Review of 2022 Polestar 2 finds newcomer poised to outpace Tesla

Polestar is a motorsport brand that has morphed into an electric sensation with releases which have the potential to break the Tesla obsession

Domino’s has famously claimed to be a tech company that happens to sell pizza.

The disruption in the automotive industry has become constant as tech companies sell cars. Tesla is at the forefront, but there are a host of other companies, such as ­Rivian and BYD, also making hefty gains by moving at warp speed compared with the ­established auto brands.

Marques such as Toyota made an artform of the long development process, which ­became the industry benchmark. New vehicles have their specification set a year ahead of launch, based on tried and tested architecture, and while there may be a “running change” of improvements midway through the life cycle, it is more than likely that ­vehicle will stay on the market for a decade.

Polestar originated in motorsport and primarily made combustion engines go faster. It has morphed into an EV specialist and the initial “1” hybrid coupe cost about $240,000, but never made its way Down Under.

Now the brand has ­officially arrived and the “2” model starts from $63,312 drive-away with a range of 470km.

Polestar is a offshoot from Volvo and Geely, delivering EVs with Scandinavian flair.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

KEL: Cool looks with a distinctive prestige feel, although when you first said the name I thought it was “Pulsar” and Nissan had gone upmarket.

GRANT: Far from it, welcome to the world of Polestar which is the performance and electric vehicle arm of Volvo (and its parent company Geely). It’s a Swedish company but vehicles are made in China.

KEL: The name sounds like a marketing issue from my perspective.

GRANT: Don’t forget Australia is a minnow in a massive automotive pond. Unless you were Down Under in the ’80s or ’90s, you probably wouldn’t have the same Pulsar memory.

KEL: Brand aside, I really like the look. Sleek and sexy.

GRANT: Scandi design throughout, it’s clean and simple. There isn’t even an on or off button – that’s controlled by pressure on the driver’s seat.

KEL: Getting used to not turning a key or pushing a button takes some time.

GRANT: It’s a good indication of the future. We’re doing less and the vehicle looks after the majority of operations.

KEL: You say this has Tesla in its crosshairs with the starting price, what was our test model worth?

GRANT: The standard range with a single motor starts from about $63k, add $5000 for the longer range version which boosts capacity to 540km, while we had the long range dual motor that is $73,511. It’s properly quick, with a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds but the range is 480km.

Cabin clutter is banished in the Polestar 2.

THE LIVING SPACE

KEL: Love the iPad-looking display and the minimalist style.

GRANT: Climbing inside it’s like entering a chic furniture store within the most exclusive inner city suburb.

KEL: There are so few buttons and the finishes are amazing. Although when the boys first got inside they described the seats as cardboard.

GRANT: They’re vegan. I feel like having a chai latte on almond milk and channelling my inner Greta Thungberg to denounce all my fellow motorists.

KEL: Just finding the controls to turn the fan down was frustrating at first.

GRANT: Using the latest Google control functionality, it’s designed for audio control, so you press the steering wheel button to open dialogue to control the aircon, develop a route to your destination taking into consideration battery capacity as well as look after all your phone calls and texts.

KEL: No Apple CarPlay?

GRANT: That’s coming this year via an update, but technically this Google system can do it all, and more, without the smartphone mirroring app. You can also download more apps and it comes with independent internet access for the first three years.

KEL: Those yellow seatbelts look impressive against the neutral tones.

GRANT: They do, but here is where things start to ramp up. They’re part of the $8000 Performance pack which also includes 20-inch alloys, upgraded suspension and big Brembo brakes with yellow calipers. There’s also two other packs we had included, a Pilot group for $5k and Plus which is another $6k. Collectively they added the best sound system, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger and the latest safety kit.

KEL: That all starts to add up. It does feel and look like a premium car. Just one cupholder in the console?

GRANT: Another is hidden under the arm rest. A pair are also available in the back.

Kel and Grant Edwards.

THE COMMUTE

KEL: Initially I found the acceleration heavy for an EV.

GRANT: Various settings are available under the “Drive” menu. That can deliver one pedal style driving to limit the need for braking (it rapidly slows the 2 as soon as you lift off the accelerator), while sport mode can also be accessed to experience that sub-five second sprint time.

KEL: Adaptive cruise control which can look after the braking and accelerating in traffic works well, and I always enjoy having a bird’s eye view camera function to make parking easier.

GRANT: Both are part of the aforementioned Pilot pack. It also includes a parking assist, blind spot warnings as well as automatic braking which can be applied if a potential collision is detected – and it also works while reversing. But my expectation would be these should be included for the asking price.

Option packs in the Polestar 2 include yellow seatbelts and a panoramic sunroof.

THE SHOPPING

KEL: Given those features it was particularly easy to park. And all the groceries fit within that sizeable boot.

GRANT: The rear seats fold 60-40 so large gear isn’t out of the question. Bikes can be a challenge as the space is narrow so wheels would have to come off adult-size pushies even though it’s a 1000-litre space. There is also a small space for charging cables under the bonnet.

Prices for the Polestar 2 start from just over $60,000 drive-away.

THE SUNDAY RUN

KEL: Cruising around it feels responsive and confident.

GRANT: It’s firm suspension means you feel the road imperfections, yet the instantaneous shove from the electric motors provides a driving buzz and the steering is precise. Being under the Volvo umbrella means some of the componentry is shared with the XC40 and that’s a great performer.

KEL: One place we navigated to via Google provided full details on time and battery usage for the round-trip. When we got home it was spot-on.

GRANT: It’s great peace of mind for those still suffering range anxiety.

KEL: There are more charging stations around, how long does it take?

GRANT: About 35 minutes if you use a DC 155kW to go from about 10-80 per cent. Owners would be best to have a three-phase 16A plug at home and it can then do the job in about eight hours. Use a normal 10A plug in the garage and it would take more than 30 hours.

Use a fast-charger and it takes about 35 minutes to refuel the Polestar 2 from 10-80 per cent.

THE FAMILY

KEL: Rear seat space was reasonable, and there are separate air vents with USB plugs.

GRANT: Three across the rear bench could be done but it would be cosy. There is no official Australian safety rating but in Europe it achieved five stars.

KEL: Given the European origins, is the upkeep expensive?

GRANT: Servicing for five years is free so it doesn’t get any better than that. Owners still have to cover consumables like tyres and wiper blades. Warranty coverage is five years while the battery has an eight-year backing.

KEL: Given petrol prices were nearing $2 this week in metropolitan areas, I saw it was averaging 19.5kWh. How does that compare?

GRANT: It all depends on what electricity you use. We charged using solar power at home, but if you were paying about 21 cents per kilowatt hour at home then that would equate to about $4 per 100km. You’d be looking at more than triple that figure with an efficient small turbo engine running premium unleaded.

The large iPad-style touchscreen is a key feature in the Polestar 2.

THE VERDICT

KEL: There is certainly a lot to love about the Polestar 2. The look, the presence and the performance, it’s a Scandi sensation. Although I’m not quite hip enough to handle all the cabin automation just yet … that would probably come with more time.

GRANT: The future is coming at us fast. This car showcases the latest developments and we’re ­approaching an exciting phase. I’d trust the Polestar 2’s longevity ahead of anything from Tesla and its overall polish feels closer to what I’d ­expect for my hard-earned.

Originally published as Review of 2022 Polestar 2 finds newcomer poised to outpace Tesla