Finally someone I genuinely trust has reviewed the car.
2021 Polestar 2 first drive review: An impressive EV with Google onboard
Volvo's EV offshoot delivers its first fully electric model, and with Google infotainment and great on-road manners, it's a promising look at Polestars to come.
Henry Catchpole
July 24, 2020 5:00 a.m. PT
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This is the first time Google has been integrated into a car's operating system and it really does feel like the sort of game changer that will leave other manufacturers reeling and scrabbling to catch up. It can also extend beyond the car to your home and office and any other areas of your life that are connected to a Gmail account. "Hey, Google, turn on the lights in the garage." I love it.
On the other hand, it's attached to a large touchscreen and I've never been a fan of those. Except, in the Polestar 2, it actually seems to work. There are still physical buttons for things that you might need in a rush, like the hazard warning lights and windscreen demisting. There is a volume control knob too, which is handy. But the screen itself is simple and intuitively arranged so that you can merely glance at it and get what you need. The icons that you need to touch are also large enough that when you stretch out a finger you don't feel like you're chasing a lone pea around a plate with a fork.
2021 Polestar 2 has Google tech and impressive road manners
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Incidentally I've always wondered about the relative merits of portrait- and landscape-oriented screens, generally leaning towards landscape for aesthetics, but Polestar has championed the benefits of portrait for the simple reason that lists you scroll down can be longer and maps can show more of the road ahead (while being orientated in the car's direction of travel). The second screen behind the wheel is nicely uncluttered, with three simple layout options that show only relevant information such as speed and power usage or a large but slightly simplified map.
One more thing on the navigation: When you enter a destination it automatically shows you how much battery charge you will have left when you arrive. This might sound simple, and in fact other electric cars have adopted this technology as well, but I think it will go a long way to alleviating the anxiety felt by anyone new to EVs. Google will also plan your route via charging stations if you wish or need. The claimed range from the 78-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery -- which can charge up to 80% in 40 minutes -- is 292 miles according to the European WLTP cycle (US EPA numbers are still unknown). The test wasn't long enough to assess how accurate it will be in the real world, so that will have to wait for another day, but it's promising.
Something that will obviously extend the range is regenerative braking and I loved this aspect of driving the Polestar 2. I've rarely been able to complete entire journeys without ever touching the brake pedal and it's a curiously pleasing experience. The regen can offer up to 0.3 g of braking force which is plenty in most situations, and while there is the option to tone-down the one-pedal driving from Standard to Light or even Off, I'm not sure why you would. Initially it can take a little acclimatization and there are a few jerky applications at first, but it's not as tricky as training your left foot to brake. In fact I think the extra-sensitive right foot would be beneficial in other non-electric cars -- who knew that a Polestar might improve your throttle control in a 911 GT3?
Volvo, but this firmness is largely in the secondary ride as it still soaks up bigger bumps with aplomb. And of course you can adjust them. The front shocks are relatively easy to tune but accessing the knob on the rears takes a bit more effort. Nonetheless, it can be done, and after switching the car to its comfort setting (18 clicks out of 22 on the front, 20 out of 22 on the rear) it does feel more accommodating on bumpy British roads. Still not plush, but slightly less bobbly.
BMW 3 Series). At a smidgen under $60,000 in the US it feels like reasonable value too, certainly given that it clearly undercuts other premium offerings. If you said, "Hey, Google, what does Henry Catchpole think of the Polestar 2?" I hope it would reply with, "Terrific."
Volvo's EV offshoot delivers its first fully electric model, and with Google infotainment and great on-road manners, it's a promising look at Polestars to come.
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