► Polestar 2 Gen 2 review
► All models tested
► Is it good enough to beat the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3?
Curiously, one of the companies Polestar pitches itself against is Porsche. We get the premium aspect, but the Chinese-Swedish firm only sells electric cars, and the Polestar 2 isn’t a direct competitor for anything Zuffenhausen makes.
We reckon the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 are more comfortable bed-fellows. Certainly someone at Polestar thinks so too, because this latest update is straight from the playbook of Palo Alto.
You see, this second generation Polestar 2 has had a large upgrade to the bones of the car, but hasn’t received much in the way of exterior changes. Sure, there’s a slightly different faux grille. But the big changes come in the shape of a more efficient inverter and motor. And it’s also switched from front to rear-wheel drive, much like the Volvo C40, a car it shares a platform with. Or the Triumph 1300, which it shares nothing with at all.
The switch from pull to push falls in line with parent company Volvo’s realisation that it’s more efficient this way, but Polestar also wants to turn this into an opportunity to attempt to match BMW’s excellent i4 in terms of fun.
What’s it like to drive?
So far we’ve only tested the rear-wheel drive models from this latest generation range. Are they better to drive than the front-wheel drive Polestars? For sure. But they’re still not as keen as an i4. There’s a tonne of grip and traction out of bends is prodigious. You really need to load it up at a roundabout to feel much rear-wheel driveness going on.
Better to drive than a Tesla Model 3? Sure. Than an i4? Sadly not. It still lacks in involvement and communication when compared with the Bimmer, especially through the seat and steering wheel. The 2 also feels a good few hundred kilograms heavier, despite the i4 weighing virtually the same.
The ride is sadly lacking in finesse too. Our test car had the optional 20-inch wheels attached, and we’ve been assured that the standard 19s are slightly better. But it’s bad.
Our main beef is with the chassis. It feels extremely rigid and the result is a car that’s jittery. On anything remotely rural it jiggles from bump to bump and dives deeply into potholes. It feels even worse in the rear as passengers back here sit nearly directly over the rear axle.
At town speeds it’s stable enough and on the motorway it’s pliant and easygoing. But anything in between those extremes is jarring.
We’re yet to sample the latest Performance Pack. We’ll update this review once we do. However, we have a lot of experience with the old models.
For one, they come with Polestar’s adjustable dampers. Which annoyingly, you need to manually. The result?
The increased firmness makes the car pointier on entry, and even more adjustable mid-corner. With the dampers cranked up to their firmest setting, the Polestar 2 rolls less and has a vice-like grip on the tarmac, so you can tap into the deep reserves of electric torque earlier.
What’s it like inside?
The interior wows. Build quality is impressive throughout, with tight shutlines, lustrous paintwork and neat detailing like frameless door mirrors.
Settle in and you’ll be at once familiar with the Scandi chic and Volvo overtones, yet surprised by the sheer modernity and freshness of the Polestar 2’s cabin. Materials and build quality are top-notch regardless of whether you’ve got a basic version or a top-spec car – it feels on a par with Volvo interiors, and they’re from the top drawer. Yes, you’ll spot a few telltale parts shared between Polestar and Volvo (steering wheel controls, electric window switches and suchlike), which is just fine by us.
A large panoramic sunroof is optional, bathing the cabin with soft, diffused light; there is no sunblind and Polestar says a UV layer removes the majority of heat soak – and at nighttime the brand’s North Star motif is projected onto the glass overhead, a typically neat design touch. There’s a lovely, calm, Scandinavian ambience throughout.
It’s a decent package for front-seat passengers, but things are more cramped in the back row. The rear doors are rather small and watch out for a large ‘transmission tunnel’ bisecting the rear floor, making this effectively a four-seater.
You’ll appreciate the supportive seats that continue the decades-long Swedish love affair with comfort, and the ergonomics are largely spot-on. There is a terrible over-the-shoulder view, however, thanks to that pillarbox rear window from the notchback silhouette, but a standard rear-view camera and three well-positioned, frameless mirrors mean you never really worry, even when parking. The bird’s-eye-view panoramic parking camera really helps here.
