Polestar 2 2024 Review

Prices are up between $3000-$4000 across the four-tiered 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2 range, which opens at $67,400 plus on-road costs for the entry-level Standard Range Single Motor variant.

From there, the Long Range Single Motor starts at $71,400, the Long Range Dual Motor is priced from $76,400 and Long Range Dual Motor with Performance Pack is asking $85,400 (all plus ORCs).

All models bar the entry-level car are available for order now – production of the Standard Range Single Motor for Australia starts in October – and while Polestar says it has locked in “adequate supply” of MY24 vehicles, it’s still predicting wait times of around 6-8 weeks (at the time of writing) for those who sign up today.

Here, we’re testing the Long Range Single Motor, which is tipped to be the most popular variant, thanks to added equipment and a driving range of up to 654km – up by more than 100km.

It’s also worth mentioning that our test car was fitted with a load of options (more on those in a moment) including the Nappa, Pilot and Plus Packs, bringing its as-tested price up to a whopping $86,900 plus ORCs – but still (just) under the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles ($89,332).

For those hoping to snavel up a run-out deal on an MY23 model, Polestar says its fixed-price policy means it won’t be offering any special discounts for the cars it has left.

It was already well-equipped, but the Swedish car-maker has piled even more gear into the upgraded 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2.

Every variant will now come with more standard equipment, including a wireless phone charger, 360-degree camera, park assist, blind spot monitoring (with steer assist), rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and mitigation, and auto-dimming exterior mirrors.

Meanwhile, the Long Range Single Motor tested here runs on 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels (wrapped in Michelin rubber), and comes with LED headlights, rear tinted windows, vegan WeaveTech upholstery, dual-zone climate control and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Not much has changed from the outside, other than fresh wheel designs and a new enclosed body-coloured nose dubbed the ‘SmartZone’ front fascia.

There’s also a host of options, including a lovely vegan Nappa leather pack with front seat ventilation ($6000), larger 20-inch V-Spoke alloy wheels ($1400) and semi-electric tow bar with a maximum 1500kg braked towing capacity ($2850).

An optional Pilot Pack ($3500) adds Pixel LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, Pilot Assist, LED front fog lights with cornering function, and emergency stop assist (which is designed to safely pull over the vehicle if the driver is unresponsive).

Meanwhile, a $6000 Plus Pack adds a premium 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, panoramic roof, hands-free tailgate, ambient interior lighting, electric-adjust front seats, heated steering wheel, heating for the rear outboard seats, air quality sensor and Polestar Digital Key.

A five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty covers the vehicle and includes roadside assist during the same period, while the battery pack is covered for eight years/160,000km.

The 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2 carries over a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating achieved in 2021.

It’s also filled with loads of safety equipment, although you need to pay extra for some driver assistance aids as mentioned above. These include adaptive cruise control, which is only available in the Pilot Pack.

Even so, standard features include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection detection, lane keep assist with departure warning, road sign recognition, run-off road mitigation, driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring and eight airbags.

As with the exterior, the 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2’s tech offering goes largely unchanged.

An 11.2-inch portrait-style infotainment unit takes up prime real estate on the dash, with an Android Auto operating system that brings Google Maps, Google Assistant, Spotify and smartphone mirroring (both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).

You still get over-the-air (OTA) software updates, as well as Bluetooth and internet connectivity, FM and digital DAB radio.

It’s easy to find your way around the centre display, which is home to driver assist preferences, three one-pedal driving settings, steering feel adjustment and more.

The LCD instrument cluster brings crystal-clear graphics and a large display but is a little more fiddly to work through. That’s mostly because the buttons on the steering wheel are a bit vague, however more time in the car should make it easier.

This is where the 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2’s story gets a lot more exciting.

Underneath, the Swedish car-maker has made significant upgrades that put it more in line with its fiercest rival, the Tesla Model 3.

New electric motors provide more power than before, but crucially, now come mounted to the rear axle rather than the front. Turning a front-wheel drive into a rear-wheel drive isn’t something usually done during a mid-life update, so it’s a big deal.

Not only does it improve efficiency, but it also promises to deliver a more fun, agile driving experience.

Power is up across the range and the entry-level version that previously offered 170kW/330Nm now produces a vastly improved 200kW/490Nm in rear-drive MY24 format.

The Long Range Single Motor we have here adds another 20kW of power, while the Long Range Dual Motor bring outputs of 310kW/740Nm, or 350kW/740Nm with the Performance Pack.

Along with new electric motors that provide more power, Long Range variants also nab a larger 82kWh lithium-ion battery pack with revised chemistry that has improved driving range. More on that in a moment.

These changes have also improved acceleration times, with the Long Range Single Motor tested here good for a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds, down from 7.4 seconds (claimed).

As mentioned, the claimed driving range has improved across the entire 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2 line-up.

