It's been a full four years since Polestar first revealed the Tesla-3-battling Polestar 2 sedan, its first high-volume production car. The sedan has been itching for an update, and Polestar has delivered with more of virtually everything buyers want – range, power, performance and standard features. Headlining upgrades include the switch to a sporty RWD layout on single-motor variants, a raised ceiling of up to 300 miles (483 km) of EPA-estimated range, and a 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) that drops close to four seconds. The refreshed Polestar 2 also benefits from some much needed dental work.
Polestar's toothy grille has been dragging its looks down since the birth of its very first concept car. The company finally addressed the nagging flaw with last year's Polestar 3 SUV concept, introducing what it calls the SmartZone, a cleaner body-color front-end treatment that houses active safety hardware, including a front-facing camera and mid-range radar.
The updated Polestar 2 becomes the first production car to wear the SmartZone, and we think the new design is much more befitting of a premium electric car. Polestar still couldn't help but leave a row of boxy teeth peeking out from below the SmartZone panel, but sometimes progress is slow and incremental.
Polestar has gone well beyond a basic superficial facelift, giving the MY2024 Polestar 2 some serious new capability and equipment in an effort to ensure it's the best Polestar 2 yet. Single-motor variants get a capacity boost via a larger 82-kWh pack good for a preliminary EPA range estimate of 300 miles (483 km), up from 270 miles (435 km) on the original single-motor Polestar 2 Long Range.
That single motor also shifts its orientation, driving the rear wheels rather than the front wheels and delivering an extra 68 horses for a total of 299 hp (223 kW). The newly developed permanent magnet motor also brings a major torque boost, leaping from 243 to 361 lb-ft (329 to 489 Nm) of max torque.
The dual-motor AWD Polestar 2 gains a rear bias of its own, serving to improve performance and feel. The asynchronous front motor combines with the rear primary for a total of 421 hp and 546 lb-ft (314 kW and 740 Nm). Polestar promises improved traction and a 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) that drops to 4.1 seconds with the help of the Performance Pack or 4.3 seconds without it.
During less demanding low-speed stretches, the front motor disengages and leaves propulsion to the rear motor to improve efficiency. It immediately cuts back in when the driver punches the accelerator. The dual-motor model carries over the older 78-kWh battery pack but still manages an improved range up to 270 miles.
The 2024 Polestar 2 also gains more standard features, including driver awareness tech and wireless phone charging. For North America, the dual-motor Long Range model also adds standard Pilot Pack, comprising such features as adaptive cruise control, blind spot information with steering support, cross traffic alert with brake support, and rear collision warning mitigation.
Polestar did not release North American pricing or availability information in Tuesday's announcement, but it has already put the 2024 Polestar 2 up for order in Europe. It starts at €50,190 for the single-motor Standard Range model and €53,890 for the single-motor Long Range (approx. US$54,700 and $58,750).
Source: Polestar
