What Is the Best Premium EV Sedan?
EV shoppers looking for an affordable premium all-electric sedan unfortunately don’t have a lot of choices. After all, demand for sedans have declined over the last 10 to 15 years in favor of more popular crossovers and SUVs. The good news is that the affordable EV sedans on the market are really good.
Of course, there’s the most popular all-electric sedan, the Tesla Model 3, which has been significantly improved for 2024. There are also sedans like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and BMW i4 that are gaining a loyal following. The upcoming all-electric VW ID.7 is anticipated to be a sporty European EV sedan alternative. There’s also the Polestar 2. But, what’s a Polestar, you ask?
2024 Polestar 2 Review
If you’re a car enthusiast, you’ll remember the Polestar brand as a Swedish racing and tuning company that partnered with Volvo in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Polestar was originally intended to add performance flair to Volvo vehicles, similar to BMW’s M Division or Mercedes-Benz’s AMG brand. Volvo Cars, which was owned by Ford at the time, was sold in 2010 to the Geely Auto Group – an automotive company based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Under Geely’s ownership, Volvo bought out Polestar in 2015 and it became a standalone brand in 2017 that focused on electric cars.
Today, Polestar and Volvo are both owned by Geely and share vehicle technology, chassis designs, powertrains, and other components. Volvo continues to be a Swedish-inspired brand that focuses on Scandinavian design, sustainability, and safety. Polestar is evolving to be a Swedish-inspired brand that focuses on performance and sustainability.
The brand’s first car was the Polestar 1 – a very limited production plug-in hybrid sports coupe made between 2019 and 2022. Only about 1,500 units were made. The Polestar 2 was introduced in 2020 as the brand’s second car and mainstream offering.
What Has Changed in the 2024 Polestar 2
Since the Polestar 2’s introduction, it has arguably been one of the best-kept secrets in the automotive and EV world. At the time, the Polestar 2 was the only available mid-size EV sedan, available outside of the hugely popular Tesla Model 3. Although the Polestar 2 shares a lot with the Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge SUVs, it has been successfully repackaged into a sports sedan.
For the 2024 model year, Polestar has made some significant improvements. The biggest change was moving the main electric motor from the front axle to the rear axle, essentially transforming the Polestar 2 from a front-wheel drive (FWD) biased vehicle to a rear-wheel drive (RWD) design for better performance and dynamics. It’s amazing that this can be done with relative ease with EVs; you would have to completely reengineer a gas vehicle to make the same kind of changes. There’s also improved range and efficiency thanks to a larger battery and improved electric motors.
Polestar 2 Exterior Design
Remember when hybrids all looked like the Toyota Prius? Early adopters wanted to make a statement that they were driving a hybrid. Mainstream consumers that followed, however, often just wanted a regular looking vehicle with a hybrid powertrain. The same thing is happening with battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Many automakers have designed their first EVs with futuristic exteriors, creative door handle designs, and unique interiors so that everyone knows it’s an EV.
EV buyers not looking to drive a spaceship will love the Polestar 2. It’s a good-looking sedan that is also fairly conservative and unprepossessing in traffic. You’d be hard-pressed to tell it was an EV. There’s no mistaking this as a sedan. It doesn’t pretend to be a crossover, even if it is based on the Volvo XC40 SUV. It’s a low-slung design that’s 181.3 inches in length – about 4 inches shorter than a Tesla Model 3 and about 10 inches shorter than the Hyundai Ioniq 6. The wheelbase is also much shorter at 107.7 inches, versus the Model 3 at 113.2 inches and Ioniq 6 at 116.1 inches.
Overall, it has a very European look to it. Its long hood is very sedan-like, but its profile hides a practical liftback. There are subtle styling elements that make it stand out, however, like frameless side-view mirrors and a light bar that connects the rear taillights. Badging is surprisingly subtle with body-colored Polestar logos on the hood and trunk lid. The Polestar name is only found on the small decals on the bottom of the doors that also advertise the battery size and motor power, and there’s a discreet “Polestar Engineered” badge on the new body-colored grille insert. Volvo DNA is seen in the headlights, which use a “Thor’s hammer” daytime running light design.
You have a choice of the standard 19-inch Aero wheels or optional Pro 20-inch wheels. If you opt for the understated Performance Pack, it adds unique 20 inch Performance wheels, gold-colored Brembo brake calipers, and gold-colored tire valve caps.
Polestar 2 Interior and Practicality
Like the exterior, the interior of the Polestar 2 is conservative-looking, yet sporty and modern.
If you are coming from a gasoline vehicle, the Polestar 2 feels both familiar and up-to-date. The LED instrument cluster fits within a traditional hooded housing. The 11.2-inch infotainment screen sits portrait-style at the top of the large center console.
