7 minute read
Our cars: Polestar 2
Standout
Among the many fine features in our car, we’re most impressed with the tech and performance
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IT’S A POLESTAR
Polestar 2
SECOND REPORT Polestars are not yet a familiar sight, but we know a good car when we see one
Stuart Milne
Stuart _ Milne@dennis.co.uk
NICE car – what is it? It’ s the question
I’ ve been asked continually since I’ ve been running our Polestar 2.
It’ s not a particularly unusual enquiry, after all; we ’ re privileged to drive the very latest new-car launches on a regular basis. But in the case of the Polestar, it’ s an easy, yet not especially quick question to answer.
It’ s easier to start with what it isn ’t. It’ s not a posh Volvo, as some have said. A Volvo driver might recognise the odd bit, but the Polestar doesn ’t look like a Volvo, there are no Volvo badges anywhere and – unlike with new brand Cupra and SEAT’ s relationship – it’ s not sold through Volvo dealers.
Our inquisitors usually walk away impressed by the car ’ s styling, interior, tech and raw numbers, muttering something about Volvo. Which is a shame, because Polestar feels like it’ s building something very big and very different from the mainstream. I like that it’ s fixed on sustainability, too. But mostly I’ m finding driving something slightly enigmatic is good fun. It turns heads for the right reasons, and it’ s rare that a compact exec stops passers-by dead in their tracks.
Some people have recognised the name from adverts and magazine reviews, but haven ’t joined the dots. Perhaps a badge on the bootlid – the go-to place for anyone wanting to identify the car – would be a quick and easy solution to raise its profile.
Everyone I’ ve spoken to ended up leaving impressed with the car ’ s stats, and after 2,600 miles, these are still impressing me. Chief among them is the car ’ s 4.7-second 0-62mph time. While the opportunities to unleash that potential to the full are few and far between, it makes overtaking very easy. Equally impressive is the 20 minutes it can take to charge the car ’ s batteries from 20 to 80 per cent capacity, at 150kW.
Two things to note, though: firstly, I’ ve been on quite a few long journeys recently, and it’ s clear that hooking up to a 150kW charger doesn ’t necessarily mean you ’ll get 150kW. That’ s assuming you can charge at all, with BP Pulse causing particular headaches lately.
The second is the range. The 2 has a pair of displays, each showing remaining range: on the digital dials you get a solid 250 miles pretty much every time you charge to 100 per cent. The touchscreen has a more accurate predicted figure, which depending on how the car is driven, can show anything from 250 to 180 miles – but this is hidden when you use any of the apps. With more motorway trips, my economy has fallen from around 3.1 miles per kWh to 2.7, which gives a real-world range of 210 miles. It’ s not exceptional, but travel at 65mph rather than at 70mph, and you can stretch the range further. Problematic? Not really. It helps to make journeys just a little bit more relaxing.
While some electric cars can be defined by their range, I’ m not sure the Polestar is one of them, because it has such a breadth of talents elsewhere. Its tech is simply superb, easy to use, relevant and responsive, and I’ m not missing Apple CarPlay one little bit.
Criticisms? I’d like a little more rear visibility – and, well, that’ s about it. Charging infrastructure aside, I’ m absolutely loving my time with the Polestar.
Talking point
Our man has a lot of good things to say about his car - but often ends up just having to explain what it is
Essentials
Polestar 2 Longrange Dual motor
On fleet since: February 2022
Price new: £45,900
Engine: CO2/tax:
2x e-motor, 79kWh battery 0g/km/£0 Options: Performance Pack (£5,000), Barley nappa leather (£4,000)
Insurance*: Group: 42 Quote: £835 Mileage: 11,715 miles Efficiency: 2.7mi/kWh Any problems? None so far
WE LIKE The flip-up divider does an excellent job of stopping items sliding around in the massive boot. There’s plenty of underfloor storage, too
WE DON’T The ‘froot’ is great, but is fiddly to open, just like a regular bonnet. With the charge port at the back, it’s just easier to throw the cable in the boot.
Sitting comfortably
Our man has no problem fitting two child seats once the Isofix covers are removed
Second opinion
“It may frustrate Stuart that people call his Polestar a Volvo, but the 2 is still a transitional vehicle for the brand. We’ll have to wait a few years before we really see its own design language take effect. ”
Verdict
SO what is it, then? The Polestar 2 is a Tesla Model 3 shorn of all the gimmicks, with a luxurious feel and great build quality. I love the understated design and the brilliant way the car’s tech is integrated.
Fleetwatch
Dark star
Black paint is a mixed blessing. It looks great, but is very hard to keep clean
Citroen e-Dispatch
AFTER spending six months with a Ford Transit Custom plug-in hybrid last year, senior test editor and van correspondent Dean Gibson has now gone fully electric following the arrival of a Citroen e-Dispatch on our fleet. The French van is a sister model to the Vauxhall Vivaro-e, which was voted Electric Van of the Year in our 2021 New Car Awards, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it performs during our time with us.
It looks great in high-spec Enterprise trim, with diamond-cut alloys and shiny black paint (which is already proving to be a pain to keep clean), and the kit on board is decent, too. Having signed up to the MyCitroen app, Dean can adjust the cabin temperature remotely while the van is on charge.
Speaking of charging, with Gridserve’s Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex, only 20 minutes away from home, Dean is making use of its fastcharge facilities (above) to keep the 75kWh battery topped up. Charging costs are reasonable, while clean facilities, free WiFi, and Costa, M&S and WHSmith outlets mean it’s a handy place to stop, work and do a food shop. Style Analogue dials
Ourfleet INDEX
Alfa Romeo Giulia
AUTO Express associate editor Sean Carson has a long-termer ‘overlap’ at the moment, because he’s recently taken delivery of his Peugeot 508 PSE’s replacement, an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. Jumping inside to excitedly check the spec, one thing immediately struck Sean. While the world is going digital and offering fully configurable dashboard displays, the Quadrifoglio’s analogue clocks are just lovely.
Of course, the Giulia’s lifecycle means it predates the era in which such tech is now standard – but in some ways it’s all the better for this, our man reckons. A brief drive highlighted this as the rev counter’s needle swept round to the red zone – which revealed another great point about the Quadrifoglio: the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6’s sound. It emits a gruff bark that crescendos in Race mode. It’s already obvious to Sean that this 503bhp engine is the soul of the car.
Your ultimate guide to buying and owning an electric car Alfa Romeo Giulia New arrival Audi Q4 e-tron Issues 1,711, 1,717 BMW 3 Series Issue 1,723 Citroen e-Berlingo Issue 1,718 Citroen e-Dispatch New arrival DS 7 Crossback New arrival Ford Ranger Iss. 1,694, 1,701, 1,713, 1,721 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Issues 1,710, 1,715, 1,720 Lexus UX 300e Issues 1,713, 1,719 Mazda CX-5 New arrival Nissan Qashqai Issues 1,707, 1,716, 1,724 Peugeot 508 SW Issue 1,714 Polestar 2 Issue 1,719 PorscheTaycan Cross New arrival Renault Capture-Tech Issues 1,705, 1,712, 1,720 ToyotaYaris Cross New arrival Vauxhall Mokka-e Issues 1,696, 1,706
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