Polestar 2 Review & Prices

The Polestar 2 is to electric cars what Apple AirPods are to headphones. It’s compact, stylish and cooler than most of its alternatives; dripping in desirability. And much like a pair of AirPods, the Polestar 2 has received some incremental improvements over its lifespan.

A 2023 update saw the introduction of a smoothed-out front grille and a funky new wheel option for Performance Pack-equipped models. It’s very much the same handsome hatchback it’s always been then, with striking, angular headlights at the front and a slim light bar across the back.

The Polestar 2 stands out with its fastback silhouette, not quite a saloon in shape but not a typical boxy hatchback either. The interior is just as sleek, and while the bigger Polestar 3 looks even more futuristic inside, the smaller car is still very easy on the eye.

It’s certainly less divisive to look at than its BMW i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 alternatives, but the Genesis GV60 and Volkswagen ID.7 have even swoopier styling.

Polestar 2: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 322-406 miles
Efficiency: 3.6-4.2 miles per kWh
Battery size: 67kWh / 79kWh
Max charge speed: 135kW / 205kW
Charge time AC: 7hrs, 0-100% at 11kW / 8hrs, 0-100% at 11kW
Charge time DC: 34 mins, 10-80% at 135kW / 28 mins, 10-80% at 205kW
Charge port location: Left rear
Power outputs: 268hp / 295hp / 416hp / 469hp

Plush materials, swoopy lines and the huge, crystal clear, portrait-oriented infotainment screen really do make the baby Polestar feel more luxurious than most of its alternatives. The Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 can’t hold a candle to it.

The build quality is top-notch too, with solid-feeling surfaces all around you - even lower down in the cabin. It’s not quite as spacious as the Tesla though, and while the front seats are highly adjustable and the rear bench is comfortable, the interior does feel a bit narrow; tall rear passengers will struggle for headroom too.

A 405-litre boot puts the Polestar behind the Model 3 and BMW i4 for luggage space, though it’s a usefully square shape and the 2 does have some storage space at the front for cables.

On the road the Polestar 2 is one of the most capable small EVs going, and regardless of motor and battery choice it’s a sporty car to drive. The single motor models are quick off the mark, but the dual motor cars are absolute rocketships when you flex your right foot.

Range varies from a claimed 344 miles in the entry-level Standard Range, Single Motor model to 409 miles in the Long Range, Single Motor car - making it one of the longest range electric cars you can buy these days. All Polestar 2s can be charged from 10-80% in under 30 minutes too, if you can find a suitable rapid charger.

For all of its performance, the Polestar 2 is a very pleasant car to drive around town. One-pedal driving is easy thanks to well-judged regenerative braking in every setting, while 360-degree cameras help when manoeuvring at low speeds, even if the rear window is tiny.

It’s too jiggly over broken roads though, thanks to its big wheels and stiff suspension, so the small Polestar clatters and thuds over potholes. It feels more comfortable on the motorway, even if there’s a noticeable degree of wind and road noise.

While it’s harsh around town, the benefit of the stiff suspension is that the Polestar handles twisty roads like a champ. It may not be as rapid between the bends as a Tesla Model 3 Performance, but with the settings dialed in it feels very agile and stable when carving through corners.

As a family car with a definite sporty edge, the Polestar 2 is an excellent option to consider, and you can check out the latest Polestar 2 deals here on Carwow. We’ve got Polestar 2 lease deals too, or you can browse used Polestar 2s available through our trusted network of dealers. Other used Polestars are available if the 2 isn’t quite big enough for your needs, and you can sell your current car through Carwow when the time comes.

Though it’s rather expensive on paper, the Polestar 2 is actually quite good value when compared to its posh alternatives from BMW, Hyundai and Tesla. Sure, the Model 3 is cheaper, but the Polestar is far posher inside, has higher build quality and is better to drive.