Materials throughout are both premium and sustainable. The dashboard and door panels use a recycled PET plastic material that feels very premium. There’s a tasteful mixture of fabric, soft-touch materials, and textured plastic or wood throughout the cabin. My Performance Pack tester came with the “Swedish Gold” seat belts that definitely stand out.
That said, the Polestar 2’s cabin is snug even for smaller-framed folks. Once you’re in, you’re motivated to stay in as it’s obvious that Polestar intended the interior to be more performance- and driver-oriented. The unnecessarily large and tall center console makes the front seat area even more tight than needed. It’s odd that Polestar decided to raise the center console so high on a vehicle that’s already limited by its donor chassis’ transmission tunnel.
Taller drivers will have a harder time finding a comfortable seating position with their knees rubbing against the console, and it also makes it a chore to reach the physical volume knob mounted in front of the gear selector and the climate controls at the bottom of the infotainment screen. There’s also only one easily accessible cup holder; to access the second cup holder, you have to open the armrest storage and sacrifice any storage space or use of the armrest.
Front seats are firm yet comfortable. They provide good support with decently-sized side bolsters for more spirited cornering. The rear seating area is tight, especially when you consider the narrow door openings to get in. Rear legroom is 33.9 inches, which isn’t far from the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4, but almost 6 inches less than the more roomy Ioniq 6. Middle passengers will need to deal with the transmission tunnel from the Polestar 2’s gas vehicle roots.
Three different seating materials are available. An embossed textile fabric complemented by 3D-etched deco trim is standard in either charcoal or zinc color. Opt for the Plus Pack and you get either charcoal or slate colored WeaveTech seats, which are a vegan, water, and dirt-resistant fabric, according to Polestar. Moving up to the Nappa upgrade gives you perforated animal-welfare Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and light ash wood trim.
Visibility is good out the front, but it’s another story out the sides and rear. The thick C-pillar creates large blind spots. The sloped rear window also makes rear visibility a challenge, especially since no digital review mirror is available. The optional panoramic roof opens up the cabin, but no sunshade is available.
Versatility is a strong point for the Polestar 2. Unlike the Model 3 and Ioniq 6, which have conventional trunk lids, the Polestar 2 has a large liftback. Rear trunk cargo capacity with the seats up is 14.4 cubic feet – more than the Ioniq 6 and BMW i4, but smaller than the Model 3’s 24.1 cubic feet – and there’s a deep well under the floor for additional storage. Accessing the generous cargo space, even with the seats folded, is easy with the liftback. It can easily swallow a big-screen TV or bicycle with the 60/40 split seats folded. And yes, there’s a front trunk that’s sizeable if not the biggest.
Polestar 2: Technology
When entering the Polestar 2 with the key or optional digital key, the car turns on without the need for a push button. You can turn off the Polestar 2 from the infotainment screen or just exit the vehicle.
The 12.3 inch gauge cluster LED is legible. It’s customizable to show the navigation, your efficiency, battery state of charge, and range. The portrait-format 11.2 inch infotainment screen reminds you of an iPad. It isn’t the largest by modern standards, but looks fairly large in the small cabin. It uses a slick Google built-in system that supports wired Apple CarPlay. Overall, it’s responsive and legible, but some app icons can be small and not the easiest to read while driving.
The best thing about the infotainment is the amount of vehicle customization available. You can adjust steering feel, one-pedal braking, optimize things like speed, climate control, and driving style to maximize range. The climate control is only accessed through the bottom of the infotainment system. Although you can use Google’s verbal commands to change the climate setting, I would have preferred the controls to be permanently shown at the bottom of the screen for easy access instead of having to flip through menus.
One thing that could be improved is the 360-degree camera system. Resolution isn’t the greatest, and the fish-eyed lens distorts parking lines; I always found myself parking on an angle.
Polestar 2 Powertrains, Range, and Charging
The 2023 Polestar 2’s front-mounted motor produced 231 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. The 2024 model’s rear motor produces 299 hp and 361 lb-ft, propelling the Polestar 2 RWD to 60 mph in a respectable 5.9 seconds. Thanks to a larger 82-kWh battery, range is much better than the 2023 FWD model’s 270 miles, with the 2024 Polestar 2 RWD’s EPA-estimated range at 320 miles. That’s more than the Ioniq 6 SEL RWD’s 305-mile estimated range and BMW i4 eDrive35’s 276-mile estimated range, but it falls short of the Model 3 Long Range RWD’s 363-mile range estimate.
If you want a bit more acceleration and all-wheel drive, the dual motor Polestar 2 produces more power at 421 hp and 546 lb-ft, and is capable of going from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds. If you opt for the Performance Pack, software increases output to 455 hp and 546 lb-ft, cutting the run to 60 mph to just 4.0 seconds. All AWD models use last year’s 78-kWh battery, meaning an EPA-estimated range of 276 miles for the standard AWD model, and 247 miles for the Performance Pack. The Polestar 2 AWD falls far short of the Tesla Model 3 long range AWD’s estimated range of 341 miles.
