Test bench | Polestar 2 Single Motor: the start, the real one

Rather pale so far, Polestar’s star intends to shine in the coming months. The Sino-Swedish brand confirms the launch of four new models, including this entry-level model, the 2 Single Motor.

Eric LeFrancois
special cooperation

Fly to the skies to better come down to earth. That pretty much sums up Polestar’s journey so far. This brand, a joint creation of Volvo and its Chinese owner, Geely, launched its activities with the very occult 1, a coupe with a hybrid engine that sold for some $200,000 and, fortunately, was produced in very small quantities. Then came the 2, a 100% electric sedan, potentially capable of overshadowing Tesla’s Model 3.

So far, nothing has happened, but Polestar has ambitions. It wants to sell nearly 300,000 of these vehicles by 2025. That is to say 10 times more than last year (29,000 sales).

So Polestar tweaked its technology, bumped up its prices and revised its nomenclature to add an entry-level model — Single Motor — to its catalog. More affordable and able to travel more kilometers on a charge, this version, as its name suggests, has a single power unit and it only drives the front wheels (traction).

That makes it an interesting proposition. The four-wheel-drive version that has two motors costs $7,000 more.

The price is attractive, but the standard equipment inevitably invites the customer to stop at the optional equipment department. You will have to practically resign yourself to paying the $5,500 for the “Plus Pack” group, which includes several elements that some will consider essential in a Nordic country.

These include the heat pump (this allows better energy savings during the cold season) as well as the heated bench seat, windshield washer jets and steering wheel. To get them — and justify the amount requested — you’ll get the panoramic roof and a Harman Kardon sound system as a bonus, to name just two.

The other unfortunate aspect is security. Polestar isn’t Volvo, okay, but finding blind spot sensors or a rear cross-traffic alert device in a set that sells for $4,500 seems rather sparse for a brand backed by Volvo.

No need to go down to the cellar, the Polestar 2 Single Motor adopts the same 78 kWh battery as the two-motor version. The same architecture too. As a reminder, the latter (code name CMA) does not only marry electric thrusters.

A difference in weight

It can also accommodate heat engines, as evidenced by the current Volvo XC40. The next Polestar models will be based on a chassis intended for electrics (see the next tab).

Lighter, but also much less powerful, this Single Motor version appears rather homogeneous to drive. More considerate suspensions, less noisy tires, this Polestar 2 is surprisingly less sanitized and more lively than its twin-engine counterpart.

In fact, behind the wheel, we especially appreciate the flexibility of a car that we can drive for miles without touching the brakes, simply by playing on the deceleration when lifting the accelerator pedal.

It does not pin you to your seat (0-100 km/h in 7.4 s) when the light turns green like the two-motor version. That’s not the goal. Besides, the Performance package ($6,500) refuses to board the Single Motor. From then on, everything encourages you to drive smoothly by taking advantage of the extreme elasticity of the electric unit.

A little levity?

Installed at the controls, we do not really feel the thrill of technological innovation. The interior layout is neither innovative nor alluring. To forge its own identity no doubt, but also to highlight the use of recycled materials or products from plants, the presentation of the Polestar 2 lacks cheerfulness. It is sleek, of course, ergonomic and more elegant in some aspects than the competition, but does not distill a particular atmosphere.

We notice the digital panel of the dashboard and especially the central tablet where practically all the orders are recorded. On first contact, the seats will seem firm, but over the miles you will appreciate their support and comfort.

In the back, you feel rather confined and, just like in the front, you can’t count on a lot of storage around it. Lucky for you, luggage benefits from a spacious and versatile trunk. The latter is not the size of that of an SUV – like those of many electric vehicles offered in the same price range – but the Polestar 2 has other qualities: it provides more sensations behind the wheel.

A first SUV

The Polestar 3 will be the brand’s first electric utility vehicle. It will enter the market this year and will originate in Volvo’s US facilities. So far, Polestar is silent on the technical characteristics of this newcomer called to compete with the current BMW iX and Jaguar I-Pace and which will be based on a brand new modular architecture. A few months after the presentation of this model, Polestar will launch the 4 which will be more compact.

future ambassador

Expected in 2024, the Polestar 5 will be the brand’s flagship. This will take over several visual elements from the Precept concept study presented two years ago. With this model, Polestar wants to compete with the Model S (Tesla), EQS (Mercedes) and e-tron GT (Audi).

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The Press will soon publish the test of the following vehicles: Audi Q3, Kia EV6, Honda Ridgeline, Mercedes SL, Nissan Z, Volkswagen Jetta (GLi) and Toyota Sequoia. If you own one of these vehicles or are waiting for delivery, we would love to hear from you.