The Polestar 2 is the first all-electric car from Polestar, a new brand from Volvo and Geely.
It will compete against the Tesla Model 3, Jaguar I-Pace, and Audi e-Tron.
Prices start at $59,900 and deliveries will commence next month.
The future-is-now characteristics are the same. The same big infotainment screen, the same minimalist interior, the same zip when the right pedal goes down. Take away my sight, and I'd be tempted to guess I'm at the wheel of the Tesla Model 3, about as good an electric car as can be driven. But I'd know better because something feels different: Things here are more substantive, more satisfying.
The interior is built to be something an actual human would use and enjoy — not a button-free, avant-garde exercise in alternative design. This is the all-new Polestar 2, you see, and it drives like a finished version of the Model 3.
Polestar as a brand might be new. But it comes from people who very much know how to build a car, and build one well. This is a piece of the future worth looking forward to.
The 2021 Polestar 2: Cut from a new brand
Polestar was launched in October 2017 as a standalone, electrified brand from Volvo and its Chinese parent company, Geely. Despite its global headquarters located at the Volvo campus in Gothenburg, Sweden, Polestar markets itself away from its Swedish sibling. Don't call it a Volvo, because it's not.
The first Polestar model was the Polestar 1: an agonizingly stylish, high-performance hybrid with a face similar to the Volvo S90. Next is the Polestar 2: a battery-only electric sedan with a slopey C-pillar, and the company's first EV.
Built in Luqiao, China, the Polestar 2 quickly established itself as a champion of sustainability. In addition to running without reliance on fossil fuels, the 2 also touts seat fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, interior plastics made with waste cork products, and carpets woven from recycled fishing nets.
The Polestar 2's range has yet to be officially rated by the EPA, but its European WLTP estimate is 291 miles. Keep in mind, however, that WLTP estimates can be more optimistic than EPA estimates.
At 15.1 feet long and 6.5 feet wide, the 2 is about the length of a Toyota RAV4, though about five inches wider. It weighs 4,680 pounds.
The Polestar 2 starts at $59,900, debuting initially as a heavily loaded "launch edition" version that includes features such as the Pilot Assist driver-assistance technology, a Harman Kardon stereo system, and Android as its native operating system. The Polestar spokesperson said a base model will be available later on.
Obviously, plenty of fun can be had in a naturally aspirated V8 with a manual transmission. This is a different kind of fun, one that makes a high-pitched whirring when you really lean into the pedal and as the car gathers speed. No hiccups in the acceleration from gears shifting — just flawless, smooth forward momentum, and the sound of the wind washing over the car as you pick up speed.
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