In case you’re out there for an EV that isn’t a crossover, your choices are restricted. In case you’re trying to not help Elon Musk and Tesla, your choices are much more restricted. In case you’re on the lookout for one thing that ain’t an SUV, isn’t a Tesla and also you’re not made of cash to afford the superb however very opulent Lucid Air or Porsche Taycan effectively, you are in a troublesome spot. You could have a couple of choices: the Hyundai Ioniq 6, the Fiat 500e, and this, the Polestar 2.

Regardless of dealing with an uphill battle with enormous, lovely tariffs on hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of Chinese language-made EVs and pending laws banning the sale of any automobile with too many elements or software program sourced from China, Polestar troopers on, thanks partially to its European base and software program staff. It’s soldiering on a lot in order that Polestar added extra fashions to its lineup and went by some extra personnel adjustments to proper the ship and promote extra automobiles. Polestar sees itself as a brand new different to the 1000’s of shell-shocked Tesla expats. Its best-selling mannequin, the Polestar 2, was facelifted for the final mannequin yr, after which its gear was simplified for 2025— may this be excellent timing to choose up the slack from Tesla consumers?

There’s rather a lot to love in regards to the Polestar 2, however a couple of gripes in regards to the automobile that might be dealbreakers, particularly for somebody used to the Tesla Mannequin 3. Polestar gave me a single motor model (RIP) to toy round with for every week and determine if the automobile was value our time.

Spoiler alert: It was.

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Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

The Polestar 2 has been on sale because the 2021 mannequin yr. Designed in Sweden and inbuilt China, the liftback sedan is among the few EV sedans on provide. 

For 2024, Polestar did a gentle replace. Exterior-wise, there’s not a lot modified from the previous automobile; the faux-Volvo grille was stuffed in with a panel known as the SmartZone that shares extra model continuity with the remainder of Polestar’s lineup. In any other case, the enhancements are below the pores and skin. 

With the visible updates comes a brand new battery and motor setup. The Polestar 2 is similar to the Volvo EX40 and EC40 (as soon as known as XC40 recharge and C40 respectively), and so they’ve all shifted to being rear motor, rear-wheel-drive of their single motor varieties. The motor is fed by a brand new 82 kWh battery. That shift to RWD isn’t meant to appease the drifting desires of the web feedback part however slightly to enhance effectivity and vary.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Nonetheless, I used to be stunned at how a lot the Polestar 2’s demeanor modified with the RWD setup. The final time I drove a Polestar 2 was again in 2021. It was an AWD mannequin that I as soon as mentioned “felt like a lancer evolution made by Crate and Barrel,” which means that though it was AWD and quick, it felt distinctly front-biased. Whether or not it is RWD or AWD, the steadiness of the Polestar has shifted with its bigger new motor that sits on the rear axle, even when you’re in an AWD mannequin.

The brand new RWD motor has 295 horsepower and 361 ft-lbs of torque, method up from the 231 hp of the FWD single motor items of the pre-facelift mannequin. The AWD mannequin can flip a 4.2-second 0-60 time, however the RWD’s 5.5-second dash is nearer to that than you’d suppose. I’d in all probability go for the extra energy of the twin-motor AWD mannequin, however now I now not must snub my nostril on the people who purchased a single-motor Polestar. As I’ve mentioned earlier than, buddies don’t let buddies purchase front-wheel-drive Polestars. 

Regardless of the motor or battery alternative, the Polestar’s well-sorted trip, dealing with and chassis nonetheless shine by. Throw this factor right into a nook and it stays entertaining and grippy, regardless of its hefty curb weight. It’s a pleasure to drive, feeling easy and agile, a breath of contemporary air in a world the place each producer is in a race to take advantage of joyless EV crossover.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Too unhealthy Polestar killed the one motor trim for 2025. Due to the Biden Administration’s 100% tariff on EVs imported from China, lower-cost trims of the Polestar 2 ended up as a casualty. To satiate the demand of consumers looking for a Polestar EV, it determined to proceed to import the Polestar 2, however solely in range-topping Efficiency trim. 

Though the inside and exterior adjustments appear considerably minor, the Polestar 2’s new battery and extra environment friendly and highly effective motor are the largest tangible upgrades to the automobile. Vary for the RWD mannequin is as much as 320 miles from its new 82 kWh battery. From my expertise, the Polestar 2 would simply obtain that.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

The Polestar’s real-world effectivity was typically superb. This automobile was pushed in early summer season 2024, and over a protracted 225-mile journey of principally freeways and nation roads, the Polestar 2 averaged a strong 3.92 miles per kWh. The bottom I had seen that week was 3.49 miles per kWh after a spirited drive on my favourite twisty street. These are good numbers for a automobile that isn’t tremendous aerodynamically streamlined like, say, the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

With the Polestar 2’s new motor and battery comes an improve in charging speeds. Polestar says this automobile’s charging curve now peaks at 250 kW. The ten-80% charging dash ought to are available at 28 minutes below best circumstances. That’s a reasonably common however respectable quantity, though some rivals from Hyundai and Kia can cost faster.

My check automobile nearly matched these numbers. When hooked to a 350 kW EVGo DC quick charging station, the Polestar 2 zipped from 10-80% in half-hour and 24 seconds. The charging curve was gradual, however it didn’t maintain its 205 kW peak velocity for lengthy. After about two or three minutes, the Polestar ramped downward, finally hitting double-digit charging speeds at round 70% state of cost. 

