George Loveridge Driving Around for Travel News Update
The Polestar 2 has become one of the more common electric vehicles seen on Britain’s roads. Despite this, the overall experience offers exclusivity that you do not feel from many other marques.
Like myself, most of us associate Polestar with Volvo’s in-house tuning division. Like AMG is to Mercedes and SVR is to Jaguar Land Rover. However, this rear-wheel-drive (RWD) saloon has an identity of its own and wears it well. The test car is but a few tick boxes away from being king of the road. A posh Volvo indeed.Sending 295bhp to the rear wheels feels brisk enough, but there is also just shy of 500Nm of torque which is readily available whenever you go near the accelerator. Therefore, the Polestar 2 can get up and go whilst embarrassing a lot of other vehicles on the road. To accompany such acceleration, the car has stiff suspension which does an admirable job at hiding the 2-tonne kerb weight thanks to the battery packs.
To drive day to day, the Polestar 2 has a very faff-free approach to driving. It drives just like a normal car should, that is if you turn off the three-way regenerative braking option. You get ‘standard’, ‘light’ and ‘off’ to choose from. If you opt out of this feature, the car will coast without slowing down at all, almost like putting a regular car into neutral. Whereas in the max strength mode, it is like applying the brakes. Another electronic option that you will want to avoid is the steering, as again you get three modes to choose from. The lightest option is so light that the steering wheel moves faster than the wheels do on the road. Scary. Even in ‘firm’ the feel is lighter than most cars. However, it does allow you to enjoy the car on some twisty roads.The overall RWD handling characteristics with its chassis and plenty of power are superb.
This long-range model claims to have a range of 408 miles, but at 100% charge, my trip computer only displayed 280 miles. Now, this is all dependant on how you have been driving. In ‘road test mode’ as I like to call it, the car is not the most efficient. But I do believe that if you drive sensibly, the potential range will reflect that. So, it is hard to tell if this is economical or not.
Personally, I believe that the interior is really where the Polestar 2 excels. You’ are greeted by a minimalist, light and functional interior. Very few buttons as the 11-inch vertical display does most of the talking in terms of vehicle settings. It does work very well, but adjusting the climate control on the move feels dangerous. I love the chunky steering wheel, which does have a combination of buttons but they do fall to hand in fairness. A full digital driver’s cluster houses your range and road speed, along with Google Maps for navigation. The cloth seats are supportive and hugging in the front, however in the rear they are potentially a bit thin for supporting passengers on a longer trip. Heated seats all around, and a scattering of charging ports both physical and wireless. The interior exudes a business-class feel but is practical enough for the family man. Sadly, we only have two cupholders in the front and to access one of them, you must sacrifice the central armrest. That same armrest will also decapitate your bottle in the accessible cupholder. Even Autotrader mocked at this design. It’s not just me!
The George Loveridge Verdict
So, what is the Polestar like to live with? As a car, it is excellent. It stops, starts and goes wonderfully well for something as heavy as it is. I love the driving position, and it is very easy to get along with. Like any car, there are a few shortcomings such as a silly cupholder design and complicated infotainment options. Otherwise, it is fine.
The Polestar 2 is just let down by the UK’s lack of infrastructure for electric cars. Fortunately, I have a home charger and can top up the batteries overnight the cost lost in my electric bill. However, a full charge at the motorway will take a couple of hours and will most likely cost roughly the same as a full tank of unleaded.
Price as tested: £44,950
Lead in price: £48,950
Power Output: 295bhp
Range (electric): 250 miles
0-60: 5.9 seconds
Performance 8
Handling 10
Transmission 10
Noise 7
Economy 5
Ride and Comfort 8
Accommodation 7
Styling 10
Brakes 9
Finish 8
www.polestar.com/uk/polestar-2
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