For a new brand, Polestar is already very well known in the Netherlands. A hype we haven’t seen since Tesla, the new brand’s biggest competitor.
To get straight to the point: With only a few days of use, it is difficult to give a concrete range of action for the Swedish newcomer. The weather conditions and in particular the outside temperature have a lot of influence on the driving range of EVs. Depending on the range, the Polestar reaches 375 to a maximum of 425 km, with the lowest number being reality. A longer period of testing in the future should provide more clarity.
RefusalThe Polestar 2 should be able to charge up to 150 kW, but we didn’t save that anywhere. Sometimes we got stuck around 80 kW with a 150 kW charger with a 40 to 50 percent fully charged battery, and only once with an almost empty car did we get 125 kW from a 350 kW charger. At the launch of the Polestar 2, management said 150 kW should suffice, also because faster charging would make the car more expensive, but we do not necessarily share that view. The standards regarding range and charging are changing rapidly and very short charging times can remove the mistrust about electric driving, which is still among many people. In addition, the Polestar 2 did not reach the promised 150 kW, even at best. Charging at home did not go smoothly either: at a private pole with 3-phase power, the car sometimes refused service (not always) and when moving to a public pole, the car also refused to charge, so we had to drive to a fast charger with a fairly empty battery to to put in DC power. With a 3-phase pole in the editorial office, the car did just fine. Now we had a pre-series car and that could explain the problem.
SolidThe sprint from 0 to 100 km / h happens very smoothly as expected: the Polestar only concedes 0.1 second on its claim of 4.7 seconds. The braking distance is without a doubt imposingly short. Despite being overweight (2,130 kg), the Polestar stops extremely quickly. The Polestar 2 is helped by expensive Öhlins shocks, which are part of the Performance Pack. These 20-way adjustable shock absorbers largely feel like overkill for this type of car, but when braking, the carriage remains bizarrely flat, which aids in slowing down. That Performance Pack also includes lower, firmer suspension, Brembo brakes, larger alloy wheels, yellow seat belts and gold valve caps. The shock absorbers were on position 12, and although position 20 is the ‘softest’ position, 12 makes the car quite sturdy anyway. Small imperfections are cleverly eliminated, but thresholds come through hard in the interior. Now you choose consciously for a hyper-sporty car, but in this Polestar it feels a bit exaggerated. Yes, we can go bizarrely hard through the corner: the traction is phenomenal, the car remains extremely flat and understeer is avoided for a long time due to the good weight distribution. But because the steering feel is completely lacking and the throttle response is not overly sharp, the 2 is not a driver’s car at all. The look of the car is not up to that either. More comfort, but still extremely good handling would then be a better outcome of those expensive dampers. We are curious how the car will drive without the package. Now it is difficult to interpret; the handling is good, but it is and feels very heavy. On our good Dutch roads it drives very quietly, serenely and comfortably, but it is very fast over bumps. It is fast and hardly leans, but it never feels sporty. All in all, Polestar does not seem quite sure how to experience the 2. The chassis technology itself is certainly good.
Google
The Polestar has a first: the multimedia system runs entirely on Google software and will look recognizable to people with an Android phone. The voice command system is also from Google and works much better than in many other cars. Even so, Volvo has one of the best touchscreens currently available; We do not necessarily think this Google system is better. Sometimes you have to press unnecessarily hard and it is not very clear. The app for the car was not finished at the time of our test. The Polestar interior is of a high standard. It feels mature and looks luxurious. Here you keep it feeling long during long trips. The seats are very good. We recognize a lot of Volvo technology, such as the buttons on the steering wheel and the autopilot. The latter works quite well, but causes the same annoyance as in some Volvos: sometimes the car keeps very left in the lane and that is downright annoying if there is, for example, the wall of a tunnel. Head and legroom are okay, but the Polestar is tighter than it looks on the outside. The bank could be a bit higher. A striking feature is the elevation in the floor for the non-present cardan shaft. The Polestar’s trunk isn’t lavish, but it’s easily accessible through the fifth door. Besides extra cargo space under the trunk floor, the Swede also has a frunk, which is useful for the charging cables; they are not hidden behind your holiday luggage. All in all, the Polestar is a particularly interesting newcomer, which the Netherlands is clearly waiting for.