# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality, handsomely styled and easy to drive

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality, handsomely styled and easy to drive

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality, handsomely styled and easy to drive

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality, handsomely styled and easy to drive

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content.description[]
One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content[]
"description":"One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality

# data.attributes.field_cars_chosen_derivative_v2.model_name
Polestar 2 Fastback Special Edition (2020)

# data.attributes.field_cars_chosen_derivative_v2.derivative_name
300kW Pilot Plus 78kWh Dual motor 5dr 4WD Auto

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.value
The 2’s simplicity is a joy. There aren’t any powertrain modes. You can put the traction control in a halfway house ‘Sport’ mode, and toggle steering weight, but that’s about it. There isn’t even a starter button. Just climb in (the keyless entry is flawless, though the key itself is a naff shard of lightweight plastic), prod the brake and the car’s awake and ready to set off immediately. At journey’s end, select Park and exit the car as it puts itself to sleep. After you’ve driven a 2, everything else will seem utterly Victorian.

Can it go round corners?

The Polestar 2 has easygoing, accurate but synthetic-feeling steering, and it deals with corners in a typically ‘modern EV’ sort of way. That is to say steady and predictable, but never quite engaging. The BMW i5 is still in a league of one in that respect.

There’s a big reserve of grip in either four- or rear-wheel drive versions, and though you sense there’s a lot of weight being asked to change direction, you don’t get seasick from body roll. Because there’s barely any. The 2 tracks flat and steady all the way through a corner.

So it handles like a properly developed car, not a straight-line dragster. Better than a Model S? Certainly. Better than a Model 3? Different – the Tesla has been set up as more of a motorway cruiser, so it edges the Polestar there. But the 2 is a better all-rounder. Given that it’s actually based on a Volvo XC40, it’s a very creditable effort.

Numbers. I need numbers!

Coming right at you. The Standard Range Single Motor produces 268bhp and 361lb ft, hitting 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds. You don’t need us to tell you that that’s plenty quick enough.

Then there’s the Long Range Single Motor, which ups power to 295bhp and shaves three tenths off the headline sprint. What about the Dual Motor? Now we’re talking: 416bhp, 546lb ft and 0-60mph in 4.3s. The top speed of every 2 is 127mph – curiously more than Volvo’s 112mph limit.

Oh yeah, and finally there’s the Performance Pack. A £5,000 uplift over the Long Range Dual Motor, it boosts power to 469bhp for 0-60mph in 4.0s, and feels every bit as quick as you’d expect.

So it’s a YouTube sensation after all?

It hasn’t quite got the kick the Teslarati thrive on – the roll-on performance is ever so slightly less aggressive – but that makes the 2 easy to drive smoothly, both in town and when you spot an overtaking gap.

The brakes are adequate, given they’ve got such a pudding to rein in, but the pedal feel isn’t the best – it’s a bit dead underfoot. Happily, the regen effect is so well judged in its ‘Normal’ setting that the 2 becomes a one-pedal car. You can turn down the regen effect (or delete it completely) via a vivid touchscreen menu.

You haven’t mentioned range…

We were coming to that. You have a choice of a 69kWh battery in the Standard Range Single Motor that’s good for 339 miles of range between charges, or the Long Range’s 82kWh unit that promises 406 miles in Single Motor guise. The LRDM (can you tell we’re getting fed up with writing it out again and again?) and Performance Pack models only offer 368 and 352 miles apiece on account of being AWD and more powerful. But those numbers are still more than adequate.

Of course, those are the lab figures. In the real world you will get… less. Our most recent go in the LRSM suggested 330 miles of range from full, but 150 miles of cold motorway running later and the trip computer was less optimistic. Still, efficiency of 3.6mi/kWh still amounts to almost 300 miles in sub-optimal conditions, which is very good if not quite groundbreaking.

It was a similar story in the LRDM Performance Pack, with the trip computer suggesting 300 miles compared to the 250 and 3.1mi/kWh we were actually tracking for. Not too bad when you factor in the cold.

Anything you're not so keen on?

The trade-off for the handling is the firm ride – something Polestar claims to have addressed with the 2023 update but which still verges on the harsh. The standard suspension is supple, but still a little too firm for our liking. While this means there’s little roll over uglier lumps and dips, the general agitation and jitter is annoying around town. Still, the smaller 19-inch wheels help, and the standard brakes are fine too.

