Polestar 2 AWD Review

Polestar has a history​...

Originally a performance tuning company focused on racing Volvo vehicles, Polestar Racing (acquired officially by Volvo in 2015), now Polestar, has a history of performance and a dedication to the passion of automotive excellence. While the company says it has no heritage, we disagree entirely. They have a unique story that has lead to the creation of one of the fastest and more powerful vehicles we've ever tested: the Polestar 2.

The first all-electric offering from the company is no slouch, especially the AWD model we had the pleasure of spending time with for an entire month. As you might expect, spending that much time with a car allows for impressions one might not get after only a few hours. And we developed plenty of thoughts on the model, some good, and naturally, some not so good.

Impressions

Initial impressions of the Polestar 2 were all glowing. One of the first things you notice is the aggressive exterior styling, especially the front grill area. We found the lighting assembly and fenders hold your attention on the front end. The side profile of the vehicle is a little more mundane and nondescript. The rear of the Polestar 2, however, has a LED light bar that extends from one side of the car all the way to the other that we found to be unique and attractive. This also makes the Polestar very easily identifiable at nighttime.

Moving to the interior our impressions are more mixed. The materials that comprise the dashboard, door trim, and seats were all premium in nature. Soft where you want, firm where necessary. The interior design is pleasing and easy on the eyes. A center display allows for many vehicle settings to be changed including steering feel, regenerative braking strength, and charging limits.

However, we found that the Polestar 2 sacrificed interior width in exchange for side crash-worthiness. We wished for an extra 4 inches of space in between the driver and passenger that would allow for an additional cup holder. As it is, the second cup holder can only be accessed by lifting the arm rest forcing you to lose a place to rest your elbow if you wanted a second place to store a drink.

What we like:

What we dislike:

Overall:

• Quick, punchy acceleration
  
• Aggressive styling
  
• Attention to detail
  
• Premium Interior
  
• Multiple Regenerative Braking Settings
  
• Power Lift-gate 

• Heavy 
  
• Inefficient 
  
• Slower Charging 
  
• Lack of Cup holders 
  
• Cramped Interior 
  
• Google Auto UI 
  
• High Ride Height 

The Polestar 2 AWD is the perfect sedan for the hip CEO or Urban Executive. With off-the-line power that rivals BMW, Audi, or other premium brands, the car was a blast to drive in a spirited way.

We also found the placement of the center vents above and behind of the center screen to be impractical and often left us wanting for more direct airflow that we couldn't get easily.

While Polestar makes a good car overall, we found the biggest disappointment was a tossup between the software and the general inefficiency of the car. On our 70 mph range test, we were often looking at two (sometimes three) different range estimates displayed in different places at the same time. Doing the math on-the-fly in our heads ended up being the most accurate way to judge how far we could go. Unfortunately, no reasonable person is going to be willing to do this.

The UI (user interface) software was often slow and unresponsive. We found the overall operating system to be simplistic and underwhelming. This was something that we could look past most of the time, but in certain instances we had to pull over and completely restart the car in order to reset the center screen.

The range of the AWD model we tested has an EPA rating of 249 miles from a 75 kWh battery pack... not all that great considering the less expensive Tesla Model 3 RWD has a greater range from a pack that is significantly smaller. On the highway, our 70-mph range test yielded 230 miles from 100% to 0% state of charge. Yes, we took it all the way down, and crawled into the charging station.

The Polestar 2 doesn't exactly charge very quickly either. On a 150 kW DC fast charger, we were able to charge from 0-90% in about an hour... but according to the car's estimates, that last 10% would have taken an additional hour. If the Polestar 2 were $5k-$10k less expensive we might be more willing to look past these shortcomings, but the dual motor AWD model has a MSRP of $51,900, which is asking a bit too much considering the alternatives in the marketplace. As tested, our vehicle would cost $58,750.  ​

Oh... but the performance!

Yes, the performance! We couldn't get enough of that go-pedal.

Dual electric motors at each axle put out a combined 300 kW (408 hp) and 487 ft-lbs of torque. That's enough to rocket the executive sedan from 0-60 mph in as little as 4.44 seconds, 4.17 seconds with a 1ft roll-out. That's insanely quick for a car that weighs more than two tons! In our performance tests, the Polestar 2 AWD ran the quarter mile quickest with a time of 12.79 seconds at 108.16mph.

​Around the 2.0 mile Dominion Raceway Road Course (our test track and playground) the Polestar 2 set a top time of 1:39, beating out the previous leader (Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD) by two seconds.

While our test vehicle wasn't equipped with the Performance Package that includes more power, and upgraded brakes and suspension, it still performed admirably. While you could feel the heft of the 4,600 lb car, especially in the corners, we found that throttle control was easy and power delivery was a delight. 

Final Thoughts​

Overall, we did find the Polestar 2 AWD to be an excellent competitor to the Tesla Model 3 for people who really don't want a Tesla Model 3. It's premium without being too extra. Refined, sporty, and powerful.