You’ll have to fork out a few more thousand pounds for a Long Range Single Motor version, and a few more again for the Long Range Dual Motor. If you want the Performance Pack then it’s a £5,000 option on top of the price of a dual motor car, a significant chunk more than the entry-level car, but less expensive than its closest alternative in the Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Being a more performance-oriented family car the Polestar 2 is excellent to drive, but it feels a bit too firm where it ought to be comfortable

In town

The Polestar 2 is very configurable with plenty of driver settings; the main ones you’ll end up fiddling with are the steering weight and brake regeneration. Putting the car in its lightest steering setting and most aggressive regenerative modes makes the Polestar 2 excellent on urban roads; for minimal effort one pedal driving with easy manoeuvrability from the steering.

You can also choose whether the car continues to creep forward or not when you’re at slower speeds depending on your preference. An 11.5m turning circle across all versions of the Polestar 2 means that you can make tighter turns in car parks or narrow streets than in most cars of this size.

The visibility out of the rear window is a little poor, so it’s a good thing Polestar includes 360-degree cameras as standard across the line-up to help with that. The frameless side mirrors also look excellent while providing a good view behind you.

The hit-or-miss point to the Polestar 2 is its comfort around town. Although it certainly isn’t uncomfortable, the suspension is on the firmer side and although shallower bumps are rounded off nicely, you may find sharp dips and potholes can send a loud shudder through the cabin which shows up more at slower speeds.

On the motorway

Out on the open road you’ll find the Polestar 2 to be a capable long-distance vehicle. You only get regular cruise control as standard, but the system is still easy to use. The optional Pilot Pack adds the adaptive function; well worth having if you travel long distances on a regular basis.

Getting up to speed in the Single Motor versions is easy, with the instant torque giving plenty of kick, but it’s the Dual-Motor versions that have real pin-you-in-your-seat levels of acceleration.

There’s some tyre roar from the 19-inch wheels as well as some wind flutter from the wing mirrors at cruising speeds, but it won’t drive you bonkers.

Changing the drive settings so the car will coast helps with motorway efficiency too, as although there aren’t different drive modes per se, disabling brake regeneration will make the most of your momentum and reduce battery usage.

On a twisty road

By altering the steering weight to ‘Performance’ and putting the regenerative braking in the middle setting, the electric-powered 2 weirdly feels like a combustion engined sports car.

With some slight regeneration in lieu of engine braking you’re able to lift off the accelerator, feel some resistance and then steer through the corner without unsettling the car. It’s quite surreal (and nerdy) but it really works.

With the weighty steering setup the Polestar feels agile, and you don’t feel like you’re leaning over in faster corners. The Polestar 2 is certainly one of the better EVs to drive, especially in the mental dual-motor Performance version, though it’s still not as fun as its petrol-powered alternatives such as the BMW 3 Series.

Tall people may find the rear seats a bit of a squeeze, but the Polestar 2 is otherwise very practical

There’s plenty of adjustment in the front seats and steering column to find a comfortable driving position, while – even with the panoramic sunroof in place – you have plenty of headroom. Having the sunroof also helps make the cabin feel brighter, especially with a dark interior choice.

You get two cupholders in the centre console – one’s hidden under the armrest – while you also get a wireless charging pad as standard under the large portrait touchscreen. The door bins are large enough for a bottle and other odds and sods, and as they’re felt lined things won’t rattle about. The glovebox is a decent size, and you can even fit a child seat to the front passenger seat thanks to standard-fit ISOFIX points in addition to the two in the back.

Space in the back seats

Compared to some other EVs, the Polestar 2’s rear bench isn’t the most spacious for adults. If you’ve got a tall individual sitting up front, rear legroom is severely limited; people over six feet tall will be squeezed for headroom too – especially with the optional sunroof bulking up the headliner.

The rear bench itself is comfortable though, with especially good thigh support. The door bins are of a good size here as well, while you get two sets of ISOFIX points on the outer seats. The covers snap off, so make sure you don’t lose them, but the doors open wide enough for easy fitting of bulky child seats.

Boot space

The Polestar 2 has a 405-litre boot which is pretty square, while you get some nets and hooks as well. You also get a 41-litre space under the bonnet to store the charge cables.

Compared to its alternatives, the Polestar 2 is a little down on rear space. The Tesla Model 3 offers 425 litres, while the BMW i4 has 470 litres. Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 has 401 litres, so is a touch down on the Polestar 2, but it’s barely noticeable. Where the BMW falls down is that it doesn’t offer a space under the bonnet for your cables, but both the Hyundai and Tesla do.