Our only other serious complaint is the central cupholder position. Okay, it’s not as if there’s a manual gearbox that needs frequent gearchanges, but a tall oat milk latte beaker will prove to be a pain in the proverbial every time you want to touch something south of the main screen. If you need two cupholders for you and your passenger, you’ll have to flip the centre armrest open, depriving you and your passenger of somewhere to lean an elbow…
As standard it’s vegan-friendly and is simply proof that leather is overrated. The Google-based infotainment is a joy to use in its ease and its integration of Google Maps is genius, allowing you to easily plot routes that involve charging stops. The voice recognition is spot on, too. Clever bits of software, such as the Range Assistant app, are designed to improve efficiency, save money and generally make things a little better.
The sensibly shaped boot is 405 litres in capacity, which is about the same as the BMW i4. Theoretically the Tesla Model 3 has a similarly sized boot, but remember, that’s a saloon.
The 2 also comes with a 35-litre ‘frunk’ (or front trunk) for storing your cables and charging paraphernalia under the bonnet.
Tech specs and range
The long-range single-motor version will officially do 3.6mpkWh to 4.2mpkWh, giving it a WLTP backed 406 miles between trips to the plug. That’s better than the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4. From our test drive we reckon it’s somewhere more like 3.0-3.3mpkWh, giving it a 330-ish mile range. A bit off the WLTP, but mighty impressive still.
We’re yet to test the rest of the range. But officially, the Standard Range Single Motor will cover up to 331 miles and the Long Range Motor 367 miles.
From a 7kW wallbox, an overnight charge would take a theoretical 7 hours from empty for the Standard Range Single Motor and 8 hours for every other model. Track down one of 150kW public rapid chargers and 0-80% should take 34 minutes for the Standard Range Single Motor and 28 minutes for everything else.
Verdict
The Polestar 2 is quite an achievement. Volvo decided to spin off the company as a standalone unit to rival Tesla – a progressive, performance brand highly attuned to the zeitgeist.
And those values feel on point right now, as we all question our way of living. We predict positive interest in Polestar’s vegan interiors, clean-fuel EV status and focus on low environmental impact.
It’s just a shame this latest model doesn’t quite gel properly due to the stiff chassis and suspension. It feels like it’s just a few setup changes away from being a class leader.
And finally, what about the Polestar 2 BST 270?
This limited edition performance car is no longer on sale. It has the same 469bhp dual-motor powertrain as the ‘regular’ Performance Pack version of the first generation, but there are some key differences.
Aside from the large stripe and unique Battleship Gray satin wrap (both optional), the BST Edition 270 gets a lowered ride height (-25mm), as well as a front strut bar (for greater stiffness) and unique 21-inch black alloys inspired by those on the Polestar 1. In addition, the Ohlins dampers differ from those fitted to the Performance Pack model in a number of ways.
For starters, the whole set-up is 20% stiffer, while a hose-mounted gas reservoir in the frunk allows for individual compression adjustment at the front (rather than compression and rebound being tweaked together). The benefits of which include greater fine tuning, as well as improved damper responses and the ability to operate at lower gas pressure (both helping comfort as well as handling). What’s more, having the adjusters positioned under the bonnet not only looks really cool, but is also more accessible.
Making the change to a firmer set-up suited the car far more on the smooth tarmac of the Ascari circuit, while stiffening up the back even further improved rotation into and out of corners. We still detected a hint of nose lift under power, though, so opted to stiffen the front-end rebound to control the pitch on the front end. Finally, softening off everything to 10-10,10 (the higher the number, the softer the setting), showed the variation in the dampers
Being able to adjust the handling characteristics by getting out of the car and turning a dial brings a tangible, physical element to the driving experience at a time when pre-set drive modes on a touch screen threaten to take it away. Sure, it’s not perfect but the idea is sound and worth pursuing if we want to ensure that the joy of a fast car comes down to more than just numbers on an online configurator.