Say hello to…
…the Polestar 2, which was the first car to properly take on the Tesla Model 3 by offering fleets a sensible five-door family saloon (although in reality, the Polestar 2 is a hatchback) with a decent range, good performance all in a desirable package.
Born as an all-electric spin-off from Volvo just before the pandemic, the Polestar name has immediately cemented itself as a premium brand, something other new makes struggle to do.
While there has been a Polestar 1 (a limited production plug-in coupe) and there will be a Polestar 3, the Polestar 2 is the car that really launched the brand in the UK.
The Polestar 2 is offered in three forms:
- Standard range, single motor
- Long range, single motor
- Long range, dual motor
The standard range single motor car has an official range of 276 miles from a 69kWh battery and is capable of 0-60mph in 7.0 seconds thanks to the 228hp motor. The long range single motor car keeps the same 228 hp motor (and identical 0-60mph time) but has a larger 78kWh batter for a range of 320 miles. The long range dual motor car reviewed here has an keeps the larger 78kWh battery but adds a second motor for a total power output of 402hp resulting in an official range of 276 miles and a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds.
While Polestar doesn’t do trim levels in the traditional sense, you can option three packs:
- Pilot
- Plus
- Performance
Standard equipment across the range includes a large central portrait orientation infotainment screen running a Google Android system including navigation, Apple Carplay, four USB-C sockets, powered tailgate, powered front seats, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, LED headlights, cruise control, two-zone climate control, heated front seats, metallic paint and 19-inch alloy wheels.
Pilot includes front fog lights, auto-dimming door mirrors, 360deg camera, adaptive cruise control with lane keeping, blind spot monitor, cross traffic alert, rear collision mitigation and side park assist.
Plus offers a fixed panoramic roof, uprated sound system, memory front seats, heated rear seats/steering wheel and washer jets, heat pump, tinted rear window and wireless phone charging.
Performance includes a power increase to 469hp, 0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds, 20-inch alloys, uprated brakes, adaptive and uprated suspension, gold tyre valve caps and gold seatbelts.
Is The Polestar 2 Suitable For My Fleet
Zero emissions, decent range and premium feel all make for an excellent fleet proposition. With a 2% benefit-in-kind band the Polestar 2 comes in at £37 per month for a 40% earner. And the Class 1A NIC is just £10 a month.
Gensen reveals an expected £28 a month fuel cost per month and a maintenance cost of £61.
Leasing A Polestar 2
There are some very competitive deals to be had on the Polestar 2 with Intelligent Car Leasing offering the long range dual motor car from £699 a month over three years, with a three month deposit and 20,000 miles a year.
Polestar’s own website is has a the entry level car available for £391 per month, but that’s on a 12+47 basis and 10,000 miles a year.
Driving A Polestar 2
As soon as you sit in the Polestar 2 it’s obvious for anyone familiar with Volvo’s current line-up, where the car’s roots are. This is no bad thing. The interior feels special thanks to the clean design and high quality materials and it’s interesting to note how you don’t need a leather interior to complete that look.
However, the downside to a mostly button-free dashboard is that some controls are a deeper into the touchscreen system than you’d really want, particularly the climate control. However, if you just leave the cabin temperature at 21degC the whole time, is that a big problem? Probably not.
As you’d hope from a family car rivalling a BMW 3-series or Tesla Model 3, there’s plenty of room in the rear seats for even taller adults and the boot is positively huge. And a mini front boot under the bonnet means the charging cables don’t need to take up space in the back.
Driving the 2 reveals the Polestar engineers have clearly worked very hard to offer the best regenerative braking system the market offers today. The one-pedal driving system in the 2 is incredibly well judged and very easy to use. Where it works better than rival systems is when the car comes to a halt. In the 2 this is a soft stop, in most other cars there’s far more of a jolt if you’re not incredibly careful.
The performance of the Polestar 2 in dual motor form is impressive. However, the payoff come in the form of efficiency. We saw a the car record just under 2.9 miles per kWh in warm conditions, which is not so impressive and would result in a range of 217 miles from the battery’s 75kWh usable capacity – some way off the claimed 275 miles.
Pick the single motor versions for better efficiency or brush up on your hypermiling.
In terms of comfort and handling the Polestar 2 is comparable with the sector’s best. The 2 feels particularly stable and refined on the motorway and is easy to manoeuvre in more built up areas.
Recharging capability is impressive too with a max charging speed of 151kW which means a 10% to 80% charge in around 30 minutes.
The overarching theme is there’s little to fault the Polestar 2 and lots to recommend it.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Polestar 2
A seriously attractive fleet car and an easy one to recommend thanks to the premium feel, excellent driving experience and decent range.
Polestar 2
Model: 2 Long Range Dual Motor Pilot Plus
- Power: 402 hp
- Torque: 660Nm
- Max speed: 127mph
- 0-62mph: 4.5 s
- Official range: 275 miles
- Test range: 217 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- BIK tax band 2022/23: 2%
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