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

As of late 2024, all Polestars have entry to the Tesla Supercharger community by way of an adapter. For the reason that cost door is on the rear left of the car, you additionally don’t have to park throughout two stalls to make the stubby Tesla cords attain. That alone is a big benefit over one thing just like the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

The inside is both a excessive spot or a low spot, relying on what you worth in a automobile’s inside. I like Polestar’s simplistic screens which might be noticeable however don’t take up as a lot of the car’s dashboard, not like a few of the full or half-length designs that span the width of the automobile. The Polestar’s considerably small show felt refreshing, a minimum of to me. In case you’re coming from a Tesla Mannequin 3, although, I’m positive you’d discover Polestar’s display to be a bit dinky.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Some might discover Polestar’s cabin a bit claustrophobic. The automobile’s squat home windows might look good on the surface, however when coupled with an inside that’s principally completed in darkish plastics, the automobile feels tiny. The mediocre rear legroom and excessive middle console can really feel confining to each driver and passengers. Additionally, there’s nonetheless just one entrance cup holder; the second is buried within the middle console storage below the armrest, which is each awkward and inconvenient.

On this phase, although, your choices are principally six on one hand and a half dozen on the opposite. The Tesla Mannequin 3’s giant home windows and comparatively low beltline result in an arier-feeling cabin, however ergonomically, the Tesla might be awkward, particularly for rear-seat passengers. The Polestar’s lodging really feel extra regular, even when it’s technically numerically down from the Tesla. It’s additionally a bit higher proportioned than the rear seat of a Hyundai Ioniq 6, which presents unbelievable leg room however not a lot area on your head. Those that prioritize cabin area and rear-seat room will seemingly find yourself with an SUV, anyway.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Match and end are typically good. The supplies themselves are nicer than the Mannequin 3, however they do really feel a step behind another entry-level luxurious rivals. Maybe the following Polestar 2 will be taught some classes from the Polestar 4, which is a pleasant place to be.

This automobile makes use of Android Automotive, similar to most trendy merchandise within the Common Motors and Volvo lineups. The Polestar 2 was the very first automobile to have built-in Android Automotive when it got here onto the market in 2020.

About 5 years later, not a complete a lot has modified. Like GM’s newest automobiles (each fuel and EV), it has entry to Google Providers, which implies it will possibly use the Google Play retailer and different apps. Navigation comes by the use of Google Maps, built-in natively within the automobile. It’s simply as easy to make use of as Google Maps could be on any cellphone.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

But Polestar resisted the urge to simply lazily slap Android Automotive into the cockpit and name it a day. The consumer interface (UI) design is robust and coherent. Each menu is a rounded black, gray, or orange field, doted by sans-serif textual content. It’s textbook pleasing graphic design. It’s consideration to element like this that elevates the Polestar 2’s entire ambiance, making it really feel like a high-end client tech product. This factor would really feel proper at dwelling at a any given high-end Scandanavian furnishings retailer. By comparability, the Android Automotive implementation in a Chevy EV has all of the intercourse attraction of a Home windows NT Serverstation.

As a lot reward as I’ve for Polestar’s UX and UI design, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out its points. I discovered the system typically simple to make use of. There weren’t too many menus, though the menus themselves might be text-heavy, in comparison with pictograms used on different methods. The interface was snappy, however generally it randomly wouldn’t register my presses. Or it will do a totally completely different motion than requested. It wasn’t typically, however it did occur greater than 3 times throughout my week with the automobile. 

In case you’re not eager on the Polestar 2’s infotainment software program, it will possibly run Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. They aren’t wi-fi, although.

All Polestar 2 trims include the Pilot Pack, which provides driver help options like adaptive cruise management. Even with out this pack, the automobile has a full suite of security methods like:

• Digital Stability Management
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Conserving Assist
• Oncoming Lane Mitigation
• Regenerative Stability Management
• Street Signal Data
• Trailer Stability Help
• Understeer Management Logic
• Driver Steering Suggestion
• Run-off Street Mitigation
• Pace limiter
• Traction Management
• Trailer Stability Help
• Understeer Management Logic
• Run-off Street Mitigation

The Polestar 2 was crash-tested by Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration and earned a full five-star ranking. Nevertheless, this automobile has not been examined by the Insurance coverage Institute For Freeway Security.

Sadly, Polestar discontinued single motor variants of this automobile after the Biden Administration launched 100% tariffs on EVs imported from China. This automobile might have a Y vin, however it nonetheless comes from China.

My tester ran up at $56,750, however now all Polestars are available one trim with all packs put in and in twin motor trim for $66,200. The one choice on the Polestar is Nappa leather-based which provides $4,000 to the worth. 

There’s rather a lot to love in regards to the Polestar 2. Even after my week with the automobile, I discovered myself not wanting to provide it again, regardless of a few of the minor annoyances. To me, it is the one automobile available on the market to problem the Mannequin 3 instantly. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 could also be sedan-shaped, however it feels giant and doesn’t really feel prefer it’s as aspirationally luxurious because the Tesla or Polestar. Each different electrical sedan is costlier and greater.

Photograph by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

On the time of the check, this automobile’s $56,750 worth was pricier than a Mannequin 3, with comparable gear and packaging. Now, the automobile solely is available in high trim for $66,200, which is much more costly than the Tesla Mannequin 3. Now, Polestar’s modern is the Mannequin 3 Efficiency, which at $54,990 remains to be $10,000 cheaper and qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit score. The $44,130 of a brand new base Mannequin 3 is a whopping $22,000 cheaper than the Polestar. 

That’s a disgrace. For a protracted whereas, the Polestar 2 felt like a real rival of the Tesla Mannequin 3, and now the price of entry is effectively above the Tesla.

Nonetheless, the Polestar 2 has rather a lot to supply. In case you’re on the lookout for a quick, well-styled, fun-to-drive EV, this automobile makes a compelling case. For some EV consumers, as much as $22,000 is a small worth to pay to not be related to Elon Musk or Tesla.

Contact the creator: Kevin.Williams@InsideEVs.com