A bizarre design decision on the Performance Pack is the 22-way manually adjustable household name dampers: seriously, how many Polestar owners are truly going to spend their Sundays armed with Allen keys, adjusting each turret to find a sweet spot? No, us neither.

And that’s really the overall story: the Performance Pack doesn't really take advantage of its posh dampers or brakes or 20-inch wheels, which do the ride no favours. So they're not missed on the standard car. Just get the cheaper one and spend any saved cash on interior options. Or a holiday.

How's the refinement?

There’s no discernible motor whine at speed, only a little wind flutter around the door mirrors. They’re worth a mention – the mirror is ‘frameless’, because the whole mirror housing moves to adjust the view, instead of just the pane. Another simple slice of clever thinking, and one we prefer to look-at-me door cameras. It’s a good thing the mirrors are useful, given rear visibility is hemmed in by the thick pillars and cramped back window. Inheriting surround-view cameras from Volvo helps when it’s time to park.

Is there a performance flagship?

You're talking about the BST edition 270, aren’t you? A rare groove choice, that. It began life as an ‘Experimental’ Polestar 2 one-off that made silent-but-quick runs at the Goodwood Festival in 2021. And guess what? The boss (and enough Polestar fans) liked it, so it went into limited production. Very limited, in fact. Only 270 of these will ever exist, of which 40 came to the UK. And they’re all sold.

What was it all about? Even geekier suspension, in a nutshell. And a £1k optional stripe. We've got a standalone review for the BST and you can read it by clicking this timely hyperlink.

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.processed
The 2’s simplicity is a joy. There aren’t any powertrain modes. You can put the traction control in a halfway house ‘Sport’ mode, and toggle steering weight, but that’s about it. There isn’t even a starter button. Just climb in (the keyless entry is flawless, though the key itself is a naff shard of lightweight plastic), prod the brake and the car’s awake and ready to set off immediately. At journey’s end, select Park and exit the car as it puts itself to sleep. After you’ve driven a 2, everything else will seem utterly Victorian.

Can it go round corners?

The Polestar 2 has easygoing, accurate but synthetic-feeling steering, and it deals with corners in a typically ‘modern EV’ sort of way. That is to say steady and predictable, but never quite engaging. The BMW i5 is still in a league of one in that respect.

There’s a big reserve of grip in either four- or rear-wheel drive versions, and though you sense there’s a lot of weight being asked to change direction, you don’t get seasick from body roll. Because there’s barely any. The 2 tracks flat and steady all the way through a corner.

So it handles like a properly developed car, not a straight-line dragster. Better than a Model S? Certainly. Better than a Model 3? Different – the Tesla has been set up as more of a motorway cruiser, so it edges the Polestar there. But the 2 is a better all-rounder. Given that it’s actually based on a Volvo XC40, it’s a very creditable effort.

Numbers. I need numbers!

Coming right at you. The Standard Range Single Motor produces 268bhp and 361lb ft, hitting 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds. You don’t need us to tell you that that’s plenty quick enough.

Then there’s the Long Range Single Motor, which ups power to 295bhp and shaves three tenths off the headline sprint. What about the Dual Motor? Now we’re talking: 416bhp, 546lb ft and 0-60mph in 4.3s. The top speed of every 2 is 127mph – curiously more than Volvo’s 112mph limit.

Oh yeah, and finally there’s the Performance Pack. A £5,000 uplift over the Long Range Dual Motor, it boosts power to 469bhp for 0-60mph in 4.0s, and feels every bit as quick as you’d expect.

So it’s a YouTube sensation after all?

It hasn’t quite got the kick the Teslarati thrive on – the roll-on performance is ever so slightly less aggressive – but that makes the 2 easy to drive smoothly, both in town and when you spot an overtaking gap.

The brakes are adequate, given they’ve got such a pudding to rein in, but the pedal feel isn’t the best – it’s a bit dead underfoot. Happily, the regen effect is so well judged in its ‘Normal’ setting that the 2 becomes a one-pedal car. You can turn down the regen effect (or delete it completely) via a vivid touchscreen menu.

You haven’t mentioned range…

We were coming to that. You have a choice of a 69kWh battery in the Standard Range Single Motor that’s good for 339 miles of range between charges, or the Long Range’s 82kWh unit that promises 406 miles in Single Motor guise. The LRDM (can you tell we’re getting fed up with writing it out again and again?) and Performance Pack models only offer 368 and 352 miles apiece on account of being AWD and more powerful. But those numbers are still more than adequate.

