Polestar 2 – What you need to know

Polestar is a new premium electric vehicle brand to hit Australia, but it’s a brand with familiar roots.

A sister company of Volvo and daughter to Geely, Polestar so far offers just one car in Australia – the Chinese-made, mid-size Polestar 2 fastback, which has officially gone on sale online in three trim levels: a standard-range single-motor variant for $59,900, a long-range single-motor variant at $64,900 and a long-range dual-motor variant for $69,900 (all plus on-road costs).

Polestar 2 prices include five years of free servicing, and the single-motor variants are eligible for $3000 EV rebates in NSW and Victoria, plus separate stamp duty, registration and ownership savings.

The entry-level standard-range single-motor Polestar 2 has the following standard features:

Metallic paint and ventilated nappa leather seats are available at extra charge for the Polestar 2, along with three option packs.

The $5000 Pilot Pack includes pixel-LED headlights with automatic high beam, active bending and a cornering function that also features in the LED fog lights.

Adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree surround-view camera, blind spot monitoring with steering support, rear cross traffic alert with brake support, and rear collision warning with mitigation are included too.

Additionally, you get traffic alert with brake support, pilot assist for acceleration, braking and steering up to 130 km/h, emergency stop assist and exterior mirrors that dim automatically.

The Plus Pack costs $6000, adding seat heating in both rows, as well as heating for the steering wheel and windscreen wipers. There’s a full-length glass roof, premium 13-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, WeaveTech ‘vegan’ interior trim, black ash trimmings and electric front seats with cushion extensions and driver seat position memory.

Other items included in the Plus pack are a heat pump-based climate-control system, high-level (ambient) illumination, an inductive phone charger, a tinted rear window and a ‘lid in lid’ cargo floor.

Exclusive to the long-range dual-motor variant is the $8000 Performance Pack, which comprises manually adjustable Ohlins Dual Flow Valve dampers, four-piston Brembo brakes with gold callipers, 20-inch alloy wheels with gold valve caps (also a standalone option) and gold detailing.

Eight airbags, stability and traction controls, driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control with speed limiter, a reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors are all standard in the Polestar 2.

Showing you the way and letting other road users know they’re sharing the road with you are adaptive LED headlights, LED tail-lights and LED daytime running lights.

Range-wide driver assist features are hill start assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping, road edge and road sign detection, forward collision warning, oncoming lane mitigation, and multi-collision and post-impact braking.

Is adaptive cruise control on your wish list? Or a 360-degree surround view camera? To get these safety features, and others (as outlined in the previous section) prepare to fork out $5000 for the Pilot Pack.

Standard on all Polestar 2 models is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a central 11.15-inch touch-screen for the infotainment system.

The latter is operated by Google’s Android Automotive OS and features Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play Store. There’s also Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, along with Bluetooth and AM/FM/DAB+ radio.

Eight speakers provide the audio and four USB connectors keep your smartphones going.

Software updates for the system are provided over the air, like a laptop or smartphone.

As you’d expect from a new premium brand breaking into a competitive market, the Polestar 2 comes well decked-out with creature comforts to lure buyers.

Standard kit includes powered and heated front seats with driver seat memory and power-adjustable lumbar support for both front pews.

Keyless entry is handy and all Polestar 2 variants have it, along with a hands-free, soft-close powered tailgate. And for those wintry days, the powered exterior mirrors are also heated so you can see clearly.

For comfort there is dual-zone climate control across the board and the system offers pre-ventilation and pre-conditioning so you can set the Polestar 2’s air to be at the right temperature when you jump into the ambient-lit interior.

Are cup holders a useful everyday feature? Relax, as all Polestar 2 models have four, two in each row.

Replacing the engine up front is a storage compartment to supplement the main rear cargo area, which has its own 12-volt outlet.

Like some other EVs the Polestar 2 has a one pedal drive that’s adjustable with inbuilt regenerative braking. And if you like using a bit of muscle when turning, the steering force is also adjustable.

Distinguishing the Polestar 2 variants are different battery and electric motor combos.

A 400-volt lithium-ion battery supplies power to the AC synchronous, permanent magnet Valeo-Siemens motor.

The entry-level standard-range single-motor powertrain produces 170kW/330Nm driving the front wheels for a range up to 470km.

Also driving the front wheels is the long-range, single-motor variant that makes the same power as the entry model but with a boosted range to 540km.

The flagship model has two motors, producing 300kW/660Nm combined, and all-wheel drive, with a range up to 480km.

All variants come with a single-speed automatic transmission.

The Polestar 2 can take as little as 35 minutes for a 10-80 per cent top-up using a 150kW charger. If a 50kW charger is employed it takes around an hour. Using an 11kW home charger takes about eight hours.

It’s very tempting to opt for the entry-level Standard-Range Single-Motor Polestar 2, coming in just below $60,000 as it does.

But realistically, it’s more tempting still to look with lusting eyes and salivating tongue hanging out at dual-motor version, for just $10,000 more.

And even spending $8000 beyond that for the Performance pack is almost justifiable, if you want some dynamic gubbins to go with the 300kW performance.

It would help to have the $77,900 and the on-road costs first though.

How much does the Polestar 2 cost?
Standard-Range Single-Motor – $59,900
Long-Range Single-Motor – $64,900
Long-Range Dual-Motor – $69,90
*Prices exclude on-road costs