Polestar 2: all-electric rival for Tesla Model 3
Curious Swedish project Polestar is only two cars old but has already hits its stride
The battery-electric Polestar 2 is the Tesla Model 3’s first direct rival, and is a most convincing one. It’s not a bulky SUV, and it pitches both pace and price right down the middle of the Californian car’s range.
Curiously, though, the Swedes claim they’re not targeting Tesla owners at all. They want electric converts who currently drive a BMW M2 or Ford Focus RS. Those are some serious cars. At this point you’re probably thinking this is a tall order for a battery fastback based on a Volvo.
But while it’s true this car inherits engineering expertise and tech from Volvo, it certainly doesn’t steer like one. Well-weighted and fast without being overly sensitive, the front end is predictable and turns crisply. This is to be something of a Polestar hallmark, we’re told, and it’s a million miles from an XC40.
A dual-motor set-up means all-wheel-drive stability on one hand, with a handling balance tweaked for driver enjoyment on the other. So it’ll tuck its nose into corners faster than a truing dog if you lift off, more so with the traction control in its sportier mode. Body control is good too, not least thanks to the weight of that 78kWh battery slung low under the floor, meaning a bit of initial lean that is quickly stabilised. Same goes for the ride quality – tarmac imperfections are dealt with firmly within a single stroke of the Öhlins dampers. These make up part of the £5000 Performance pack, one of few options at launch, adding Continental Premium SportContact 6 tyres.
Instead of an in-car drive mode switch you have 22 clicks of compression and rebound control on the damper itself, the theory being you set it up to your liking and then leave it alone. In this middling configuration the Polestar 2 feels sporty but compliant even on poor surfaces.
Dampers aside, the Polestar 2’s chassis is quite simple – torque vectoring is by brake rather than wheel-to-wheel like the more expensive Polestar 1, and you get steel springs and analogue anti-roll bars, both beefed up in Performance pack cars.
This simplicity of concept spreads to the drivetrain too, thanks to the car’s lack of gearbox and generous instant shove. The throttle response is sharp and, with all that power and torque, the 2 can haul itself out of corners and down straights with the kind of enthusiasm nobody needs but everyone likes to have.
There are no drive modes really, just steering that can be lighter or heavier, and regenerative braking that offers everything from a complete coast to one-pedal driving. Unusually for an electric car the pedal itself feels pretty natural, with no perceivable step between the regen and the Brembos, although it is a bit lifeless in feel.
Some practicalities. Polestar reckons on 294 miles of range and somewhere between 35-45 minutes for an empty to 80 per cent fill on a 150kW DC charger. The 405-litre boot is smaller than the Tesla’s but you get another 35 litres up front, and while rear legroom is sucient we found headroom a little tight. The ride isn’t as smooth back there either, though of course you can adjust those Öhlins.
First verdict
All the subtle luxury and pragmatism of a Volvo but with a driving character and feelgood factor that’s all Polestar #### #
The 2 can haul itself out of corners and down straights with the kind of enthusiasm nobody needs but everybody likes to have