Video Summary
The Polestar 2 has had an update or facelift since it was last reviewed about five years ago. Initial press coverage was overly positive. Earlier reviews of the car were done after only an hour or two with it. Living with the car for a week back in 2020, the efficiency was awful, at 2.5 miles per kilowatt hour during a gentle run. A Tesla Model 3 following the same route got 4 miles per kilowatt hour.The reviewer wonders if efficiency has been fixed in the new model. The car looks great, has solid build quality, and has a great brand behind it. It's a good car but a bad EV. The primary cosmetic change is to the grille, or lack of one. The reviewer prefers the pre-facelift grille. He finds the overall design has not aged.
Underneath it's essentially an XC40 car, based on the same components. The Polestar 2 is like an SUV that has been squashed down, rather than a normal car that has been made taller. Back seat entry is not brilliant, and getting children into seats is possible but not the easiest in its class. He recalls the press release saying it's an SUV with sports saloon imaginings, but doesn't understand what that means.
The tyres are Michelin Primacy, which should help with efficiency. Taking off the wheel covers reveals wheels underneath that aren't great looking; therefore, the covers are back on. The reviewer finds they're missing a trick in not making an estate. The back is growing on him over the years. Many EVs don't have a frunk, but this one does. The interior hasn't changed much, but they still have the black gloss, a fabric cloth feel to the door, and more traditional, less minimalist dash than Tesla. The interior seems like it might not wear well. It had enough space for the car's cables, boots, but is better than nothing
It can be difficult to locate and operate the air conditioning controls. They have a wide back, and it's not very supportive in corners. Panoramic roof makes it bright, but head room is limited, and better when they slouch,
