General: Polestar and Insurance Cover

[100K+]

Yesterday, I was offered a polestar optimization at a great price. Having missed out on a previous offer in July due to my tardy response, I jumped at the opportunity and booked the upgrade for today. Before setting off, I decided to recheck with my insurance company ( Aviva) to ensure that all would be OK and they would not be sticking me with any silly premium increases. I had asked in July and the increase for my D5 V70 was approx £15 for almost a full year.
So guess what.....? AVIVA have changed their underighting policy......so not only would they NOT honour the offer made to me in July, but they would not under any circumstances insure my vehicle if polestar was on the car, at any additional premium.
I'm 65, have a clean license, and several years NCB so I can't see that they consider me to be Mario Andretti.
Therefore, please accept this as a forewarning that anyone with polestar who is insured with Aviva may need to be looking at another insurer at renewal time. You may wish to contact them and check where you stand.

Cheers
Bob

[DAN AT ADRIAN FLUX]

Hi.
Sorry to hear about this.
If you need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.

[green van man]

I am with volvo insurance and they want £10 extra for polestar. My model, even polestared is still 15 bhp behind the model that replaced it.

Insurance, legalised theft.

Paul.

[100K+]

Originally Posted by green van man

I am with volvo insurance and they want £10 extra for polestar. My model, even polestared is still 15 bhp behind the model that replaced it.

Insurance, legalised theft.

Paul.

I was delighted that I was only asked for £15 back in July, I would have paid another £35 on top, but no.... not at any price would they accept it. As my insurance is not due for renewal until 1st June or so I have 6 months to stew about moving to someone who will cover Polestar. But I might not want it then, even at £ 350.
My D5 is 215hp and I'm sure I'd not really notice the extra 15hp, but others here say its not the raw figures its drivability, but perhaps its cos they have slush boxes and any improvement helps and mines a sweet changing manual....

Cheers
Bob

[Paul Wildsmith]

interesting, I'm with Aviva and added on Polestar last year (or may have been year before) for my S90 at no extra premium, and also added it on to the V40 I had for a while last year. My renewal is April, so will await with "interest" what they say then.

In my (admittedly limited experience) there are not so many insurers that like any mods and even fewer that now what Polestar is. I wonder if there might be some 'confusion' now that Polestar are marketing the Polestar 2 car.

As ever with insurance, everyone is different so any recommendations not much use.

[green van man]

Originally Posted by 100K+

I was delighted that I was only asked for £15 back in July, I would have paid another £35 on top, but no.... not at any price would they accept it. As my insurance is not due for renewal until 1st June or so I have 6 months to stew about moving to someone who will cover Polestar. But I might not want it then, even at £ 350.
My D5 is 215hp and I'm sure I'd not really notice the extra 15hp, but others here say its not the raw figures its drivability, but perhaps its cos they have slush boxes and any improvement helps and mines a sweet changing manual....

Cheers
Bob

Yep, mines a manual also.
No the extra bhp is hardly notable against the flattened torque curve, that's what makes the difference, especially when towing . Once moving the lower 3 gears in the box are virtually redundant.

If you enjoy driving the smile factor is worth every penny, even at full cost in my view. I live in a county with no motorways or dual carriageways, on twisting A and B roads it's a joy.

Paul.

[garethXC]

of course if you were being ,shall we say, a tad devious just not tell them - theres no extra sticker ( unless you want one) or box or anything that makes it 'stand out' as modified.... indeed you could have bought one already done & not know it?

[The Thong]

My insurance we t up by £35 with Adrian Flux along with a wishy washy explanation after I was told it wouldn’t make any difference. Without a doubt the Polestar Optimisation makes a difference but not enough to justify some if the silly quotes I’ve been getting including £1500 (yes, you read this correctly). I do wonder sometimes if the insurance brokers understand the nature of the upgrade and the fact it streamlined the performance rather than turning it into a roaring track monster.

TT

[RollingThunder]

Bob, I'd enquire if any other insurer's will take you on with that upgrade. Even if you lose this year's NCB it might still be a better deal for you.

As you're ...of mature years like me ... have you tried Saga Insurance? I'm in my mid 50s and found them the cheapest by quite a margin when I renewed last year - and they are open to some modifications. Usually a remap of upto 35bhp is acceptable - they don't seem to consider torque, which is what the Polestar is all about.

Good luck!

[100K+]

Originally Posted by The Thong

I do wonder sometimes if the insurance brokers understand the nature of the upgrade and the fact it streamlined the performance rather than turning it into a roaring track monster.

TT

I think you are 100% correct on that. I also think they perceive "polestar" as the Volvo equivalent to AMG Mercs, or M BMW. A 7% power increase is not really anything to write home about- you might get a power increase by optimising the use of the "posh" expensive diesel, but I don't hear insurance companies bleating about that.......YET..

Originally Posted by RollingThunder

Bob, I'd enquire if any other insurer's will take you on with that upgrade. Even if you lose this year's NCB it might still be a better deal for you.

As you're ...of mature years like me ... have you tried Saga Insurance? I'm in my mid 50s and found them the cheapest by quite a margin when I renewed last year - and they are open to some modifications. Usually a remap of upto 35bhp is acceptable - they don't seem to consider torque, which is what the Polestar is all about.

Good luck!

The annoying bit is Aviva were open to the optimization in July.... but not now...There philosophy appears to be if its not bog standard....block it... block it ... block it.
I have to give some credit to Aviva, as I have been with them 10 years or so ( recently with multi car -2004 V70 AWD R and 2015 V70 D5) and no one has got close (+/- £ 50) to their quote at renewal.( that my be due to the R) And I follow the Martin Lewis procedure of trawling the price comparison sites before renewal looking for the best offer.

My original post was more a heads up to members that come insurance renewal time Aviva may not offer renewed cover for cars optimized with polestar.

Cheers
Bob