LAOIS MOTORING: Polestar 2 EV is aimed squarely at premium EV market

What is a Polestar I hear you ask? Well Polestar is essentially Volvo’s electric car division and in the new Polestar 2 you will find plenty of interior design cues familiar to Volvo owners. While Volvo produces EV’s of its own the idea behind Polestar is to have a dedicated premium EV brand to take on the likes of Tesla for example.

The Polestar 2 is available in one body style, two different battery capacities, and with a choice of two wheel drive via a single motor or four wheel drive (as on test here) via a dual motor set up.  

I am road testing the dual motor version with plus pack which is priced from €63,850.

So Has It any street cred?

I really like the chunky bold styling of the new Polestar 2. Its not a Volvo copy but a standalone design that works really well. Also it does not display any quirky “I am an EV” type design which makes it even more appealing. So top marks to Polestar for how it looks. Its got real street cred!

What’s it like inside?

Initial impressions are that its a little bit underwhelming for a car costing this much.  The seats are finished in a somewhat bland cloth ( re cycled plastic I’m told so no leather or wood or even aluminium in here though leather is an option) and the grey cloth trim only adds to that sense of well, cheapness frankly. 

The driver has a simple digital display which does allow you to display google maps  or trip info in between both digital info displays but thats it in terms of configurability. 

The central portrait  touchscreen will be familiar to Volvo owners and offers an intuitive menu for usual functions and happily there a re a few buttons below the screen for main functions.

It of course boasts a host of  safety kit and its all very well put together too.

From space point of view its pretty good with decent leg and headroom both front and rear. There is plenty of storage space, multiple USBC ports front and rear and wireless phone charging. I particularly like the  huge tinted glass roof as it makes the cabin feel a bit more airy than its dark interior suggests.

What about performance?

The dual motor long range version on test is pretty quick! It boasts a 78 kWh battery and two electric motors giving it four wheel drive. 0 to 100km is claimed at just 4.7 seconds and when you hit the accelerator pedal it just grips and goes with no lag or delay. Quite addictive acceleration for those that enjoy such virtues. 

From 100% battery charge it displayed a range of 440km and it achieved a real 400km during my time road testing the Polestar 2 which is impressive. 

Furthermore at a fast charge point I put 140 km of range into the car from a 48% full battery in just 15 minutes or so. Interestingly Polestar recommend only charging to 90% to “preserve” battery life. So consider this when thinking of real range! 

Road tax is €120.00.

How does it drive?

Pretty well actually. The ride and handling is very good despite its mass. Its very quiet too so a pleasant place to be for all on board. The suspension set up can feel a bit on the firm side at times on some country roads but it has to be to cope with the sheer weight of the car. 

Overall I really liked the way it drives. Grip is tenacious whether on wet or dry roads and there is good driver feedback.

Verdict

The new Polestar 2 is really an excellent EV. Yes I feel the interior should feel more premium at this price point but if you can live with that then the Polestar is highly recommended.  The Polestar 2 dual motor as tested costs €67,875.