The Polestar 2, performance-focused EVs can be great fun

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Car Reviewed: Polestar 2 Performance Pack

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Having never driven a Polestar 2, climbing into the driving seat of the ultra-go-fast model made me quite nervous. Fast EVs aren’t peculiar to me, but large Brembo brakes and orange seat belts are a swift reminder that this family saloon has a 740Nm slap whenever you get the urge to sink the ‘go quiet’ pedal. Adjusting to the cabin layout is easy and everything feels upmarket, just as you’d expect from a £57,950 car.

From a standing start, booting the throttle catapults the 469bhp Polestar 2 into the distance with zero drama, thanks to the AWD system. Through the corners, it feels planted, and if you change the steering weight to ‘Performance’, it almost mimics an ICE sports car. It makes for an engaging drive and can induce sickness if pushed too far. Over potholes and ruts, however, it becomes slightly unbalanced.

Around town, things become a little frustrating. While comfortable, the suspension feels firm and sharp on initial contact with bumps. The one-pedal drive can be turned on, but unlike other EVs, the harshness of the regen can only be tuned by faffing around with the central touch screen. Not having paddles saw me turn off the system entirely.

The same goes for other settings such as suspension and steering; it’s all channelled through the touch screen, and due to various sub-menus, you may need to pull over and sharpen your eyes to find what you need.

While visibility is okay, the rear window isn’t the largest. Polestar has equipped the 2 with a 360-degree camera, which was challenging to use in the rain. The cameras become soaked, which distorts the image.

Inside the vegan interior, there’s plenty of room for the front and rear occupants, and there are large door bins for stashing bottled water. The rear doors open wide enough, meaning installing child seats should be a doddle. The infotainment system was the first to feature Google built-in, which includes Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store.

Polestar claims the 2 Performance Pack is good for up to 352 miles. Before setting off, the readout on our test car showed 87% with an outside temperature of 6°. Over our 75.2-mile trip that mixed town, backroad, and motorway driving, the Polestar showed 63%. Of course, how far you go depends on various factors such as how you drive, climate, load and what electric gizmos you have turned on.

Overall, the Polestar 2 Performance Pack ticks all the performance EV boxes for engaging driver dynamics; the car also features Öhlins Dual Flow Valve dampers, 4-piston Brembo brakes and forged alloy wheels. It offers monstrous acceleration, a decent range, and 11kW AC and 205kW DC charging capability. Charging from 20-80% should take just 28 minutes if you can find a powerful enough charger.

Some things still need refinement and the company has undoubtedly come a long way with the new Polestar 2.