Polestar 2 came on the market in Norway last year. In a familiar style, electric car-hungry Norwegians stood in line in front of it. After a little curl at the very beginning, it must be said that the model has got off to a very good start here in Norway.
Volvo’s Chinese sister brand has met Norwegians at home. More than 5,200 copies of the car are already rolling on our roads.
The Polestar 2 palette is now being further expanded. The price is lowered – and the range is increased.
With new driveline, front-wheel drive, smaller battery and somewhat smaller equipment and lower power, you can now become a Polestar 2 owner for 389,000 kroner.
We have already got a few hours and miles behind the wheel in it to get a first impression of the newcomer with front-wheel drive.
Two versions with front-wheel drive
Visually, one must be properly acquainted to distinguish the very cheapest from the more expensive editions. The 19-inch wheels and the absence of the panoramic glass roof are probably the only thing you can “touch” it on. By the way, both of these things can be bought as an option, or in packages.
Polestar has retained the car’s premium feel and character in the less expensive versions. But heated steering wheel, and rear seat and heat pump are not available as standard in the cheapest. We do not think the car appears to be a cumbersome savings product for that reason.
The version with front-wheel drive is available in two versions. One with the same battery as those with four-wheel drive and two engines. Here, they have basically only removed the rear engine, but kept the original battery pack of 78 kWt. It is called the Long Range and has a range of up to 540 kilometers.
The Standard Range has a slightly smaller battery and thus also a slightly lower weight, and should have a range of up to 440 kilometers. The price difference between the two is NOK 20,000.
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– Visually, there are hardly any differences to be traced on models with the different drivelines.
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Notices the absence of four-wheel drive
The power on the four-wheel drive version is 300 kW / 408 hp and 660 Nm. On the front-wheel drive versions, this is reduced to 170 kW / 230 Hp and 330 Nm of torque. At the same time, the top speed has been reduced from 205 km / h to 160 km / h on the two with traction on the front wheels.
We are testing a well-equipped Long Range version with front-wheel drive. Our trip starts with city driving in central Oslo. Then we notice little of the differences. It is only when the car gets stretched out a bit on the E18 through Asker and Bærum that we can notice a tiny, almost insignificant, difference in stability at higher speeds.
When we turn off and try our hand at some fun and winding country roads in more hilly terrain, the differences between two- and four-wheel drive become clearer. Grip and power distribution are different. Also, the newcomer is lighter in the ass than cars with an engine at the rear.
The car tends to understeer a bit when the speed is high and the turn is tight. Well out of the turn, you also notice that the effect is somewhat reduced. Acceleration is not as fast. This is a change from 4.7 seconds to 7.4 seconds on cars with front-wheel drive.
It is certainly not a “big deal”. In daily use and for everyday driving, one will probably hardly think about the differences. We guess the biggest difference will be the winter day the snow falls and you stand at the bottom of a steep, slippery hill. Then 4×4 gold is worth it.
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– Inside it is also similar to itself. The test car has the vegan textile cover in the seats.
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Not just cheap
With one motor, power consumption also decreases. We are talking about 17.1 kWt against 19.4 kWt in the one with two engines and four-wheel drive. These are the factory’s own figures.
Our test car was equipped with 20-inch wheels. They cost 9,000 kroner extra and also contribute to slightly more tire noise than on cars with 19-inch wheels. If you appreciate the silence on board more than the visuals on the outside, you should carefully consider the smallest wheels.
Instead, put that money in the Pilot package for 30,000 kroner, which gives you better headlights with Pixel LED technology, adaptive cruise control and a number of other useful assistant systems. If you want even more equipment, the Plus package includes a heat pump, glass roof, Harman Kardon stereo, heated steering wheel and rear seat and electric seat adjustment, to name a few. Here you have to go out with another 40,000 kroner.
If you want both packages, it starts to get a little bumpy in terms of price. In return, you get a very well equipped car.
The front-wheel drive versions do not come with the Performance package. It is reserved for cars with four-wheel drive. Many will probably appreciate that the new models can also pull a trailer of 1500 kilos and take 75 kilos of roof load.
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– With front-wheel drive, the Polestar 2 is available in two versions, with different ranges.
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The difference is 40,000 kroner
The test car also has the new, vegan textile cover WeaveTech inside, which originally comes from hemp. This should be both very durable and also easy to clean. Besides, it’s nice to look at too. The seats in Polestar 2 are also some of the best you can place your body in.
The Android Automotive OS-powered infotainment system with 11-inch center display and 12.3-inch driving display is also standard on the two-wheel drive versions, along with all the other facilities the system offers. The digital key is included as standard, as are Over-the-Air (OTA) updates that allow Polestar to deliver software updates directly to your car on a regular basis.
The driving characteristics generally appear to be safe and solid with firm damping and precise steering. With good materials, a lot of equipment and a good finish combined with very pleasant driving characteristics, you get a bit of the feeling of luxury also in the versions with front wheel drive. At least if you spend some money on the accessory packages.
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– The price difference for the cheapest car with two- and four-wheel drive is 40,000 kroner. Is it enough?
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40,000 kroner in difference
The price difference for the cheapest Polestar 2 with two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive is NOK 40,000. This is not only for one engine smaller and smaller battery, but also somewhat smaller equipment and lower power. On the other hand, you get a longer range in the Long Range version.
If we look at two of the competitors in this segment, the Tesla Model 3 has a price difference of 100,000 kroner, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E has a difference of 70,000 kroner for the same.
The question thus becomes: Is the difference between cars with traction on two and four wheels respectively large enough on Polestar 2? We get the answer to that when customers choose models in the future. Polestar does not wish to comment on any expected distribution between the various drivelines.
Our impression after a few hours behind the wheel of a well-equipped car with front-wheel drive, is that this is a full-fledged Polestar. The differences are there, but on a daily basis they will hardly be decisive for many of the customers. Several car customers realize that four-wheel drive is not a “must”. It all boils down enough, as so often before, to a matter of price.
We will be back with a full test of Polestar 2 FWD shortly.
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Video: This was our very first meeting with Polestar 2
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