When the Standard Range Single Motor goes on sale later this year with a 69kWh battery pack, it’ll offer an extra 54km of range than before (now 518km), while the Long Range Single Motor tested here brings up to 654km of claimed WLTP driving range, the most of all grades.

Heavier Long Range Dual Motor versions are claimed to deliver 591km (or 568km with Performance Pack).

But those figures are quite ambitious, according to the Swedish brand, which says you should expect a real-world range of more like 550km for the Long Range Single Motor, not the quoted 654km.

That’s a figure reflected by the on-board range assistant, where our tester displayed a predicted driving range of 520km with the battery at 98 per cent.

If it’s any consolation, the revised chemistry means all versions are now quicker to charge.

The base-spec can now handle DC fast-charging up to 135kW (up from 130kW), while Long Range variants can do 205kW, which will take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in just under 30 minutes.

On paper, it’s more efficient, said to use up to 15.8kWh per 100km on a combined cycle, compared to its predecessor’s 17.9kWh/100km.

During our short time with the Long Range Single Motor on launch, we didn’t see our average energy consumption any lower than 17.0kWh/100km, but that’s more a reflection of the high-speed, athletic cross-country driving we did. It should be much more efficient around town.

Nowhere else are the 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2’s upgrades more significant than from the driver’s seat.

Beyond the aforementioned changes – fresh battery chemistry, new e-motors and the switch from front- to rear-wheel drive – the Chinese-built 2 now brings revised suspension, after feedback its predecessor’s ride was too firm.

Polestar won’t detail the extent of the suspension tweaks beyond saying the new 2 uses the same hardware, but brings “retuned” settings.

And first impressions behind the wheel of our Long Range Single Motor test car are positive.

It feels really well-damped, gliding over potholes and road imperfections almost imperceptibly at times. Even a particularly sharp, roughly surfaced dip in the road was met with surprising poise rather than the jarring hit expected.

The ride is still on the firmer side, but it’s more comfortable and cushioning.

Get on with some more athletic driving, and the weight of the Polestar 2 feels ever-present. It does well in shifting its almost-two-tonne mass through some of the tight and twisty roads we encountered, but you still get a bit of body roll and it doesn’t feel quite as nimble as the Tesla Model 3.

We reckon this mid-range version of the Polestar 2 will be the sweet spot for many. Acceleration is brisk off the line, and while it’s nothing compared to the aggressive throttle in the Dual Motor Performance Pack, which offers truly sickening levels of performance, it should be enough to satisfy most.

Although it’s said to deliver one-pedal driving, the regen in its most potent setting isn’t as forceful as we’ve experienced in other EVs, forcing you to use the brake pedal if you want to come to a halt quickly.

Turning circle is unchanged at 11.5 metres, while three ‘Steering Feel’ settings – Light, Standard and Firm – offer plenty of choice.

Frontward vision is great, but the rear-end is hindered by a tiny rear window, and large C-pillars make it difficult to see what’s happening out each rear corner. That said, driver aids are there to help in that department.

Meanwhile, tyre noise inside the cabin doesn’t appear to have changed and even the impressively crisp Harman Kardon sound system struggles to drown out the tyre roar. We can’t help but think the 2 could do with some improvements to NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels.

There isn’t much to talk about inside the cabin of the 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2 because it’s practically the same.

Nothing has changed within the cabin, and even boot space remains untouched (despite the move to rear-wheel drive) at a claimed 405 litres.

It’s not the most spacious EV, owning to its CMA underpinnings borrowed from Volvo. The fact it’s based on a combustion-engined vehicle means it feels cramped.

As we’ve experienced before, the centre console takes up loads of space between the front passengers and makes for a cramped driving experience for larger adults behind the wheel.

General storage isn’t fantastic either, although you do get generous door pocket storage for four people and a decent-sized glove box.

But the cabin feels classy and upmarket. It’s minimalist and feels high-quality, bar a few plasticky-feeling finishes on the centre console.

If money is no issue, we’d be ticking the $6000 Nappa leather option every day of the week. It’s so supple and soft, although the light grey/off-white colour combo looks high-maintenance to keep them looking schmick.

The 2023 (MY24) Polestar 2 might be pricier than before, but it’s also a lot better than the model it replaces, which makes it a lot easier to justify the price hike.

Despite now being at least $10K more expensive than the Tesla Model 3 – and on first impression, still not quite as nimble – the Polestar 2 still presents great value for those not willing (or not wanting) to jump on the Tesla bandwagon.

If you’re after a stylish, tech-laden EV that’s enjoyable to drive, the MY24 Polestar 2 is definitely worth taking for a test-drive.

2023 (MY24) Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor at a glance:
Price: $71,400 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 220kW/490Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 82kWh lithium-ion
Range: 654km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 14.9-15.8kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)