Our independent experts test the best in cars, tech, home, outdoors, style and watches. We combine hands-on testing, decades of experience and original photography to craft reports, reviews and guides. Polestar plans to bring the O2 concept into production in 2026 (presumably without the drone) as the Polestar 6. Polestar is calling it a “new breed of SUV coupe.” It slots between the Polestar 2 and the Polestar reading a ternary diagram ternary plotting program power point presentation 3 for both size and price. It’s also Polestar’s most powerful and quickest EV to date with up to 544 hp from the dual-motor setup and a 0-62 mph time of 3.8 seconds.
The 2022 Polestar 2 is available now and is offered in two trim levels. The long-range single motor that we reviewed and the more powerful long-range dual motor variant. Both have the same 78kWh capacity battery pack, with the single motor offering a range of 270 miles, 231 mt4 white label and mt5 white label horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque.
The response of the throttle can be modified and the character of the transmission is tweaked. Polestar started life in 2005 as the brand name for a Volvo-tuning, gasoline-powered Swedish motorsports team. It was transformed into an EV marque when Volvo bought the team 10 years later. Financial maneuverings aside, Polestar will still be heavily partnered with Volvo. The companies will share technology, platforms and production facilities. Polestar will sell sportier cars and take on sportier development projects Www amateur blog com that (at least theoretically) wouldn’t be a fit with Volvo branding.
It also might explain why we were able to exceed the EPA-rated range of the vehicle. Polestar also offers up three regenerative braking modes; Low, Standard, and Off. When in Standard mode, the Polestar 2 has the best regenerative braking one-pedal driving system on the market in terms of how well it comes to a stop. While other systems take a day or two to master, we were able to get the Polestar 2 to stop exactly where we wanted within three intersections. There’s also the added benefit of signing into your Google account in the vehicle.
Get behind the wheel
Access to calendar items and contacts is wonderful and we could check on our day to make sure we didn’t miss any appointments while out driving the vehicle. It also meant that looking up destinations on Google Maps with our phones meant that when we got into the car, the destination was stored in recent searches. During long drives, we took the opportunity to ask the assistant random questions and received mostly relevant responses.
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When passing slower traffic, we never felt the Polestar 2 would let us down and cause us to abandon our task. For those looking for an exciting driving experience while surrounded by Volvo-level luxury, the Polestar 2 delivers. Steering is tight and cornering only exhibits oversteer when the vehicle is pushed beyond what the average driver will do.
Performance optimisation
The Polestar 2 is getting some significant updates for 2024. The single-motor version switched from FWD to a more powerful and more performance-oriented (299 hp and 361 lb-ft) RWD motor. Plus that Swedish minimalism actually translates to an interior layout that works well with the move to touchscreen controls.
The vehicle we had for review only had basic non-adaptive cruise control. Fortunately, we’ve driven the Polestar 2 First Edition and used the automaker’s driver assistance system, and found it to be on par with the rest of the industry. Adaptive cruise control did a solid job tracking vehicles.
Interior and cargo space
The Polestar 5 will be a flagship, four-door grand tourer that should rival the Porsche Taycan. It Polestar’sk a lot like Polestar’s stunning Precept concept car from 2020 and be far more than a tuned-up Volvo. Reports have the Polestar 5 getting new battery technology and a rigid, lightweight bonded aluminum platform — a feature typically reserved for supercars. The difference between an all-wheel-drive vehicle and a front-wheel-drive is apparent in our test vehicle — although it does little to reduce our pleasure behind the wheel. Before it was known as the EV sister to Volvo, the Polestar brand was the performance division of the Swedish automaker. The inclusion of the Google Play Store is a nice touch although it’s still a bit sparse.
” asks Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive, publisher of the Kelley Blue Book vehicle valuer. If I asked 10 of my friends, maybe only two or three would have heard of Polestar.” But all of them have heard of Volvo. “It will be critical for the new CEO to get in there and really increase their brand awareness,” she says. Dislodging a design-led CEO and installing two numbers-focused executives is an obvious move, says Palmer, now the chair of Pod Point, a UK provider of EV charging stations.
- The result is a few buttons on the left side of the steering wheel that don’t do anything.
- Polestar’s EPA ratings, like that of the electric Mini SE, seemed to be downplaying the actual range of the vehicle.
- Polestar wasted no time introducing two new variants of the Polestar 2 for 2022.
On the tech front, Polestar made the smart move using Android Automotive as its infotainment system. It brings with it one of the best voice assistants on the market and gives drivers access to Google accounts while on the go. For those concerned about Google tracking our entire lives, it can be used without an account.
It’s more likely that drivers will instead adjust the steering feel of the vehicle which is available in Light, Standard, and Firm. We kept the system mostly in Firm, but our tests of Light and Standard yielded a more refined driving experience that would be at home around town. The minimalism of the interior pairs well with the inclusion of Android Automotive OS.
The Polestar 4 SUV coupé (which, despite the numbering convention, sits in price and size between the 2 and the new 3) has no rear window, but four doors. This lifeline funding was secured under the leadership of CEO Thomas Ingenlath, a former chief designer for Volkswagen and Škoda. Work with our award-winning creative services studio and advertising agency to bring your brand or product story to life.
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