Of course, those are the lab figures. In the real world you will get… less. Our most recent go in the LRSM suggested 330 miles of range from full, but 150 miles of cold motorway running later and the trip computer was less optimistic. Still, efficiency of 3.6mi/kWh still amounts to almost 300 miles in sub-optimal conditions, which is very good if not quite groundbreaking.

It was a similar story in the LRDM Performance Pack, with the trip computer suggesting 300 miles compared to the 250 and 3.1mi/kWh we were actually tracking for. Not too bad when you factor in the cold.

Anything you're not so keen on?

The trade-off for the handling is the firm ride – something Polestar claims to have addressed with the 2023 update but which still verges on the harsh. The standard suspension is supple, but still a little too firm for our liking. While this means there’s little roll over uglier lumps and dips, the general agitation and jitter is annoying around town. Still, the smaller 19-inch wheels help, and the standard brakes are fine too.

A bizarre design decision on the Performance Pack is the 22-way manually adjustable household name dampers: seriously, how many Polestar owners are truly going to spend their Sundays armed with Allen keys, adjusting each turret to find a sweet spot? No, us neither.

And that’s really the overall story: the Performance Pack doesn't really take advantage of its posh dampers or brakes or 20-inch wheels, which do the ride no favours. So they're not missed on the standard car. Just get the cheaper one and spend any saved cash on interior options. Or a holiday.

How's the refinement?

There’s no discernible motor whine at speed, only a little wind flutter around the door mirrors. They’re worth a mention – the mirror is ‘frameless’, because the whole mirror housing moves to adjust the view, instead of just the pane. Another simple slice of clever thinking, and one we prefer to look-at-me door cameras. It’s a good thing the mirrors are useful, given rear visibility is hemmed in by the thick pillars and cramped back window. Inheriting surround-view cameras from Volvo helps when it’s time to park.

Is there a performance flagship?

You're talking about the BST edition 270, aren’t you? A rare groove choice, that. It began life as an ‘Experimental’ Polestar 2 one-off that made silent-but-quick runs at the Goodwood Festival in 2021. And guess what? The boss (and enough Polestar fans) liked it, so it went into limited production. Very limited, in fact. Only 270 of these will ever exist, of which 40 came to the UK. And they’re all sold.

What was it all about? Even geekier suspension, in a nutshell. And a £1k optional stripe. We've got a standalone review for the BST and you can read it by clicking this timely hyperlink.

# data.attributes.field_cars_editor_title
Polestar 2 review: faster, rangier and better than before

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.value
Dispel any notion of this being a Volvo cabin with some new floor mats. The Polestar 2 is bespoke, and rather brilliant inside.

The centrepiece, as with any self-respecting upstart electric car, is a giant touchscreen. Here it’s a portrait display measuring 11.2-inches across and mounted high enough that it’s in your eyeline without suffering from ‘lost iPad on the dash’ disorder. The graphics are crisp, the operation impressively rapid, with no stuttering or discernible loading time. It’s one of the most smartphone-like displays we’ve ever seen, because the Polestar is the first car to use Google OS.

So it has ‘Hey Google’ voice assistant, you can sign into your Google account to personalise your settings, Google Maps is built in and you can access your Spotify account too. Via the Google Play store, you can also download your own apps, so if you prefer navigating with Waze or listening to Apple Music, that’s all inbound. Apple CarPlay is supported, FYI.

On top of that, the 2023 update includes a screen showing 'real world range', which uses analytics nerdery to figure out range based on your driving style. Makes you wonder how unreliable the trip computer was before...

Is it fiddly to operate on the move?

Nope. If you’re deft you can use the gear selector as a plinth for your forearm, steadying your hand as you delve into the screen. Handy when adjusting the climate control, which puts you a pothole away from turning the seat heaters on by accident, though as ever we’d have preferred physical buttons/knobs to control the heating/aircon.

In front of the driver, there’s a further display that can be configured with a widescreen map, as well as your speed and range data. Although be warned: the range readout drops in 10-mile increments which can be disconcerting. Only the steering wheel switchgear and the volume/play knob seem to have come from a contemporary Volvo, and they work just as well as they do in an S90. The quality is exemplary, and truly wouldn’t embarrass a car at twice the price. The standard kit list is fairly healthy too.

Is it comfy?

