Polestar 2 2024 review

When the original Polestar 2 launched it was a stand-out in a much less crowded EV market. An early $60,000 starting price was the norm, and the bar to beat was the entry-level Tesla Model 3.

So much has changed since then. The main issue this new 2024 model faces is it's more expensive, and people keen to hop into their first electric car can now choose the significantly more affordable MG4, BYD Atto 3, or GWM Ora. And at the Polestar 2's performance level, there's also now the choice of the Cupra Born or further discounted Model 3 and its Model Y SUV companion.

No longer able to stand out due to scarcity, the Polestar 2 now has to stand on its own, which is no doubt why a lot of the upgrades for this deeply facelifted version are far more than skin deep and serve to address many of our main complaints about the original version.

The blockbuster news is the range has switched from primarily front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, which should have a significant bearing on both driving dynamics and efficiency, as well as upgraded and more powerful motors, with larger batteries for the whole range.

Standard items on the Polestar 2 include 19-inch alloy wheels.

Unfortunately, this also comes with a price-hike of $3500 for the base Standard Range (now from $67,400 before on-road costs and state-specific EV discounts), or $3000 for the Long Range ($74,400) and Long Range Dual Motor ($76,400) variants. It seems reasonable given the significant upgrades, but it does serve to increase the price difference between this car and its closest competitors. However, the whole range still lands well under $100,000 which is not bad for a semi-premium EV proposition.

The Standard Range had important once-optional equipment added, including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a surround view monitor, and a wireless phone charger.

This adds to its carryover standard equipment list of 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, cloth seat trim with four-way power adjust and heating for the front passengers, an 11.15-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen running the Android Automotive operating system, Apple CarPlay connectivity, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and start, and dual-zone climate control.

The main issue this new 2024 model faces is it’s more expensive.

The three option packs remain the same as before, although with a slightly altered set of inclusions.

The Pilot Pack ($3500) now adds adaptive cruise control, upgraded pixel LED headlights with fog lights, and emergency stop assist which can bring the car to a halt when the driver is unresponsive.

The Plus Pack ($6000) adds an energy efficient heat pump, premium harmon kardon audio system, a heated steering wheel, heated rear outboard seats, 'weavetech' seat upholstery, upgraded interior ambient lighting, an upgraded air filter, a panoramic fixed sunroof, upgraded trim for the cargo area, rear tinted windows, a foot sensor for the powered tailgate, and access to the digital key via the phone app.

It comes with an 11.15-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen.

Finally, the Performance Pack ($9000) continues to only be available on the top-spec Long Range Dual Motor version. It ups power to 350kW via a software tweak, adds 20-inch forged alloy wheels and a Continental SportContact tyre package, as well as Brembo brakes and dual-flow manually adjustable Ohlins dampers in the suspension. It also features a gold theme for the seatbelts, valve caps, and brake calipers.

Individual options include ventilated Nappa leather seat trim (which Polestar says is animal welfare approved) in a 'light ash' colour scheme, a set of 20-inch V-spoke wheels, metallic paint choices, and a folding towbar.

It's no longer one of the cheapest EVs on the market, but I'd argue the price increases are only moderate for a significant upgrade this time around. I'm particularly intrigued by the Standard Range, which now might be the pick (depending on your needs) with its significantly increased battery capacity.

One of the major drawbacks of no interior design changes this time around means none of our complaints about the first version of the car have been addressed. By design, the Polestar 2 continues to offer a low, sporty driving position, and a relatively compact cabin, but it is one of the least functional and open of its rivals in this EV space, particularly those that take advantage of their fully electric platforms.

For example, the large raised centre console in the Polestar 2 continues to keep the space cosy and engaging, allowing your arm to rest close to the wheel, light control stalk, and multimedia panel, but offers precious little in the way of storage.

There are two small cutaways on either side, and a small tray for your phone and maybe a wallet, but no large pass-through storage area underneath like many of its rivals offer. There's also only one immediately accessible cupholder in the centre, with the second one inside the armrest console box, forcing you to choose between the two. Annoying on days you want to grab a coffee with your passenger on the go. For further storage, there are two bottle holders and map pockets in the doors.

