Polestar 2 Review

Practicality and Boot Space

One of the Polestar’s main selling points over the Tesla Model 3 is the more practical hatchback arrangement for the boot. There’s no doubt that this will be a real attraction for anyone who needs to carry awkward loads such as bikes which just wouldn’t fit into the back of a Model 3. 

But the total space available is actually less than the Tesla’s and it’s far smaller than your find in an SUV-shaped car. Volvo’s own XC40 has substantially more room with the seats down, for example. There is a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet which is suitable for storing cables, but annoyingly the charge socket is at the back of the car, so most owners are likely to store them in the boot where they’re closer to hand.

Passengers are reasonably well catered for, especially if there are only four of you. Five will be a bit more of a squeeze due to a ‘hump’ in the floor.

Tech

If you are going to take aim at Tesla you need to get the tech right. Hence the Polestar features an all-new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system. The main advantage of this is access to one of the world’s most sophisticated voice-recognition systems, meaning you can ask Google to help you with everything from jokes to setting the heating. As you might expect, it gets updates over the airwaves so it can have the latest apps and software.

The thought of an Android operating system might strike fear into the heart of Apple fans though – they’ll have to wait until next year to link to the system with CarPlay. But to be honest it works so well once the system is set up that you’re unlikely to bother using your phone’s apps. The car has a built in SIM and a three year subscription is included.

Like most cars these days (including the Tesla) the Polestar has a central tablet-like screen in the centre. In addition, it has another screen in front of the driver. Unlike the Model 3 though there are still a few old-fashioned buttons and knobs for crucial tasks like moving the mirrors.

Safety 

With the might of Volvo behind it, you’d expect the Polestar to be one of the safest cars on the road, but there hasn’t been any independent testing of the car yet so we’ll have to take their word for it. 

The weight of the car would certainly suggest it’s been solidly made. It weighs a massive 200kg more than a Model 3 and 760kg more than a BMW i3. That’s like a whole small car more heavy. Polestar says that is pretty much all because of the extra crash protection built into the structure. There’s a full suite of accident prevention tech too including lane departure warning, emergency braking radar and all-around cameras.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that the Polestar is lower than the SUV-based cars, which would suggest it will be more stable in corners and avoidance manoeuvres.