Mostly, but we’re not completely sold on the driving position. Nor do the seats offer much lateral support. You sit quite upright which means stretching out that left leg on a long drive is tricky, and if you’re a particular height there’s no support for your left elbow. At least the right limbs are well catered for.

While you sit a little higher than in, say, an Audi A4, the effect is masked by the high door tops and cocooning nature of the cabin. It’s also not austere nor overly sporty – light woods and fabrics are employed instead of business-suited carbon fibre. It’s a lodge retreat, in a pine forest. Lovely.

Polestar's also changed its perspective on leather too. So you can spec leather, but as standard the interior is cow-free, to give customers choice that our bovine friends presumably never got.

Will my passengers enjoy it as much as me?

In the back there’s enough room for adults to sit behind adults, though it doesn’t feel as roomy as a conventional saloon because of the smaller glass area. The optional panoramic roof helps here, making the whole passenger compartment feel much roomier.

The boot isn’t gargantuan, but 405 litres should be fine for everyday tasks and 1,095 is plenty with the back seats down. And because it’s a proper hatchback (which Polestar wanted as a selling point beyond the Model 3’s pokey saloon tailgate), the opening is huge. It’s not invaded by charging cables either, as they’re housed in a separate cubby under the bonnet.

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.processed
Dispel any notion of this being a Volvo cabin with some new floor mats. The Polestar 2 is bespoke, and rather brilliant inside.

The centrepiece, as with any self-respecting upstart electric car, is a giant touchscreen. Here it’s a portrait display measuring 11.2-inches across and mounted high enough that it’s in your eyeline without suffering from ‘lost iPad on the dash’ disorder. The graphics are crisp, the operation impressively rapid, with no stuttering or discernible loading time. It’s one of the most smartphone-like displays we’ve ever seen, because the Polestar is the first car to use Google OS.

So it has ‘Hey Google’ voice assistant, you can sign into your Google account to personalise your settings, Google Maps is built in and you can access your Spotify account too. Via the Google Play store, you can also download your own apps, so if you prefer navigating with Waze or listening to Apple Music, that’s all inbound. Apple CarPlay is supported, FYI.

On top of that, the 2023 update includes a screen showing 'real world range', which uses analytics nerdery to figure out range based on your driving style. Makes you wonder how unreliable the trip computer was before...

Is it fiddly to operate on the move?

Nope. If you’re deft you can use the gear selector as a plinth for your forearm, steadying your hand as you delve into the screen. Handy when adjusting the climate control, which puts you a pothole away from turning the seat heaters on by accident, though as ever we’d have preferred physical buttons/knobs to control the heating/aircon.

In front of the driver, there’s a further display that can be configured with a widescreen map, as well as your speed and range data. Although be warned: the range readout drops in 10-mile increments which can be disconcerting. Only the steering wheel switchgear and the volume/play knob seem to have come from a contemporary Volvo, and they work just as well as they do in an S90. The quality is exemplary, and truly wouldn’t embarrass a car at twice the price. The standard kit list is fairly healthy too.

Is it comfy?

Mostly, but we’re not completely sold on the driving position. Nor do the seats offer much lateral support. You sit quite upright which means stretching out that left leg on a long drive is tricky, and if you’re a particular height there’s no support for your left elbow. At least the right limbs are well catered for.

While you sit a little higher than in, say, an Audi A4, the effect is masked by the high door tops and cocooning nature of the cabin. It’s also not austere nor overly sporty – light woods and fabrics are employed instead of business-suited carbon fibre. It’s a lodge retreat, in a pine forest. Lovely.

Polestar's also changed its perspective on leather too. So you can spec leather, but as standard the interior is cow-free, to give customers choice that our bovine friends presumably never got.

Will my passengers enjoy it as much as me?

In the back there’s enough room for adults to sit behind adults, though it doesn’t feel as roomy as a conventional saloon because of the smaller glass area. The optional panoramic roof helps here, making the whole passenger compartment feel much roomier.

The boot isn’t gargantuan, but 405 litres should be fine for everyday tasks and 1,095 is plenty with the back seats down. And because it’s a proper hatchback (which Polestar wanted as a selling point beyond the Model 3’s pokey saloon tailgate), the opening is huge. It’s not invaded by charging cables either, as they’re housed in a separate cubby under the bonnet.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.value
Prices start from £44,950 for the base-spec Standard Range Single Motor, but let’s face it the one you want is the £48,950 Long Range Single Motor for those extra miles, torque and pace.

