It’s late afternoon as I pull up to a traffic light in Dubai Marina. I hear the polite beep of a car horn to my right – not the kind used to warn or insult, rather the kind meant to call your attention. Morse code for ‘hey’. I turn and two men in the car next to me gesture to roll down my window. I oblige. “Electric?” asks the driver. I confirm. “Not a Tesla though, better than a Tesla!” says the passenger enthusiastically. They both wave approved thumbs up in my direction and drive off into the sunset.
The kind strangers at the traffic light aren’t wrong. The Polestar 2 has its sights firmly set on taking on the Tesla Model 3. Polestar, once Swedish carmaker Volvo’s ‘skunkworks’ division, has now evolved into a standalone brand jointly owned by Volvo and China’s Geely.
The DNA of Volvo’s near-century of car making is clearly visible in every detail. Couple that with the fact that Sweden and China have amongst the highest rates of electric car use in the world, and you start to understand why the Polestar 2 is just so good.
On the outside the Polestar looks stunning — muscular, angular but without compromising on feeling accessible. It looks like a car you can use on the school run, but you’ll also look credible at a traffic light stare down. It sits higher than most saloons, which is reflected in the driving experience once you’re in the cabin. And what a cabin.
From the moment the door – complete with frameless mirrors – thuds reassuringly behind you, you feel at home under the expansive panoramic roof. The interior is simple an uses the kind of materials you’d expect in a 100% electric Swedish car – with a choice of vegan WeaveTech upholstery or ventilated Nappa leather.
It’s a cliché to say that something that is impeccably designed, functional and simple is ‘very Scandinavian’ but I’m going to go ahead and do it. It’s Very Scandinavian. There isn’t a single thing out of place. There is no excess. Even the typeface on the speedometer looks both efficient and cool for some reason.
There are multiple versions available that affect what kind of range, power and even ride stiffness you’ll get, starting with the Standard range Single motor version, featuring one electric motor with 231 bhp and 330 Nm of torque and a 69 kWh battery pack providing up to 444 km electric range. At the top of the range you’ve got the Long range Dual motor variant, which features all-wheel drive with a total output of 408b hp, 660 Nm of torque, and up to 482 km electric range. To that, you can add a Performance Pack which includes adjustable Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, forged 20-inch alloy wheels and signature ‘Swedish gold’ details inside and out.
Whatever version someone eventually goes for this car is as near a perfect EV as you can imagine. Expect to get stopped at traffic lights if you get one.
Polestar 2 is distributed by Al Futtaim Trading Enterprises and starts at AED 184,900 for the Standard range Single motor version.