Polestar 2 to aim directly at Tesla Model 3

Polestar’s first all-electric model, the mid-size Polestar 2 fastback, will directly target Australia’s top-selling EV, the Tesla Model 3, when first deliveries commence in February 2022.

However, Volvo’s pure-electric sister brand will launch the Polestar 2 in Australia well before then, with local pricing and specifications to be announced in October, ahead of the brand’s official launch in November.

carsales understands the Australian model range will closely resemble the Polestar 2 line-up in the UK, where three variants are now available priced from £39,900 ($A74,589).

Following the addition of entry-level front-wheel drive variants in April, the UK’s Polestar 2 range comprises the Standard-Range Single-Motor (165kW/330Nm), Long-Range Single-Motor (170kW/330Nm) and Long-Range Dual-Motor all-wheel drive (300kW/660Nm).

Standard-range variants come with battery capacity of 64kWh and a driving range of at least 420km (WLTP), while long-range variants lift battery capacity to 78kWh and range to 450km for the dual-motor and 515km for the single-motor.

Further afield, Polestar is expected to offer a production version of the higher-output 350kW Polestar 2 dual-motor AWD prototype that debuted at Goodwood recently.

And the Polestar 2 fastback will be followed by the closely related Polestar 3 mid-size SUV in early 2023, as well as the Audi e-tron GT-rivalling grand touring flagship previewed by the Precept concept .

In markets like the UK, the Polestar 2 is priced to match the Tesla Model 3, but it remains to be seen whether that occurs in Australia, where local Model 3 entry pricing was slashed to $59,900 plus on-road costs earlier this month.

The sub-$60K base price applies to Model 3s produced in China from June and due to arrive in Australia over coming months – just in time for local buyers to take advantage of the $3000 subsidy (and free stamp duty) now available to buyers of EVs priced under $68,750 in Victoria and NSW.

In any case, we expect at least one Polestar 2 variant will be priced below that threshold – almost certainly the Standard-Range Single-Motor model – and the Long-Range Single-Motor model to be the volume-selling Polestar 2 variant in Australia.

The premium electric performance fastback, as Polestar calls it, is priced at £42,900 ($A80,250) in the UK, while top-shelf Polestar 2 Long-Range Dual-Motor AWD costs £45,900 ($A85,860) in the UK.

While all Tesla Model 3s are rear-drive or all-wheel drive and now sourced from Shanghai for Australia, the front/all-wheel drive Polestar 2 is produced exclusively in Luqiao, China, for export to markets across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.

Standard equipment for all Polestar 2 variants includes an infotainment system powered by Google’s Android Automotive OS with integrated Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play Store.

Exterior and interior design is almost identical across the Polestar 2 range and includes an 11.0-inch centre touch-screen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, Polestar’s signature frameless mirrors, 3D-etched decor panels and eight-speaker audio.

Range-wide standard safety features extend to eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping with road edge detection, reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors. It also carries a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Via the new Polestar app, owners can access the standard Polestar Digital Key and Over-the-Air software updates, and all three variants are available with three optional packages – Pilot, Plus and Performance.

The Pilot Pack adds Pixel LED headlights with LED front fog lights, adaptive cruise control, Pilot Assist 360-degree surround view camera, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with steering support, cross traffic alert with brake support, and rear collision warning.

The Plus Pack adds heating for the front and rear seats, steering wheel and even the windscreen wipers, a full-length panoramic glass roof, premium 13-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, WeaveTech ‘vegan’ interior trim, Black Ash deco panels, fully-electric front seats with memory and a new heat pump-based climate-control system.

Available only for the Long-Range Dual-Motor flagship, the Performance Pack adds manually adjustable Öhlins Dual Flow Valve dampers, four-piston Brembo brakes, forged alloy wheels and signature Polestar gold detailing inside and out.

The only individual options available in the UK are metallic paint, 20-inch alloy wheels, a semi-electric folding tow bar and, in conjunction with the Plus Pack, ventilated Nappa leather upholstery.

Established by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding Group in 2017 and confirmed for Australia in March, the Swedish premium electric performance car brand already sells the Polestar 2 exclusively online in China, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, US and Canada.

The same will apply in Australia, where there will be no traditional dealerships and customers will instead specify and purchase their Polestar vehicle completely online, after inspecting and test driving it at a CBD Polestar ‘Space’ or a suburban Polestar ‘Destination’ in Sydney, Melbourne and probably Brisbane from November.

Polestar says it will establish at least 40 Polestar Spaces in large retail centres within each of the initial 10 markets by September, followed by an additional 60 test drive locations including Destinations across a total of 18 markets by the end of 2021.

Not content with about 100 ‘retail environments’ globally by the end of 2021 – including some temporary pop-up locations – Polestar’s global CEO Thomas Ingenlath says the fledgling EV brand would expand at a similar rate next year.

“As a brand that has only been fully operational for just over 12 months, this sort of footprint is unprecedented,” said Ingenlath today. “We aim to expand at a similar rate in terms of new markets in 2022 as well.”

In addition, Polestar’s global sales chief Mike Whittington said the number of Polestar service locations (including Volvo workshops) will grow from 650 to more than 780 by the end of 2021.

“We focus on ensuring that customers can interact with the brand and our cars on their terms. A refined online buying environment is backed up by physical locations to help drive awareness and sales,” he said.

“Our new Destination concept gives customers even more access to the brand, and fits some of our newer markets particularly well.”