The Long Range Dual Motor and Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack (try saying that over and over, it’s hard) are the pair you might be tempted by at £52,950 and £57,950 apiece… do you really want to spend your money on fancy dampers and gold bling? Save your money for options, that’s our advice.

Details please.

Right, the Polestar 2 doesn’t do trim levels: you simply pick your powertrain and then add… stuff. Luckily the standard kit list is healthy, with even base-spec models getting LED lights front and rear, those lovely Scandi frameless mirrors, 19-inch wheels and heated seats, and Google’s operating system displayed through an 11.2-inch portrait touchscreen. It’s up there with the best infotainment systems we’ve used.

Then you pick your colour (there’s a range of muted yet classy options for £900), and either stick with 19s or twist with 20s for another £900.

There are three ‘Packs’ to choose from, including a £2,000 Pilot pack (which focuses on safety with things like Pixel LED lights, Volvo’s 360-degree camera and the Pilot Assist cruise control), £4,000 Plus (which adds a panoramic sunroof, Harman Kardon sound system, heated rear seats and a wireless phone charger among other bits) or – on Dual Motor spec only – the Performance Pack, which gets you that power upgrade plus flashy, 20in forged alloy wheels, Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes and more.

You can also choose your interior finish, plus boring bits like a towbar and mudflaps.

How long does it take to charge?

Charging at home using a standard wallbox takes 12 hours, but find a rapid charger (the dual motor 2s max out at 205kW now, while the single motor version tops out at 135kW) and Polestar says it'll go from 10 to 80 per cent full in under half an hour. Polestar has also teamed up with Europe-wide charging outfit Plugsurfing, so owners get access to 195,000 charging points across Europe – including the UK – with one electronic key tag.

So hopefully no waving your phone around for signal so you can download your eighteenth charging membership app while stuck at a rainy services at 3am. Phew.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.processed
Prices start from £44,950 for the base-spec Standard Range Single Motor, but let’s face it the one you want is the £48,950 Long Range Single Motor for those extra miles, torque and pace.

The Long Range Dual Motor and Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack (try saying that over and over, it’s hard) are the pair you might be tempted by at £52,950 and £57,950 apiece… do you really want to spend your money on fancy dampers and gold bling? Save your money for options, that’s our advice.

Details please.

Right, the Polestar 2 doesn’t do trim levels: you simply pick your powertrain and then add… stuff. Luckily the standard kit list is healthy, with even base-spec models getting LED lights front and rear, those lovely Scandi frameless mirrors, 19-inch wheels and heated seats, and Google’s operating system displayed through an 11.2-inch portrait touchscreen. It’s up there with the best infotainment systems we’ve used.

Then you pick your colour (there’s a range of muted yet classy options for £900), and either stick with 19s or twist with 20s for another £900.

There are three ‘Packs’ to choose from, including a £2,000 Pilot pack (which focuses on safety with things like Pixel LED lights, Volvo’s 360-degree camera and the Pilot Assist cruise control), £4,000 Plus (which adds a panoramic sunroof, Harman Kardon sound system, heated rear seats and a wireless phone charger among other bits) or – on Dual Motor spec only – the Performance Pack, which gets you that power upgrade plus flashy, 20in forged alloy wheels, Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes and more.

You can also choose your interior finish, plus boring bits like a towbar and mudflaps.

How long does it take to charge?

Charging at home using a standard wallbox takes 12 hours, but find a rapid charger (the dual motor 2s max out at 205kW now, while the single motor version tops out at 135kW) and Polestar says it'll go from 10 to 80 per cent full in under half an hour. Polestar has also teamed up with Europe-wide charging outfit Plugsurfing, so owners get access to 195,000 charging points across Europe – including the UK – with one electronic key tag.

So hopefully no waving your phone around for signal so you can download your eighteenth charging membership app while stuck at a rainy services at 3am. Phew.

# data.attributes.field_cars_stand_first
The Polestar 2 is a TG favourite. The updated Tesla Model 3 has its work cut out…

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.value
We love the Polestar 2 because it’s handsome, the build quality will give Audi drivers PTSD, and there’s a real sense of humility about the car. It’s been designed to work seamlessly, not to wow you with gimmicks then wind you up further down the line. Single Motor iterations make it more accessible for most too.

Polestar wants to sell itself with integrity, not gimmicks. Of course, it’s not without niggles – the ride should be more supple, and coaxing Apple fans into a cabin enshrined with Google Android could be a challenge. CarPlay is now supported, at least.

