Its range and running costs are not deal breakers, but there’s no denying they’re slightly off the pace. If you spend a lot of time on the road, you might want to choose a rival that can go further between charges instead.
But if you don’t – and let’s face it, relatively few of us regularly need to do more than 250 miles in one go – the 2’s general sense of warmth and wellbeing may well make it more satisfying overall. This is not the best electric car out there, and neither is it the best value, but it’s still satisfying and truly desirable.
Telegraph rating: Four stars out of five
The facts
On test: Polestar 2
How much? £49,990 on the road
How fast? 127mph, 0-62mph in 4.7sec
How economical? 3.2mpkWh (WLTP Combined)
The oily bits: N/A
The electric bits: 2x AC synchronous, permanent magnet motors (one per axle), 402bhp (combined maximum output), 78kWh Li-ion battery, 11/150kW (AC/DC) max charging speeds
Electric range: 292 miles
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
VED: £0
Warranty: 3 years / 60,000 miles
Boot size: 435 litres
Spare wheel as standard: No (not available)
The rivals
Tesla Model 3 Long Range
434bhp, 360 miles, £49,990 on the road
On paper, the Model 3’s markedly greater range makes it a no-brainer, but in the flesh, the Polestar’s more cultured feel and smoother ride win out. If you don’t actually need the Tesla’s vast range, the Polestar’s the nicer of the two cars – but you’ll have to live without access to Tesla’s excellent Supercharger network.
Jaguar I-Pace EV400 S
394bhp, 292 miles, £65,195 on the road
If there’s one car the 2 really steals a march on, it’s the I-Pace. It manages to offer more power and an identical range for less money. More importantly, because the I-Pace’s interior is one of its strongest suits, the Polestar is just as beguiling to sit in. The Jag offers up slightly sharper handling and a bigger boot by way of riposte – but otherwise, the Polestar rather trounces it.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD
290bhp, 379 miles, £49,980 on the road
This version of the Mach-E misses out on the Polestar’s four-wheel drive, and it’s rather less potent too. What’s more, its Tesla-inspired interior lacks the 2’s feelgood factor. But you simply can’t buy this much electric range for this sort of cash anywhere else; what’s more, the Mach-E’s is entertaining enough to drive that it goes some way toward justifying the Mustang badge.
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