Images & Words: Makenzie Shattler
Recently, GoodCarBadCar.net was able to get a look at the Polestar 2 to get more information and awareness about the EV brand. Our in-depth walkaround of the car was at Polestar Toronto. They are one of three Polestar locations across Canada.
Our Thanks to Polestar Toronto
Polestar Toronto is akin to Grand Touring Automobiles, one of Canada’s greatest luxury auto dealers. They are Toronto’s Luxury OEM dealership to Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Jaguar, Karma, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Polestar, Rolls-Royce, and Volvo.
The Atmosphere
Polestar Toronto is located in the heart of Toronto attached to a village mall. There’s no obtuse advertising or signage, or sales-people ready to pounce if you glance at the entrance. The “hard sales” model has been replaced by one I think we all enjoy a little more: education. You decide if the Polestar is the right vehicle for you.
When first entering Polestar Toronto, you are immediately welcomed into a very minimalist showroom that consists of spaces for two vehicles, hidden in-wall shelving, and an overall very clean atmosphere. The two-leveled showroom was inclusive of lots of natural light as the entire front looked at the street through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
This minimal approach by Polestar is a welcome change. When walking into a typical showroom you are immediately blinded by the lights, obnoxious music, and a sales-person ready to get your financing started. So, Thank you, Polestar!
Polestar, The Brand
The Polestar brand was initially spawned from a racing team that was ultimately purchased by Volvo in 2015. Since then, the brand officially launched into production with the Polestar 1 in 2017. In 2019, the Swedish-based car brand released its first fully EV: The Polestar 2.
According to the Polestar website:
Polestar is an electric performance car brand harnessing refined performance and cutting-edge technology. Our mission is to bring driving pleasure into a new era with a product offering of progressive, electrified performance cars that are designed and engineered without compromise. Combined with hassle-free ownership and comprehensive customer experience, Polestar offers seamless integration into your (digital) life.
Once we take the walkaround, you can decide if they lived up to their word.
2021 Polestar 2 Design
For the design of the Polestar 2, you will see that it is reminiscent of the Volvo XC40, that’s because it’s based on the same platform. Despite its low-slung design and aggressive rear-haunches, I didn’t have to crawl out of the Polestar 2, as it was the perfect height to get in and out of comfortably.
The Polestar 2 is a fastback with a polarizing bold design, with choice curves paired with sharp body lines. The car does not look like it was plopped out of a typical, boring EV mold like some melted looking Model 3 or something (ED note: “shocks” fired). The Polestar 2 owns its looks and highlights them throughout the entire exterior.
The headlights on the Polestar 2 look very “Volvo” but are sharp nonetheless. They feature an LED “Thor hammer” that gives a modern aesthetic to the car. The taillights have an attractive “wrap-around” on the rear of the car that performs a geeky-cool sequential display when initiated.
Polestar 2 packs a lot of technology in plain sight. The front grill section, also known as the “smart grid”, features a front camera that is conducive with the 360-degree view feature, parking assist, and a heated, lane assist sensor.
One of the coolest features of the Polestar 2 is the panoramic laminated rooftop. From the exterior, it appears to be a gloss black top (Performance model) but from the interior, you can see out.
The overall fit and finish of the Polestar 2 look fantastic. There were no unusual panel gaps or out of place trim pieces. When closing the hood, rear hatch, and keyless-entry doors, you can tell the 2 has very high-quality assembly as nothing sounded “cheap”.
Let’s get Technical Inside of the 2021 Polestar 2
The fully vegan interior (leather is an option) is crafted with quality materials that looked and felt great. Overall, the fit was tight, and when it came to every interior panel, there were no squeaks or anything that gave you that “entry-level” feeling.
The 2’s interior is spacious throughout, though with front seats fully pushed back, there could be room issues for rear passengers (as there would be in most sedans).