Fundamentally though, the Polestar 2 is well finished, practical and drives adeptly, even if it stops just short of being outright fun. But it’s that sense of a brand really believing in its approach and starting to show its potential that’s exciting about Polestar, and the 2 in particular. And yep, Tesla ought to be paying attention. As should anyone else who fancies a slice of the electric future.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.processed
We love the Polestar 2 because it’s handsome, the build quality will give Audi drivers PTSD, and there’s a real sense of humility about the car. It’s been designed to work seamlessly, not to wow you with gimmicks then wind you up further down the line. Single Motor iterations make it more accessible for most too.

Polestar wants to sell itself with integrity, not gimmicks. Of course, it’s not without niggles – the ride should be more supple, and coaxing Apple fans into a cabin enshrined with Google Android could be a challenge. CarPlay is now supported, at least.

Fundamentally though, the Polestar 2 is well finished, practical and drives adeptly, even if it stops just short of being outright fun. But it’s that sense of a brand really believing in its approach and starting to show its potential that’s exciting about Polestar, and the 2 in particular. And yep, Tesla ought to be paying attention. As should anyone else who fancies a slice of the electric future.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_against
Slightly firm ride, not the most natural driving position, who’s got time to tweak manually adjustable dampers?

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_for
Beautifully built cabin, effortless performance, exceptionally cool image, the look on Tesla drivers’ faces

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_text
Fundamentally, the Polestar 2 is well-finished, practical and drives adeptly, even if it stops just short of being outright fun

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.value
This is the Polestar 2, and it’s a fully-fledged production car designed to do the hard yards in establishing Polestar as a big player in the EV scene. It’s gunning for the biggest bullseye of them all right now: the Tesla Model 3.

Polestar was once Volvo’s racing skunkworks, but it’s morphed into a standalone electric offshoot, jointly owned by Volvo and its Chinese mothership, Geely. Its cars are built in China, to be sold worldwide. So it's Chinese ambition meets Swedish premium knowhow.

Polestar's first homebrew effort, a limited edition headline grabber, was a plug-in hybrid – the beautiful, £140,000 Polestar 1. Then it got serious and launched the Polestar 2 in 2019.

Fast forward to now and the 2 has proved popular, beating sales targets and developing a stronger sense of identity. And so the 2023 'refresh' (call it a facelift at your own peril) doesn't rock the boat, with maximum range rising from 341 to 406 miles. Doesn't seem superficial to us.

Hit me with those powertrains.

The entry-level Standard Range Single Motor gets a 69kWh battery that’s capable of up to 339 miles of range (up from 297) while the motor is now good for 268bhp (up from 228bhp).

Meanwhile the Long Range Single Motor upgrades the battery to an 82kWh unit – achieving that 406-mile headline figure – while power rises to 295bhp.

Then there's the top-spec Long Range Dual Motor, which features electric motors on the front and rear axles and up to 368 miles of range. It develops 416bhp split 50:50 front/rear, so it’s fast, despite weighing 2.1 tonnes.

Finally there's the Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack – a £5,000 upgrade – that boosts power to 469bhp, chops the 0-60mph time down to four seconds flat, and brings bigger wheels, manually adjustable Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, and a neat gold finish to the calipers, dust caps and seat belts.

It uses its height not just to offer a more commanding view of the road than a conventional saloon, but also to carve out space for the water cooled battery pack, which lies beneath the cabin.

So it's Polestar vs Tesla?

Not really. Remember you’ve got the likes of the BMW i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 to consider as well now. And besides, the facelifted Model 3 can't match the Polestar for range. The interior’s way nicer too, and the Polestar LR Single Motor is about £1k cheaper.

That said, Polestar is finding its feet in the market and wants to do things its own way. CEO Thomas Ingenlath (an ex-Volvo design boss himself) has said that Polestar’s USPs will be build quality and the completeness of the car and ownership experience, not YouTube-friendly 0-60mph times.

He believes that now the world is warming up to electric cars, soon the idea of each car needing to carry around all the weight and cost of a 300+ mile range will seem as absurd as a car carrying around a second engine as a redundancy measure. Y’know, just in case. Polestar wants to make desirable and rapid electric cars, but it wants to do so with Scandi common sense. And Swedish fashion sense.

So it’s a looker?

