Polestar 2 Review

Practicality and Boot Space

One of the Polestar’s main selling points over the Tesla Model 3 is the more practical hatchback arrangement for the 407-litre boot. There’s no doubt that this will be a real bonus for anyone who needs to carry awkward loads that just wouldn’t fit into the back of a Model 3, which gets a less convenient saloon boot opening. So if you've got golf clubs to lug about, the Polestar (or hatchback rivals like the Kia EV6) will get you to the club with a lot less fluster. You can drop the rear seats flat in a 60/40 split, too.

There's also a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet which is suitable for storing cables, but the charge socket is at the back of the car, so most owners are likely to store them in the boot where they’re closer to hand.

Passengers are reasonably well catered for, especially if there are only four of you. Five will be a bit more of a squeeze, and a middle passenger in the back will have to straddle a ‘hump’ in the floor as this platform was designed for the XC40, which also has petrol powertrains to cater for.

Interior and design

The Polestar's interior is completely vegan, and uses a great combination of tactile materials or leatherette upholstery. It's a really simple, minimal dash, but we prefer the usability of the Polestar's dash to the 2024 Model 3, which even does away with the gear shifter stalk and indicator stalk in favour of in-screen or steering wheel controls - and that's a bit too much touchscreen dependency for us. The 2023 updates bought some minimal changes to the exterior styling and almost none to the interior, but we're okay with that as the Polestar looked supremely brilliant from launch, and still looks fresh today. If Apple designed a car (and actually brought it to market, rather than researching it for decades...) this is what it would look like. 

Dashboard

​The Polestar feels just as 'cutting edge' as its rivals, with its huge touchscreen and minimalist design, but it's still a more conventional layout (with indicator stalks, for a start) than the Tesla. The light-coloured finishes and general styling around the car are unmistakably Scandi-cool, too, and perceived quality is a touch better than you find in the Tesla and Hyundai Ioniq 6. 

Technology and equipment

If you are going to take aim at Tesla you need to get the tech right. Hence the Polestar features an all-new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system. The main advantage of this is access to one of the world’s most sophisticated voice-recognition systems, meaning you can ask Google to help you with everything from jokes to setting the heating. As you might expect, it gets software updates over-the-air. Got an iPhone? You needn't worry any longer, as Apple CarPlay integration is now included. 

Like most cars these days (including the Tesla) the Polestar has a central tablet-like screen in the centre. In addition, it has another screen in front of the driver. Unlike the Model 3 though there are still a few old-fashioned buttons and knobs for crucial tasks like moving the mirrors.

Equipment on the Polestar is very decent with heated seats, electric seat adjustment and lumbar support, that 11-inch touchscreen, two USB-C ports in the front and two for those in the back, dual climate control, cruise control, 360-degree parking camera and sensors, and LED lights. However, you can go crazy with options prices, as Polestar offers its options in pricey packs. If you want fully adaptive LED headlights (that keep a high beam brightness without dazzling other traffic) then it'll be £2000 for the Pilot Pack, which also includes adaptive cruise control and the semi-autonomous Pilot Assist drive mode. The Plus Pack is a £4000 option but is sure to be popular, as it adds the panoramic glass roof, Harman Kardon sound system upgrade, upholstery upgrade, heated steering wheel and also a heat pump for more efficient winter running.

Safety 

With the might of Volvo behind it, you’ll be unsurprised that the Polestar 2 got the full five star safety rating in Euro NCAP crash tests. Safety kit also includes lane-keep assist, blind spot warning, lane-keep assist, autonomous brake assistance, rear collision warning and mitigation, cross traffic alert and more. It's just a shame that the adaptive cruise control and semi-autonomous Pilot Assist drive mode is optional.