamics for the XC60, told Australian website Drive last month.

Volvo introduced its current design language with a stunning two-door named Concept Coupe (pictured), but it has been surprisingly quiet about what the future holds for its Polestar brand. If the rumor is accurate, we’ll get an early preview of its coupe this fall during the Frankfurt Auto Show.