Polestar 2 Review (2024)

Introduction

Polestar may be in Tesla’s shadow, but on the face of it, it’s hard to see why.

Polestar may not have a sister company that has a space programme. Still, its name has celestial connotations - and it's hardly some wannabe manufacturer operating out of a shed on an industrial estate.

For a start, the brand is owned by Volvo and bizarrely finds its roots in a Scandinavian touring car team that tuned racers before being rebranded and then taken over by the Swedish car giant.

Like Tesla, it is an all-electric entity, and because its cars are, at the very least, Volvo-inspired, they are at the premium end of the market.

The Polestar 2 is the most familiar of the manufacturer’s vehicles. This is because it's the only vehicle Polestar has produced continuously over the last four years.

The limited-run Polestar 1, a plug-in hybrid, went out of production in 2022, just three years after its launch. But it was more intended as a brief ‘hey there, we exist, and look what we can do!' test run rather than a long-term project.

The Polestar 3 SUV only hit the roads a couple of months ago, while the sportier Polestar 4 SUV will be available next year. Watch this space for reviews on those models soon!

But for this review, we're only interested in the Polestar 2, so keep reading to see if we give it a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.

At a Glance

The Volvo inspiration in the design is clear to see.

While it's more chiselled and angular than a Volvo, you can easily visualise a Volvo badge with its trademark diagonal line going through the Polestar’s front end.

The alloys look familiar, too, as does the car's general shape.

At the front, there are air intake-like cutouts at each side, shapely headlights, and blackened window frames. The sides have prominent creases and indentations, and the wheels are very large.

The rear also looks like a Volvo from 2040, with a light arrangement that almost resembles the outline of a rectangle. It incorporates a horizontal light bar that runs through the middle of the boot lid.

While it’s difficult to call it pretty, it’s certainly stylish, funky and somewhat futuristic.

Key Features

Most cars offer numerous trim levels, with higher models offering more equipment in exchange for more money.

The Polestar 2 is slightly different in that all the models have near identical equipment levels; you can upgrade them by adding optional 'packs', which we'll cover in more detail later.

It has 19-inch alloy wheels, an 11.15-inch portrait Google-derived infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Google native apps including Google Maps navigation and Google Assistant voice control, and a 12.3-inch digital driver display.

You also get electrically adjustable seats, dual-zone climate control, cabin pre-heating, adaptive LED headlights, and touch-sensitive door handles.

Four options are available for power and range: Standard and Long-Range single motor variants, while a dual motor version is offered in Long Range and Long Range Performance Pack variants.

The single-motor variants are rear-wheel drive only, while the dual-motor variants are all-wheel drive.

Range & Batteries

The Standard Range car is only available with a single electric motor, which gives you a 69kWh battery with a range of 339 miles.

By comparison, the Long-Range single-motor variant gets a larger 82kWh battery with a claimed range of 406 miles.

If you pick the dual motor variant, the Long-Range version has the same 82kWh battery with a range of 368 miles.

Choosing the latter model with the Performance Pack drops the range down to 352 miles.

Expect to achieve 60-80% of the claimed range in practice.

Performance & Drive

We are testing the Long-Range Single Motor variant, so we get the larger battery.

Our test car also has 299PS, which is sufficient for a 5.9-second sprint from 0 to 62mph.

By comparison, the Standard Range Single Motor version has 272PS and does the same in 6.2 seconds, while power increases to 421PS in the Long-Range Dual motor version, dropping the 0-62mph time to 4.3 seconds.

If that’s still not sufficient, adding the Performance Pack to the latter model will uprate the motors to 476PS, bringing the time down to 4.0 seconds flat.

In truth, even the ‘slowest’ of the lot – the Standard Range Single Motor – has more than enough grunt from its 272PS motor, and unless you need the longer range, we'd happily stick to the entry-level model.

In any driving conditions, the Polestar 2 never feels lacking, and you’re always driving with the assuredness that you've plenty of poke in reserve if you need to quickly overtake.

Handling-wise, the Polestar 2 isn't bad. It feels reasonably nimble for what is still a reasonably large car, even if its newer siblings, the Polestar 3 and 4, are even bigger.

Grip levels are agreeable, and the car has a decent amount of turn-in if you’re taking a bend at speed.