It’s a great-looking space with its simplistic colour scheme, subtle ambient lighting, choice of interesting textures, and recycled materials.

The centre console area is also clad in a hard plastic material, so if you have longer legs your knee is forced to grate up against it, which can become uncomfortable on longer drives.

Still, no matter which of the three seat trims you get, they're all comfortable, and a driving position is very easy to find. It's also nice that heated seats and four-way power adjust are standard, and a central dial for volume control has not been forgotten.

The rear seat is comfortable for outboard passengers, with the same soft trim in the doors, and cosy seats. Behind my own driving position at 182cm tall, I have plenty of room for my knees, and width feels sufficient, although headroom might be an issue if you're any taller than me.

The boot is unchanged this time around, continuing to offer a solid 405-litres (VDA) of space.

The rear door also doesn't open very far, and the descending coupe roofline means access isn't the easiest for less mobile passengers, and could be inconvenient for fitting a child seat or loading bulky luggage. The centre seat position is also compromised by a tall raise, an unfortunate necessity thanks to the Polestar's CMA platform which it shares with combustion Volvos.

Amenities aren't bad in the rear seat, however, with a large bottle holder in each door, a further two flexible holders in the drop-down armrest, two elastic pockets on the backs of the front seats, a power outlet, and dual-adjustable air vents. Cars with the Plus Pack equipped even get heated outboard rear seats, a nice touch.

The boot is unchanged this time around, continuing to offer a solid 405-litres (VDA) of space, with an under-floor cavity useful for keeping charging cables, and a pop-up divider, which is handy for stopping smaller luggage from being thrown around. The frunk is a uniform 41 litres, regardless of variant. It's big enough for a duffel bag perhaps, but it might be better to store things you don't need to access often, as I find frunks are a bit more difficult to access than under-floor areas in the boot.

Behind my own driving position at 182cm tall, I have plenty of room for my knees, and width feels sufficient.

The biggest changes for the 2024 Polestar 2 are ones you can't see, including the big switch to rear-wheel drive for 2WD variants.

But there are also new motors, outputting 200kW/490Nm in the base Standard Range, or 220kW/490Nm in the Long Range, a significant upgrade of 50kW/160Nm over the outgoing car.

Meanwhile, the Dual Motor version has been boosted by 10kW/80Nm for totals of 310kW/740Nm unless you splash for the Performance Pack which adds an additional 40kW via software tweak.

The 0-100km/h times range from 6.4 seconds for the Standard Range, to 4.2 seconds for a Dual Motor equipped with the Performance Pack. Solid numbers.

The biggest changes for the 2024 Polestar 2 are ones you can’t see.

But wait, there are even more invisible changes, including new batteries for every variant, while the switch to rear-wheel drive has made the drive units more efficient too.

The base Standard Range battery is now sourced from South Korea's LG Chem and continues to offer 69kWh, which this time translates to a 532km range according to the WLTP standard. This is a significant increase from the outgoing Standard Range, which could travel 440km between charges.

Meanwhile, the Long Range and Long Range Dual Motor variants can travel 654km and 591km between charges on their 82kWh CATL-sourced battery respectively.

The batteries have also come with charging capability upgrades, with the Standard Range now charging at up to 135kW on DC for a 10 - 80 per cent charge time of 34 minutes, and the Long Range versions charging at 205kW for a charge time in 28 minutes.

Both are able to top-up at 11kW on the slower AC standard, a nice amount to make it worthwhile plugging in at your local supermarket.

Safety equipment is largely the same for the updated Polestar 2, although key items like blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert have finally moved off the options list and become standard equipment on base cars, joining the existing suite of auto emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist, and intersection detection, lane keep and lane departure systems, as well as driver attention alert and traffic sign detection.

The very good adaptive cruise control suite is still behind the $3500 Pilot Pack paywall, but this will also net you upgraded LED headlights.

An impressive suite of eight airbags is also standard fit alongside dual ISOFIX child-seat mounting points on the outboard rear seats. The pre-facelift Polestar 2 secured a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the 2022 standards.

Safety equipment is largely the same for the updated Polestar 2.