Polestar 2 revealed; to shake up status quo

This is the new Polestar 2. An all-electric, compact executive sized mainstream model from the Swedish performance off-shoot from Volvo. Polestar wants the 2 not only to rival the incoming Tesla Model 3, but also to disrupt the current compact executive class status quo. With a projected starting price at under GBP 40,000 and an estimated range of over 480km, the Polestar 2 has the numbers to back-up these lofty ambitions.

The numbers

The Polestar 2 is powered by two electric motors fed from a 76kWh lithuim-ion battery pack that helps achieve the projected 498km range figure. Power stands at 402bhp, with a chunky 619Nm of torque available right from the off, as per most electric motors. Polestar quotes a 0-100kmph time of under 5sec. With such a large battery pack and tall-ish ride height, we suspect the as yet unconfirmed weight figure to be a hefty number.

The Polestar 2 sits on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture

This one that also underpins the Volvo XC40 SUV and will soon spread to more Polestar and Volvo models that sit below those based on the larger SPA platform – like the Volvo S90 and V90. With Polestar’s positioning as the electric and performance brand within Volvo owner Geely’s stable, we hope that a sense of fun has been engineered into the Polestar 2 package. Even if the car’s slightly odd semi-lifted ride height suggests this might not be the case.

For those wanting the best in handling from their Polestar 2 the company will offer a set of chassis upgrades too. The Performance Pack that Polestar says improves driving dynamics consists of Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes and unique 20-inch forged alloy wheels. Polestar’s signature gold seat belts, brake calipers and valve caps complete the performance visual upgrade.

Design and tech

This new Polestar 2 is also about design, user interface and technology, as much as it is about its electric performance and capability though, and on these fronts the manufacturer has not held back. We’ll let you assess whether the lifted ‘fastback’ profile works, but the crisp detailing, clever surfacing and use of simple graphics make the Tesla Model 3 look blobby and traditional compact executives like the BMW 3 Series seem distinctly old-fashioned.

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The interior has also been totally reimagined, with a sleek understated cabin dominated by a new 11-inch next-generation infotainment screen that now sits proud of the main dash. The design is not quite as minimalist as that inside the Model 3, but thanks to Volvo’s habitual innovation in ergonomic design, the Polestar is likely to be a step up in terms of quality and ease of use. The infotainment system is also the first to be developed by Google’s smartphone juggernaut Android, Polestar aiming to lean on its expertise in terms of interface design.

Polestar will globally launch with the First Edition model in these images, priced at Euro 59,900, a generous Euro 20k more than the entry-level Polestar 2 variants. Whether the headline-grabbing GBP 40k entry-level models will have the same battery and performance figures is still as yet unconfirmed.