However, the steering doesn’t provide much feedback and is lacking in feel. Still, it's clear that Polestar has tried to set the car up for agility in the corners, and although it has somewhat succeeded, ride comfort has been compromised in the process. It isn’t uncomfortable, but you feel like you’re riding on very hard tyres.

Optional 20-inch wheels can be added - and while they look impressive, they won’t impress your spine much – in fact, even the standard 19-inch wheels feel excessively firm.

The Polestar can sometimes feel a bit unsettled, especially on road surfaces that aren't pristinely smooth. At lower speeds around town, the body can bounce and wallow about a bit.

It is worth pointing out that you can adjust the suspension setup if you opt for the Performance Pack, but you have to physically adjust it underneath the car to do this. This doesn't require specialist mechanical knowledge (although Polestar will provide it if you ask).

Overall, we’re left to conclude that the car's straight-line performance is great. But, while Polestar has tried to match the handling to it, it hasn’t quite worked.

Charging

All Polestar 2s with the larger 82kWh battery can be charged at a maximum rate of 205kW, which is good, albeit not class-leading. That means a 10% to 80% top-up of the batteries takes just 28 minutes.

If you go for the Standard Range version with the smaller battery, you'll be limited to a slower charging speed of 135kW. This won’t leave you waiting around for much longer, though, as due to the battery’s smaller 69kWh capacity, it can do a 10 to 80% charge-up in around 34 minutes.

Charging the larger battery from a 7kW home wall box will take around eleven hours, while the smaller battery will take between nine and ten hours.

Running Costs & Emissions

Of course, with no petrol stations to visit, there is no miles-per-gallon figure and no carbon emissions to worry about.

That also means there’s no road tax to pay. However, that’ll change next year when the Government begins charging electric cars for the first time. Still, you’ll inevitably get treated better than those who continue to go for gas guzzlers.

And you’ll be treated even better if you pick the Polestar 2 as a company car, as they attract the biggest savings when it comes to Benefit in Kind tax. Mind you, that's true of all electric cars in the UK, so it's only a unique plus point if you're considering a Polestar alongside combustion-engined alternatives.

Polestar doesn't have a bad reputation for reliability. It often appears above Tesla in the dependability league tables, although plenty of other brands, especially Hyundai and Kia, continue to beat it.

Interior & Technology

The interior of the Polestar 2 instantly impresses at first glance.

It has a premium feel, with plenty of soft-to-the-touch, plush materials. Our test car has the optional extra Plus pack (which we'll cover later) with ‘light ash’ seats and door inserts to add to the sophistication.

The steering wheel looks very Volvo-ish, albeit it has Polestar's logo in the centre. Otherwise, you can tell that certain components have been borrowed from its parent company, not that that's a bad thing.

Your eyes, though, will be immediately drawn to the infotainment screen, which is in tablet form and, unusually, oriented in portrait rather than landscape. It leans up against the dashboard and is cocooned by the rising sides of the centre console.

The Google-derived infotainment system is impressive, easy to use, reasonably intuitive and responsive. However, the price you pay for an excellent system is the lack of physical buttons and dials. So everything - including adjusting the climate control settings - has to be done via the touchscreen.

It is more challenging to do this on the move than in rivals, which offer an actual button to press, but at least the infotainment system is straightforward once you've got used to it. Most of the icons are of a decent size, too - which certainly helps you find things while driving along.

As for smartphone mirroring, if you’re an iPhone loyalist rather than an Android user, then Apple CarPlay is still included despite the infotainment system being designed by Google. The 12.3-inch digital instrument display is clear and informative, providing lots of relevant information as you drive along, including the remaining range and battery level.

Boot Space & Practicality

Sitting in the Polestar 2 is a comfortable experience, and the driving position is good.

There is a lot of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, both of which can be moved electronically, making it easy to find a suitable position. However, there’s no memory function to save your position unless you choose an optional extra pack, which we’ll cover later. But lumbar support and side seat bolsters provide plenty of additional shoring up around bends.

Visibility is good out of the front of the car, offering a great view of the road ahead and to the sides, helped by reasonably thin pillars. Out of the back, over-the-shoulder views are heavily restricted, though, as the pillars are much thicker and the rear window tapers inwards towards the back of the car. Still, at least the rear windscreen is on the large side.