All Polestar 2s come with an onboard 11-kW (48A) AC charger, which is more than sufficient to charge the battery overnight using a Level 2 home charger. The RWD Polestar 2 has a peak DC fast charging rate of 205 kW, capable of charging the larger battery from 10 to 80 percent in about 28 minutes. The AWD has a lower peak charging rate of only 155 kW. Neither model is the quickest-charging compared to competitors. It's also worth noting that the Polestar 2 is equipped with a CCS-style port; Polestar is expected to be among the next round of automakers that will gain access to the Tesla Supercharging network, following Ford and Rivian.
How Does the Polestar 2 Drive?
If you’re looking for a cushy and comfortable highway cruiser, the Polestar 2 is not for you. Even in its base form, the Polestar 2 is set up more for sporty driving. The switch to a RWD layout has made a big difference, improving power delivery and handling characteristics.
You won’t be winning any races with the RWD Polestar 2. But, step up to the AWD or the Performance Pack, and it’s night and day. The AWD is quick at low speeds or on the highway, and acceleration is instantaneous like many EVs.
Handling and ride are similar to many European sedans. Steering feel is good and the Polestar 2 corners fairly well and flat, but at the cost of a stiffer ride. The Performance Pack adds Öhlins Dual Flow Valve (DFV) manually-adjustable dampers with 22 settings. In its default factory setting I found it stiff. In order to change the damper settings you have to adjust them manually, using tools. Hardcore enthusiasts might take the time to adjust the dampers themselves. Others can bring it to a Polestar service center to have them adjusted.
The regenerative braking system is different from other EVs. One-pedal driving can be set to Off, Low, or Standard. Low mode allows for more coasting on the highway, and I found Standard fairly strong when releasing the accelerator pedal. The Polestar 2 also has a “Creep” mode that allows the car to inch forward a bit like a gas car when you let off the brakes. This is also useful if you want to minimize the rubber-band effect of one-pedal driving.
Polestar 2 Pricing and Competitors
In its base form, the Polestar 2 is pretty bare-bones. The long range Single motor RWD has a starting MSRP of $49,900, and there are three upgrade packs available. The Pilot Pack adds adaptive cruise control, Pilot Assist lane centering, rear collision warning and mitigation, and LED fog lights. The Plus Pack adds a 13-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, panoramic roof, WeaveTech synthetic leather seats, interior illumination, power seats, heated steering wheel, air quality monitor, digital key, power-operated tailgate, and truck lid bag holder.
The base Polestar 2 AWD has a starting MSRP of $55,300, with the same available packages as the RWD. The Performance Pack is only available on AWD models and adds a performance software upgrade, 20-inch performance wheels, the Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, and Swedish gold seatbelts for $5,500.
Thanks to Tesla’s recent price reductions, the Polestar 2 is a more expensive than the Model 3. A Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD currently starts at an MSRP of $42,490, about $7,000 less than the Polestar 2 RWD. The Model 3 Long Range AWD is almost $8,000 less than the Polestar 2 AWD. The Polestar 2’s options give you more choice, but at additional cost to the higher price tag. You also get less range and space than the Model 3.
The Polestar 2 is closer in price to the BMW i4 in base form. The BMW i4 eDrive35 RWD has a starting MSRP of $52,200, slightly above the Polestar 2 RWD. The AWD i4 xDrive40 has a starting MSRP of $61,600, a few thousand dollars more than the Polestar AWD. However, as is the case with most BMWs, customizing the vehicle can significantly increase the price.
One thing to note is that the Polestar 2 is one of the few EVs assembled in China, which could make it subject to the new U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs. From a consumer standpoint, this may not be noticeable unless Polestar starts to increase its prices. Because of its country of origin, the Polestar 2 doesn’t qualify for the $7,500 tax credit if you purchase, though your dealer may be able to apply the credit if you lease.
Polestar 2: Conclusion
The Polestar 2 is an interesting offering in the premium EV sedan segment. It faces stiff competition from its few competitors, but offers a different and unique liftback form factor and more premium touches than the less-expensive Tesla Model 3. The Polestar 2 also offers BMW-like handling characteristics and performance at a slightly lower price than the i4, but doesn’t have BMW’s brand cachet. VW’s upcoming ID.7 has a similar liftback design, with typical VW driving dynamics and a price range expected to be similar to the Polestar 2, but with a much larger interior.
What the Polestar 2 does offer is a unique alternative to the common Tesla Model 3, but with more premium touches. It should appeal to EV buyers looking for a premium sports sedan with European driving dynamics but don’t want to spend extra on the BMW badge.
