Words Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Jay Tomei

Close the door and go. This is the constant echo that accompanies my weeks spent in the company of the Polestar 2, the Swedish sedan that – after the brief introductory parenthesis of the (Polestar) 1 – defines the Swedish brand’s identity as its own, initially the creator of Volvo’s highest-performance models and now the standard-bearer of an electric mobility based on the proven Scandinavian minimalism that well envelops a product owned by the Chinese Geely. The 2 is a fresh new car, but that actually plays its cards well by drawing from Volvo exactly what it needs, catapulting itself into a crowded segment, but where the random Tesla still seems to prevail, at least until now.

The Polestar 2 surprises first of all for its layout, that of a three-box sedan that many have abandoned to deviate towards SUVs and crossovers and that Tesla has instead substantially maintained with its Model 3, the true reference product for the first Polestar produced in a non-limited series. With the imminent arrival of the 3 and 4, we are facing a restyling, where changes occur in extremely crucial departments in order to make the drivability and the breadth of use even better than before. In addition to the front grille that disappears leaving room for a full profile that incorporates camera and radar, the electric unit of this Single Motor moves to the rear and so does traction. But enough beating around the bush, let’s get down to business and really see what this is all about.

The version tested is the one I consider to be the best proposal in the list, a Long Range with a single engine and 82 kWh batteries. This means that despite giving up a higher peak of maximum power and a higher range value, the 299 horsepower distributed only on the rear-wheel drive guarantee rapid acceleration and the possibility of traveling in complete serenity for at least 520 real kilometers – over a hundred less than the value declared by the manufacturer. After all, would you really need the more powerful 421 and 476 hp variants? Trust me, no, at least in the vast majority of cases. We were saying that the Polestar 2 is a sedan, with four doors, five seats (four of which are very comfortable) and two load compartments: one at the rear and very capacious – about 400 liters – and one at the front, smaller but all in all useful for arranging the charging cables. Everything else is reduced to the bare essentials, to a clean taste in perfect Volvo style, but with some accents that do not go unnoticed and make this particular model attractive even if it is not your usual SUV.

The starting platform and the mechanics are those of the XC40 Recharge that we know well and that has already widely demonstrated its versatility. The centimeters from the ground are a little less, but actually we have more generous suspensions compared to a traditional sedan and this makes it agile on less than perfect terrain and above all accentuates the sporty and multifunctional character of the car. This one does it with generous dimensions, but which do not make coexistence in the city difficult. 461 centimeters of length and plenty of space on board, also thanks to the perception of brightness guaranteed by the enormous glass roof that includes the entire width of the cabin. Right, but how is it to drive? Once on board I find myself in an environment devoid of any frills. There are just a couple of North Stars on the steering wheel, the gear lever, an 11.2-inch display that uses intelligent Google Maps navigation and that not only identifies charging stations along the set route, but calculates the time needed to reach the destination with a minimum of battery that then allows you to move further without ending up in panic. Oh, the sat-nav is also mirrored full screen on the digital display behind the steering wheel. Pretty remarkable right?

Foot on the brake, lever in Drive and I start to move in the blissful silence slightly interrupted by the rolling of the excellent Michelin Alpin winter tires. Polestar’s minimalism can be felt in every little feature of the car, starting from a console substantially devoid of any buttons – unfortunately even those of the climate – passing through a smooth and clean dashboard that gives the car a very personal and welcoming look. There are not even driving modes to choose from, but only the possibility of increasing or decreasing the intensity of the steering and recharging on throttle release. After a few days I preferred to set the intermediate resistance (Normal) finding it precise and not unnecessarily rigid when setting up a curve. There are many driving aids, including Adaptive Cruise, Lane Keeping Aid, Driver Alert, Road Sign recognition, anti-collision system and BLIS, which can also be deactivated from the dedicated screen.

The batteries are placed low and contribute in making the Polestar 2 a 2-ton sedan, but we will return to this aspect shortly. In the meantime, I move around in urban areas, as well as on secondary roads or on the motorway, immediately noticing how the overall range is managed in an exemplary manner, allowing me to travel longer than I usually do with 100% electric cars and without always keeping a watchful eye on the residual juice. In fact, it is possible to set the range indicator according to two types of driving: the normal one or the one more oriented towards performance, in order to have a forecast in case you decide to use the 299 horsepower at disposal.

As mentioned, it is not the most powerful version in the range, but the power here is enough to make it fast in any movement. After all, there are 490 Nm of torque that are put down immediately and press you to the seat in a constant progression that on slippery asphalt reminds you that traction is on the rear axle only. This is an advantage in several respects: firstly because the steering has more precise feedback and a greater radius and then because the car itself offers a more direct reading of the road. However, when I put my foot down on the throttle, especially on the more tortuous stretches, I realize that the braking system is slightly undersized, leading me to anticipate the most intense brakings to avoid unpleasant situations. No big deal, because as soon as the moment comes, stepping down even more decisively on the accelerator by slightly widening the rear adds a pinch of fun that I never thought I would find when dealing with a sedan, especially an all-electric one.

During the weeks of testing I drove in every scenario: sun, rain, sleet, heat, cold, motorway, countryside and city. In short, everywhere. The Polestar 2 has in any situation maintained intact its ability to make me feel on board an incredibly relaxing car, practical in every aspect and capable of making me have fun where the road morphology encouraged me to press more vigorously on the rightmost pedal. Of course, in those moments a second electric motor and the power that comes with it would have added more spice, but in 90% of cases, these 299 horses are more than enough. And while I stop at the column for a quick charge I go back to observe it from the outside, appreciating more and more the clean lines that, especially at the front, do not distort the image known to every Volvo driver – including Thor’s hammer in the light clusters – but evolve the concept with a personal style that is traced on very square sides and a rear virtually widened by the light signature that crosses the trunk, just above the plate.

In the blink of an eye we are back at 80%, which means I have another 420 km of driving, a plus offered by the fact that in DC you can charge up to 205 kW. The sense of freedom is a breath of fresh air and it is inevitable to go back thinking about the Tesla Model 3, the Standard Range with similar power (just 16 horsepower less) and almost the same range. The Tesla’s advantage lies in the price: around €43,000 against the €59,000 starting price of the Polestar 2 of our test. Both enjoy periodic software updates and both drive well in any circumstance, so it becomes a question of gut instinct, with the Model 3 which has also been recently updated and made much more graceful than before. Which one would you choose?

POLESTAR 2 LONG RANGE SINGLE MOTOR 82 kWh

Engine Electric with 82 kWh batteries Power 299 hp Torque 490 Nm

Traction Rear Wheel Drive Transmission Single Speed Automatic Weight 2.084 kg

0-100 kph 6,2 sec Top Speed 205 kph Price €59.300 Range 655 km (declared by the company)