Thankfully, front and rear parking sensors are included as standard, as well as a rear-view camera, although a surround-view 360-degree camera is included in one of the optional extra packs.

In terms of cabin space, there is a lot of headroom and legroom on offer, so even taller drivers won’t be feeling hemmed in. Despite a decent amount of legroom, it is less generous in the back, as headroom isn’t on the plentiful side. Meanwhile, middle-seat passengers have to straddle a hump in the centre of the floor.

Like a Tesla Model 3, the Polestar 2 may have the silhouette of a saloon car, but it’s really a hatchback. This makes it easier to load and unload items and provides great access to the boot's capacity.

Despite this, at 405 litres, cargo capacity is around 30% less than you’ll get in a Tesla Model 3 and marginally under that of a BMW 3-Series. But Polestar says you can get 472 litres if the rear seat backrests are positioned bolt upright, plus there are 35 litres of additional space under the bonnet.

The boot space expands to 1,095 litres with the rear seats folded down, but it's in a 60:40 configuration, which isn’t as convenient as a 40:20:40 split, although the former is typical of vehicles this size.

Interior cabin storage includes lined door bins, a couple of cupholders (one hidden beneath the central armrest), and a good-sized glove compartment.

Safety

The Polestar 2 was tested by Euro NCAP back in 2021, earning a top five-star rating.

It scored an excellent 93% for adult occupants, 89% for children and 83% for safety assists.

The latter category comprises a host of technology, including front and rear parking sensors, forward collision assist, oncoming lane mitigation, a 360-degree camera, driver attention alert and automatic emergency braking. Other tech includes blind spot monitoring with steer assist, cross-traffic alert, park assist and tyre pressure monitoring.

That is a lot of gear, but adaptive cruise control, rear collision warning and mitigation, and Pilot Assist (which includes lane-keeping assist) are all optional extras provided as part of an add-on Pilot pack.

Options

There are various optional extras to personalise your Polestar 2.

As we said above, the Pilot pack adds some additional safety gadgets.

Elsewhere, the interior upholstery - an embossed textile with 3D-etched décor - can be changed from charcoal to 'zinc' at no cost.

However, you can get WeaveTech vegan-friendly seats with Black ash décor (a

choice of charcoal or slate - or, as in our test car, ‘light ash’, which also gets ventilated seats) by choosing the Plus pack. This also adds fully-electric front seats, a heated steering wheel, a Harman Kardon premium sound system and a panoramic roof.

Tinted rear windows, high-level interior illumination, air quality monitoring, a digital key, a foot-sensor-operated powered tailgate, and a boot bag holder are also offered as part of the same pack.

You can upgrade from 19-inch to 20-inch alloys; alternatively, Long Range Dual Motor customers can have the Performance pack. This bundle offers 20-inch lightweight performance alloys, chassis tuning with revised Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes and gold seatbelts.

Other accessories, such as a towbar and luggage compartment mats, and charging utilities are also offered.

Rival Cars

As Polestar demonstrates, Tesla no longer has the market to itself in all-electric terms.

Naturally, Tesla’s Model 3 is a key rival – and it’s cheaper, too. But BMW is also a big challenger with the all-electric i4.

Hyundai’s Ioniq 6, which resembles a cross between a Porsche 911 and a Mercedes-Benz CLS, is another alternative, along with Kia’s sporty-looking EV6.

You might also want to consider leasing a car you may not have heard of - the BYD Seal, which is gaining popularity.

If you’re after something more practical, Renault’s Scenic E-Tech and Peugeot’s E-3008 offer more SUV-like characteristics, along with the Genesis GV60.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Polestar 2 is a tempting lease option. It has sophisticated exterior looks, a premium-looking interior, great acceleration, and ample range.

However, its ride quality could be better, and the cabin is on the small side compared with some of its peers, especially when it comes to rear headroom.

The Google-derived infotainment is a particular highlight, although the lack of physical controls makes things inconvenient, which may frustrate some drivers.

Overall, the Long-Range Single Motor variant is fine, but there’s nothing wrong with the Standard Range version, which is the cheapest model, assuming you don’t need to make longer journeys regularly.

The Polestar 2 certainly gets the thumbs up from us!

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Polestar 2.

**Correct as of 20/09/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,139.56 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.