Judge for yourself, but we think so. This is a sensational looking machine in the metal, crisp and fresh and clean cut, loaded with presence but wonderfully unadorned with fake vents or dummy aero nonsense. Blanked-off grille (something Polestar calls the 'Smartzone' for its sensory gizmos) aside, very little changed with the 2023 update.

It continues to look like the car the future promised, but it's distanced enough from a Volvo S60 (now killed off in the UK, of course) not to seem contrived. When you see one of these whoosh past, you’re going to want one.

You're right! How much please?

The entry-level car starts from £44,950, but the 400-mile-plus Long Range Single Motor – arguably the one you want – is £4k dearer. The same jump separates that and the Dual Motor 2 at £52,950.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.processed
This is the Polestar 2, and it’s a fully-fledged production car designed to do the hard yards in establishing Polestar as a big player in the EV scene. It’s gunning for the biggest bullseye of them all right now: the Tesla Model 3.

Polestar was once Volvo’s racing skunkworks, but it’s morphed into a standalone electric offshoot, jointly owned by Volvo and its Chinese mothership, Geely. Its cars are built in China, to be sold worldwide. So it's Chinese ambition meets Swedish premium knowhow.

Polestar's first homebrew effort, a limited edition headline grabber, was a plug-in hybrid – the beautiful, £140,000 Polestar 1. Then it got serious and launched the Polestar 2 in 2019.

Fast forward to now and the 2 has proved popular, beating sales targets and developing a stronger sense of identity. And so the 2023 'refresh' (call it a facelift at your own peril) doesn't rock the boat, with maximum range rising from 341 to 406 miles. Doesn't seem superficial to us.

Hit me with those powertrains.

The entry-level Standard Range Single Motor gets a 69kWh battery that’s capable of up to 339 miles of range (up from 297) while the motor is now good for 268bhp (up from 228bhp).

Meanwhile the Long Range Single Motor upgrades the battery to an 82kWh unit – achieving that 406-mile headline figure – while power rises to 295bhp.

Then there's the top-spec Long Range Dual Motor, which features electric motors on the front and rear axles and up to 368 miles of range. It develops 416bhp split 50:50 front/rear, so it’s fast, despite weighing 2.1 tonnes.

Finally there's the Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack – a £5,000 upgrade – that boosts power to 469bhp, chops the 0-60mph time down to four seconds flat, and brings bigger wheels, manually adjustable Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, and a neat gold finish to the calipers, dust caps and seat belts.

It uses its height not just to offer a more commanding view of the road than a conventional saloon, but also to carve out space for the water cooled battery pack, which lies beneath the cabin.

So it's Polestar vs Tesla?

Not really. Remember you’ve got the likes of the BMW i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 to consider as well now. And besides, the facelifted Model 3 can't match the Polestar for range. The interior’s way nicer too, and the Polestar LR Single Motor is about £1k cheaper.

That said, Polestar is finding its feet in the market and wants to do things its own way. CEO Thomas Ingenlath (an ex-Volvo design boss himself) has said that Polestar’s USPs will be build quality and the completeness of the car and ownership experience, not YouTube-friendly 0-60mph times.

He believes that now the world is warming up to electric cars, soon the idea of each car needing to carry around all the weight and cost of a 300+ mile range will seem as absurd as a car carrying around a second engine as a redundancy measure. Y’know, just in case. Polestar wants to make desirable and rapid electric cars, but it wants to do so with Scandi common sense. And Swedish fashion sense.

So it’s a looker?

Judge for yourself, but we think so. This is a sensational looking machine in the metal, crisp and fresh and clean cut, loaded with presence but wonderfully unadorned with fake vents or dummy aero nonsense. Blanked-off grille (something Polestar calls the 'Smartzone' for its sensory gizmos) aside, very little changed with the 2023 update.

It continues to look like the car the future promised, but it's distanced enough from a Volvo S60 (now killed off in the UK, of course) not to seem contrived. When you see one of these whoosh past, you’re going to want one.

You're right! How much please?

The entry-level car starts from £44,950, but the 400-mile-plus Long Range Single Motor – arguably the one you want – is £4k dearer. The same jump separates that and the Dual Motor 2 at £52,950.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_we_say
One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Decent build quality, handsomely styled and easy to drive

# data.attributes.field_cars_wildcard_text
Oh, you meant an alternative to the Polestar 2? We thought you just wanted a wildcard Polestar. The 1 is just gorgeous. 