ICE & Features
One hard to miss feature was the 11.2-inch tablet infotainment system in the center of the dash. It runs Google’s Android Automotive OS which proved to be very responsive and accepted Google Assistant commands without skipping a beat. The navigation system can automatically plan routes with charging stations (should they be needed) in mind. The driver’s cockpit also features a 12.3-inch digital cluster with an array of informative details when en route.
The 2 has a ton of cool features in addition to the screens upfront. It includes front and rear heated power seats, 4 USB ports, 15W wireless charging, heated steering wheel, and wipers, a 600 watt Harmon Kardon sound system, and a digital key (using the phone app). All of those features are in addition to the driver features such as the Pilot assist, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and obstacle detection/avoidance sensors.
Performance
All Polestar 2’s come all-wheel-drive and are powered by a 78Kw battery and two electric motors (one front and one rear) which total 300kW. These give the 2 a power output of 408 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque. This results in a zero to 60 time of just 4.7-seconds. Polestar has also rated the 2 to have a maximum range of 375km (or 233 miles).
As it turns out, looks aren’t the only reason to like the Polestar 2.
Charging of the 2 supports 150-kilowatt fast charging and, according to Polestar, this method will give you an 80% charge in about 40 minutes.
This 2021 Polestar 2 was fitted with a +$5,000 ($6,000CAD) performance package that includes a gloss black laminated roof, yellow seatbelts/accents, 20-inch wheels, front Brembo brakes, and Ohlins suspension. These high-performance add-ons come at a very low cost considering the performance they bring to the car.
While a base model Polestar 2 will run $59,900 ($69,900CAD) plus fees, the one pictured in this article will run you $67,100 plus fees.
2021 Polestar 2 Specs & Performance
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors (300 kW); 78.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack |
| Power | 408 hp (304 kW) |
| Torque | 487 lb/ft (660 N·m) |
| Charging Times |
120V: N/A 240V: 12.0 h 400V: N/A |
| Transmission | Single-speed Direct-drive |
| Drivetrain | AWD |
| Vehicle type / Category | |
| Vehicle type | 4-Door Hatchback |
| Category | Compact Luxury Car, Electric |
| Assembly | Chengdu, China |
| Fuel efficiency / Autonomy | |
| City | 0 L/100km |
| Highway | 0 L/100km |
| Combined | 0 L/100km |
| Autonomy | 440 km |
| CO₂ emissions | 0 g/km |
| Equipment | |
| Heated front seats | Standard |
| Heated rear seats | Standard |
| Heated steering wheel | Standard |
| Surround-view camera | Standard |
| Smart key | Standard |
| Blindspot detection | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Autonomous emergency braking | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
| Adaptive cruise control | Standard |
| Phone application | Standard |
| Infotainment | Android Automotive OS |
| Apple CarPlay compatible | Not available |
| Android Auto compatible | Available |
| Wireless phone charging | Available |
| Steering / Suspension / Brakes / Tires | |
| Steering | N/A |
| Front suspension | independent, Macpherson strut |
| Rear suspension | independent, multi-link |
| Front brakes | Disc (ABS) |
| Rear brakes | Disc (ABS) |
| Front tires | 245/40R-20 |
| Rear tires | 245/40R-20 |
| Safety | |
| Seat belts | 5 |
| Dimensions / Weight | |
| Length | 4572 mm (180″) |
| Width | 1981 mm (78″) |
| Height | 1494 mm (59.0″) |
| Wheelbase | 2735 mm (107.7″) |
| Weight | 1900 kg (4189 lb) |
| Capacities | |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Trunk | 405 l (14 cu ft) |
| Battery Capacity | 78kWh |
| Towing capacity | 1,500 kg (3,307 lb, with trailer with brakes) |
| Performance | |
| Power to weight ratio | 157.8 W/kg |
| 0-100 km/h | 4.7 s (manufacturer) |
| 80-120 km/h | N/A |
| Top speed | 250 km/h (155 mph) (estimated) |
| Braking distance | N/A |
| Warranty | |
| Base warranty | 4 years/80,000 km |
| Powertrain warranty | 4 years/80,000 km |
2021 Polestar 2 Video & Photos
