Polestar 2 review

Dispel any notions of this being a Volvo cabin with some new floormats. 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, log in to your Spotify account, and Google Maps is built in. 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. As of June ’22 an over-the-air software update means it now supports Apple CarPlay, too – good news for hardened iPhone users.

Is it fiddly to operate on the move?

Nope, because Polestar has come up with a genius piece of common sense. The sculpted gear selector acts as a plinth for your forearm, steadying your hand as you delve into the screen. It makes operation on the move much easier than in… pretty much any car with a touchscreen. Even a new Volvo. So do measures like climate control that’s adjusted in one-degree increments, not 0.5 Celsius. Less tapping needed.

In front of the driver, there’s a further display which 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, although if you want to spend extra there’s the £4,000 Plus Pack (which adds a panoramic sunroof, a Harman Kardon sound system, heated rear seats and a wireless phone charger among other bits) or the £3,000 Pilot Pack (which focuses on safety with things like Pixel LED lights, Volvo’s 360-degree camera and the Pilot Assist cruise control). Or you can be greedy and have both together.

Although you sit a little higher than in, say, an Audi A4, that effect is masked by the high door tops and cocooning nature of the cabin. It’s also not an austere or overly sporty cockpit. Light woods and fabrics are employed instead of business-suited carbon fibre. You can spec leather, but as standard the interior is vegan, and more welcoming for it. The Volvo-spec seats are supremely cosseting. It’s not a Frankfurt office, this. Or a Silicon Valley coffee shop. It’s a lodge retreat, in a pine forest.

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 boot isn’t gargantuan, but 405 litres should be fine for everyday tasks, 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.