The rear seats fold down very easily and provide a usefully flat space with 1,054 litres up to the backs of the front seats. Weirdly though, if you want to through-load some skis for example, you need to open the hatch from the boot and not the rear seats.

The Google infotainment setup is simple to use, but the lack of physical buttons does make some things tricky to use when driving

The different materials and textures make for an interesting cabin. With the upgraded interior finish in a light shade of Nappa leather and ash wood it’s especially posh, but the quality of the finish is consistent on the other trim options – all of which come with a mostly black finish.

The simple Scandinavian styling is very easy on the eye, with the monolith-like portrait touchscreen being the literal centrepiece. It does have a rather thick bezel around the edge which looks a bit dated, but the system itself is a breeze to use.

Running a Google-based system, the 11.1-inch unit gets maps and a full app store as you would on an Android phone and in most cases, you won’t need to connect your smartphone because it’s so easy to use. The graphics can be a little dark, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available as standard-fit alternatives.

The quality of materials throughout is excellent, with all the major touch-points being of a high quality. You will find some scratchy plastics low down, but the surfaces themselves are few and far between.

There are limited accessory options to add to your 2. But you can choose to fit roof bars, rubber floor mats, a boot floor cover and an electronically deployable tow bar – with which you can tow up to 1,500kg on all versions.

The standard-fit ‘Plus pack’ means you get a Harmon Kardon sound system, fully electric seats, tinted glass, an uprated air quality system, a full-length panoramic roof and bag hooks on the adjustable boot floor.

You get four motor and battery options, with a combination of single- or dual-motors and two battery packs available from the 2023 update.

The line-up kicks off with the Standard Range version that has a 70kWh battery pack and rear-mounted motor that develops 271hp and 490Nm of torque. This combination allows for up to 344 miles on a full charge and can charge at up to 180kW – meaning a 10-80% top-up at full speed takes around 26 minutes.

For the rest of the range, you get a 82kWh battery which can charge at up to 205kW on a DC charge point. That means a 10-80% charge takes 28 minutes. All versions can only charge at up to 11kW on an AC current, with a full charge taking seven hours for the smaller battery and eight hours for the larger pack.

The Long Range model gets an uprated version of the rear motor with 299hp and 490Nm of torque. This offers the best range of 409 miles, and when we tested it (with some vigorous driving thrown in) we easily achieved over 300 miles on a full charge.

The Long Range Dual-Motor has 421hp, 740Nm and 367 miles of range, but it’s the Performance Pack for the Long Range Dual-Motor that really stands out. It ups the power output to 476hp with the same 740Nm of torque, but range is reduced slightly to 353 miles. With that though, you get the quickest 0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds.

You’ll pay £10 on your first year of Vehicle Excise Duty in a Polestar 2, increasing to £195 per year from the second year onwards, but company car drivers will be pleased to know you’ll be in the lowest Benefit in Kind tax band regardless of model.

The Polestar 2 was awarded a maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP in 2021. Across all areas of the testing, the 2 scored 80% and upwards, showing an excellent level of safety.

As standard, all versions come with collision avoidance and mitigation with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, driver alert assist and cruise control. You also get blind spot assist and cross traffic alert for further peace of mind.

You get all-round airbags, three sets of ISOFIX points and an immobiliser on all models of the 2.

The Polestar 2 has had three recalls in the UK. The tin plating on part of the battery pack could cause a short circuit and high voltage connectors to the battery could disconnect while driving to stall the motors. A front suspension joint could come loose too, but all of the issues should have been resolved by visiting a Volvo dealership.

Polestar is too niche a brand to have featured on the 2024 Driver Power reliability survey, but its sister brand Volvo came 16th out of 32 manufacturers on the list. Bang on in the middle there.

Each new Polestar 2 comes with three years or 30,000 miles worth of scheduled maintenance for free, whichever comes first, while all get three years/60,000 miles of warranty.

The battery packs get an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, and if the battery health drops below 70% in those first eight years, Polestar will replace it for free.