In 1996, Volvo's long-time partner Polestar Racing established the Polestar brand. For the longest time, Polestar put together Volvo's race cars throughout various touring car championships in the 90s and 2000s. Seeing the potential, Volvo decided to turn Polestar into their own in-house tuning brand. While it was similar to AMG and BMW M, due to their structure, Polestar was a closer approximation to something like Alpina, which BMW recently acquired entirely.
In 2015, Volvo bought out Polestar entirely, absorbing them under their umbrella. A little while later, Volvo spun off Polestar into its own separate brand. While the racing division continues to exist as Cyan Racing, Polestar is now a separate manufacturer of electric automobiles, and a direct competitor to Tesla. Their current sedan, the Polestar 2, is definitely one you should have a look at.
2023 Polestar 2
- Up to 408 hp
- Single and dual motor versions
- Up to 270 miles of range
- Model: 2
- Engine/Motor: Single / dual electric motor, 75 kWh battery pack
- Horsepower: 231-408 hp
- Torque: 243-487 lb/ft
- Drivetrain: FWD / AWD
- Transmission: Single speed direct-drive
- Range: 260-270 miles (EPA)
- Captivating design
- Excellent technology
- Pretty practical
- Below par estimated range
- Adaptive cruise control not standard
- Single motor version isn't very fast
2023 Polestar 2 Overview
The Polestar 2 is a compact electric sedan, which Polestar first introduced in late 2019 for the 2020 model year. Even though it is a Polestar vehicle, the 2 features a lot of Volvo in just about every aspect. For starters, it uses a version of Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture, which Volvo's own C40 and XC40 also use. This is what gives the 2 its own distinctive tall ride height. The design language is very similar, with the Thor's hammer headlights, the rear light bar, and the general focus on minimalism. Polestar is even headquartered in Sweden, whereas manufacturing takes place in China.
For 2023, there are some small updates to the entire Polestar 2 lineup. There are some new alloy wheel choices available, and the dual-motor versions now get 11 additional miles of estimated range. New for 2023 is the ultra-limited BST Edition 270, a prototype version of which we saw at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed. That car features 21" wheels, fully adjustable Ohlins dampers, a lower ride height, and 15 extra lb-ft of torque. The Polestar 2 is available in either single or dual motor configurations, a single trim level with three different option packages, and only the larger "Long range" battery pack. Its arch rival is the Tesla Model 3, but it's about to face competition from some newbies, like the Hyundai Ioniq 6, which almost cracked 400 miles on a single charge, the Mercedes EQE, and the BMW i4.
2023 Polestar 2 Powertrains And Drivetrains
Polestar keeps it simple when it comes to the powertrain lineup on the Polestar 2. For 2023, the long range battery is now standard. The single motor version places the electric motor on the front axle, and it puts out 231 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. It will get the job done, as for the most part, it's not too dissimilar to a normal car, with a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. If you want a little more oomph, you have to step up to the dual-motor version. That places an additional electric motor on the rear axle, which gives you AWD, but also increases power to 408 hp and a pretty substantial 487 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 for the dual-motor is around 4 seconds. While it's not lightning-quick, it certainly has more than enough power for most people's needs. The BST Edition 270 uses the dual-motor version as a starting point, but it adds 15 lb-ft of torque for a total of 502 lb-ft.
Polestar also offers a Performance Package with the 2, which gives you 20" alloy wheels, better brakes, lower suspension with adjustable Ohlins dampers, and better tires. If you want to have some fun behind the wheel, it's a worthy package. The battery pack comes in at 75 kWh, and the 2 can charge at up to 150 kW. A compatible charger can juice the battery to 80% in around 40 minutes, according to Polestar. The single-motor version has an estimated range of 270 miles, or 109 MPGe, whereas the dual-motor version has an estimated range of 260 miles, or 89 MPGe.
2023 Polestar 2 Comfort And Quality
On the inside, the Polestar 2 prioritizes minimalism over just about anything else. That's the way Volvo rolls at the moment as well, but Polestar have taken their own unique approach to the idea. There is no starter button, for example, the car recognizes that you're in the driver's seat and fires itself up on its own accord. There's a screen for the instrument cluster, and a portrait-style infotainment screen running the latest version of Android Automotive. This means full access to the Google Play Store, Google Maps navigation, and a variety of apps, but for the Apple users, Polestar recently added Apple CarPlay in an OTA update. Speaking of, this infotainment system supports those as well.
Polestar offers three different option packages on the 2. The Performance Pack adds all the drivetrain/handling enhancements, but the other two are all about comfort and safety features. The Plus pack adds a Harman Kardon Premium sound system, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, air quality control, WeaveTech seat fabric and a wireless charger for your phone. The Pilot pack, meanwhile, adds Polestar's PilotAssist suite of ADAS systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, park assist, a 360-degree camera system, and full level 2 semi-autonomous driving. Disappointingly, adaptive cruise isn't standard. The Polestar 2 seats five passengers, and its trunk boasts 14 cubic feet of capacity, with an extra cubic foot of space in the frunk.
2023 Polestar 2 Pricing And Launch
The 2023 Polestar 2 is available to order as of October 2022. Prices start at $49,800 for the FWD single motor version. The dual-motor version adds $3,500 to the price, for a total of $53,300. Polestar gives you a range of six colors to choose from, and the Pilot, Plus, and Performance packs go for $3,400, $4,200, and $5,500 respectively. It can get pretty expensive, but for an all-round EV sedan package, the Polestar 2 definitely has lots going for it.