2022 Wheels Car of the Year contender: Polestar 2

Few cars were as eagerly anticipated at COTY 2022 as the Polestar 2. And after three days of granular exploration at the proving ground, fewer still divided opinion quite so strongly. After all, there’s a lot to unpack here. Once the ‘go fast’ department of Volvo, Polestar has since unplugged itself from Gothenburg and gone out on its own as a premium EV player.

Australia missed out on Polestar’s first standalone model, the sleek and striking Polestar 1, but it was left-hand drive only and made in limited numbers. That makes the Polestar 2 our first taste of the reinvented Swedish brand and, as it arrived Down Under just weeks before testing began, COTY was the judging panel’s first chance to form an impression. Things were divisive from the get-go.

Polestar says design, build quality and offering a ‘complete’ driving experience (read: not just 0-100km/h times) are core brand values. And visually at least, it delivers. All of the judges were impressed by the sleek and understated exterior design, while the beautifully trimmed and richly equipped cabin also earned some approving nods.

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Cabin tech was a positive too, and saw the Polestar 2 score some early points courtesy of the functionality and crisp graphics of its large 11.2-inch central screen. The slick operating system was jointly developed with Google and while a few judges did note the lack of Apple CarPlay may annoy some owners of early models, an over-the-air update to include that functionality is planned later in 2022.

“I like how it drives but interior is oddly disappointing in places” - Dylan Campbell

But compromised packaging and some strange standard safety omissions were also clear weaknesses. The Polestar 2 shares its Geely-sourced CMA platform with the Volvo XC40, and the drawbacks of shoehorning an EV powertrain into an ICE-derived chassis were evident, especially in the rear.

“Cabin space is clearly compromised by the multi-drivetrain platform,” said Jez. “But the seats are great, materials feel special and the interior design is contemporary.”

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Polestar’s approach to safety, however, is what really raised eyebrows. The Aussie range offers three trim levels, two battery sizes (64 or 78kWh, with the latter claiming 540km of WLTP range) and the option of front- or all-wheel drive.

The car chosen for COTY testing was the mid-spec front-drive ‘Long Range Single Motor’, which at $64,900 is a direct rival for the Tesla Model 3 on price and size. But oddly, given its link to Volvo, Polestar has grouped desirable active-safety systems (including adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera and rear cross-traffic alert) into a $3400 Pilot Lite option pack.

“That seems hypocritical for a company so closely associated with safety leader Volvo,” said Dan.

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Things were more convincing through COTY’s dynamic exercises. An excellent driving position, crisp and accurate steering, and sweetly balanced handling were all noted, and the regen braking (adjustable through three appreciably different settings: Low/Standard/Off) was the best of all the EVs at COTY.

Performance of this 170kW/330Nm single-motor version is effortless, if not sporty, but overall refinement was letdown by excessive tyre noise.

So it’s a convincing first shot for Polestar, with some caveats, but brand identity is what really divided the judges. While some thought the Polestar 2 did just enough to feel unique, others felt establishing a clear brand remains a work in progress. Richard: “It cuts a handsome figure as an EV sedan and drives nicely. But it feels like an electric Volvo, not a standalone brand.”