“One of the most total electric powered motors money can buy. Superb assemble quality, and first fee to pressure ”

 

OVERVIEW

WHAT IS IT?

A new electric powered car, from a new electric powered automobile company. Polestar was once as soon as Volvo’s racing skunkworks, however it’s morphed into a standalone electric powered offshoot, mutually owned via Volvo and its Chinese mothership, Geely . Its motors are constructed in China, to be bought worldwide.

And whilst Polestar’s first homebrew effort was once a plug-in hybrid – the beautiful, £140,000 Polestar 1 – this is the place it receives serious. The 1 used to be a limited-edition headline-grabber. This is the Polestar 2, and it’s a fully-fledged manufacturing auto designed to do the difficult yards in organising Polestar as a huge participant in the EV scene. It’s gunning for the largest bullseye of them all proper now: the Tesla Model 3.

 

HOW MUCH IS IT?

Prices begin at £39,900 for the entry-level ‘Standard Range Single Motor’ version, which has a 64kWh battery succesful of 273 miles of vary and an electric powered motor it’s right for 221bhp. Next up is the ‘Long Range Single Motor’, which enhancements the battery to a 78kWh unit that’ll do 335 miles on a full cost and ups strength barely to 228bhp. It prices £42,900.

Then there may be the top-spec ‘Long Range Dual Motor’ edition, which elements electric powered motors on the the front and rear axle. The vehicle develops simply over 400bhp cut up 50/50 front-rear, so it’s fast, in spite of weighing 2.1 tonnes. The asking fee for this is £45,900. More recently, Polestar announced an over-the-air replace – first previewed at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed – that bumps strength up to a nice, wholesome 470bhp.

 

Previewed as a Volvo thought numerous years ago, the Polestar two makes use of its peak no longer simply to provide a extra commanding view of the avenue than a traditional saloon, however additionally to carve out area for the water-cooled battery pack, which lies underneath the cabin. It’ll juice the top-of-the-range two for nearly 300 miles, with or except the elective £5,000 Performance Pack container ticked.

SO IT’S POLESTAR VS TESLA?

Now, an equal Tesla Model three Long Range is precise for any other 60 miles of claimed endurance, and for some folks, the argument will quit there. But we’ll now not get completely bogged down in Tesla tit-for tat here.

Polestar is discovering its toes in the market and needs to do matters its very own way. CEO Thomas Ingenlath (an ex-Volvo diagram boss himself) guidelines Polestar’s USPs will be construct pleasant and the completeness of the auto and possession experience, now not YouTube-friendly 0-60mph times.

He admits the studying curve will be steep, however factors out Polestar has been in the EV market for a 12 months or two, no longer decades. He believes that now the world is warming up to electric powered cars, quickly the thought of every automobile desiring to lift round all the weight and price of a 300+ mile range will appear as absurd as a automobile carrying round a 2d engine as a redundancy measure. Y’know, simply in case. Polestar needs to make suitable and speedy electric powered cars, however it wishes to do so with Scandi frequent sense. And Swedish trend sense.

IS IT A LOOKER?

On the graph front, it’s job done: this is a sensational-looking desktop in the metal, crisp and clean and clean-cut, loaded with presence however splendidly unadorned with faux vents or dummy-aero nonsense. It appears like the vehicle the future promised, however distanced ample from a Volvo S60 no longer to appear contrived. When you see one of these whoosh past, you’re going to favor one.

WHAT’S THE VERDICT?

We love the Polestar two due to the fact it’s handsome, the construct satisfactory will provide Audi drivers PTSD, and there’s a actual experience of frequent experience about the vehicle – that it’s been designed to work seamlessly, no longer to wow you with gimmicks then wind you up similarly down the line. Single Motor iterations make it extra on hand for most too.

There’s additionally a actual feel of momentum about Polestar now – it’s received the diagram schtick nailed, this indoors thinking appears to be futureproof, and but there’s a humility about this newcomer that’s vastly refreshing. Of course, it’s no longer except niggles – the trip must be much less jiggly, and coaxing Apple followers into a cabin enshrined with Google Android ought to be a challenge.

Fundamentally though, the automobile itself is well-finished, realistic and drives pleasingly, but it’s that experience of a manufacturer surely believing in its method and beginning to exhibit its plausible that’s thrilling about Polestar in general, and the two in particular. And yep, Tesla ought to be paying attention. As need to all people else who fancies a slice of the electric powered future.