2024 Polestar 2

The interior design is as understated as the exterior, but it just doesn’t click in the same way—mostly because of the dash, doors, and center console. They’re mostly made up of hard plastic, and between the confining, cockpit-like layout elbowed-out by the center console and the chunky door panels, you’re likely to bump into the hard plastic in the process of getting in and out. Vegan upholstery and recycled mixed materials around the cabin are far better than what you’ll find in a Tesla. And taking in the look and feel of the interface, the way in which Polestar simplifies its gauge cluster and lays out its larger center touchscreen is impressive in a design sense. 

Single-motor versions have a new permanent-magnet motor at the rear wheels, making 299 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque. Dual-motor versions get that same motor in back while adding an asynchronous (induction) motor at the front wheels, amounting to a combined 421 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque, or boosting it to 455 hp and the same torque rating with the Performance Pack.

How fast is the Polestar?

Single-motor versions now accelerate to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds. Dual-motor versions can do that dash in 4.3 seconds, and the Performance Pack version knocks it down to 4.1 seconds and feels breathtakingly quick, especially in the way it kicks out a surge of acceleration from about 20 mph well past normal freeway speeds. 

The dual-motor premium of at least $5,400 ($9,900 more for the Performance Pack) makes them a tougher argument versus the single-motor versions, which offer a much better handling balance in their new rear-wheel-drive forms. While the ride is a bit stiffer (and noisier, perhaps), we actually prefer the way the base version handles for most kinds of enthusiastic driving at legal speeds. Steering feel, in particular, is better in versions without the motor in front.

Drivers can customize the way the Polestar 2 drives with three steering settings, a sport mode that partially shuts off stability control, and three regenerative braking settings, the highest of which enables one-pedal driving. In any case, the Polestar 2 has a firm, reassuring brake-pedal feel.  

In addition to the power boost, the Performance Pack adds 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in grippy Continental SportContact 6 summer tires, four-piston Brembo calipers up front, and (manually) adjustable Öhlins dampers with three settings. 

In back, there’s a packaging surprise, too. The exterior design of the back doors are just a tease for the sake of appearances, and the rear door cuts are much shorter—to the degree that it can get in the way of taller occupants getting in and out, or reaching child seats. Back-seat comfort leaves much to be desired, too, with hard cushions and a somewhat higher seating point. It technically seats five, but we recommend just pulling down the center armrest in back. 

The 60/40-split rear seats fold down to expand the narrow 14.3 cubic feet of rear cargo space to a very spacious and usable 38.7 cubic feet, while the frunk adds another foot—enough for a daypack. 

While the dash, door, and center-console materials leave much to be desired, with too much hard plastic, Polestar’s seat textiles are positive standouts. The sustainable, mixed-material approach showcases seat upholsteries that look inspired by outdoor gear, and altogether they can feel like a better version of base German-car interiors. And for 2024 it’s made some of the combinations even more visually appealing with available perforated nappa upholstery and light ash inlays.

Despite new motors underneath and a different battery pack for some of the lineup, which makes the Polestar 2’s weight distribution quite different, the body structure isn’t any different and NHTSA has opted to carry over its top-tier crash-test results for this model. It hasn’t been tested by the IIHS.

This year, the Polestar 2 adds blind-spot monitors and a surround-view camera system—both previously part of the Plus package—as standard features. All versions also include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors. Adaptive cruise control and LED front fog lights and cornering lights are part of the $2,000 Pilot pack.

The 11.2-inch touchscreen is powered by Google’s Android R operating interface, and those who live and breathe on the Android ecosystem will find it instantly familiar. The rest of us will need to do a lot of downloading of apps, although Apple CarPlay is fully supported. The entertainment offerings depend highly on a data connection and apps.

Which Polestar 2 should I buy?

With the arrival of the Kia EV6 GT and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, among others, top-of-the-line dual-motor Performance Pack models (see the performance section above) now have more competition. Instead, base single-motor models, at $51,300, are now the ones to get—for their satisfying performance and poise, their 320-mile range rating, and the robust list of standard features. 

We’d add the $2,200 Plus Pack because it helps make the 2024 Polestar 2 feel more like a great year-round touring car. It includes upgraded power front seats with lumbar support, a glass roof, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, a digital-key system, and a heat pump that will help maximize range on longer trips in cold weather. 

How much is a fully loaded Polestar 2?

Option the $56,700 dual-motor with the $5,500 Performance Pack, the $4,000 nappa leather pack, and $1,250 metallic paint and you end up at $67,450.

In either case, the 2024 Polestar 2 gets an 11-kw onboard charger, allowing a full charge on 240 volts at home in eight hours. For slower stopgap charging, a 16-amp connector that’s 240-volt compatible is included.