What’s in a name? It depends.

Think of Polestar. It was once the name of Volvo’s high performance brand. Founded in 1996, Polestar’s original mission was to build Volvo racing cars for the Swedish Touring Car Championship. Nowadays, it’s Volvo’s EV brand, building cars the company describes as pure, minimalist, engineering-driven and sustainable. Volvo and Polestar are both owned by Geely Auto Group, a Chinese automaker that includes brands you might not have heard of, including Zeekr, Geely, and Lynk, as well as others you may have, like Proton. and Lotus.

Polestar’s head office in the United States is in New Jersey with its head office in Gothenburg, Sweden. But its vehicles are built in China. Currently, Polestar is sold through 30 dealers, which the company calls Polestar Spaces, although buyers can do most of their shopping online; the nearest Polestar Space delivers the vehicle.

The company’s first model was a limited-edition high-performance plug-in hybrid, the Polestar 1. Arriving in 2019, it is Polestar’s only gasoline-powered automobile. The Polestar 2 Dual Motor arrived about a year later, an all-electric five-door sedan powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, allowing all-wheel drive. But in December, you can buy a new single-engine model, with front-wheel drive and a lower starting price of $ 4,000 – and that might be the best deal.

The Polestar 2 uses Volvo’s CMA architecture that underpins the Volvo S40 sedan and XC40 crossover, and its short, chunky shape is reminiscent of its Scandinavian sibling, including its ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlight design. The look is upscale and sporty, possessing a distinctive identity.

Head inside and you’ll find a cabin that doesn’t borrow much from Volvo, other than a few pieces of gear. Instead, you’ll find a distinctive, man-made, recycled postmodern vegan chic in black or gray, unless you opt for the carnivorous interior, aka leather, which comes in lighter tones. . Time spent in the vegan interior revealed that the seats were comfortable and supportive, with generous legroom in the first row and minimal legroom in the second row as long as those in the front are somewhat. accommodating. The ceiling height is sufficient. The Polestar 2’s high beltline gives the cabin a cocoon-like feel, with limited rear visibility due to the odd shape of the rear window and large C-pillar.

The cargo area is spacious and has additional space under the cargo floor. There is also room for small items or a briefcase in the front trunk.

The minimalist interior design works quite well, with one glaring exception: the center console. There is one open-air cup holder and the second is tucked inside the center console bin. If you use both, you cannot use the bin for storage. And when the center console bin cover is closed, you can slide it forward, which covers both, making them unnecessary. Card sleeves are not designed to accept bottles. So make sure you are hydrated before you get behind the wheel.

Once you do, you’ll find that there’s a noticeable performance difference between the single-engine model, producing 231 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque with a range of 265 miles, and the twin-engine model. engine generating 408 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque with 249 miles of range. This is especially the case above 50 mph. Dual engine models have a hint of rear-wheel drive bias that allows you to get the tail tango if you desire. Then there’s the extra horsepower, although that comes at the expense of 16 miles of range. By comparison, the single-engine model is front-wheel drive, so its personality is a bit straighter, but its wider rear tires tame the front-wheel-drive Polestar 2’s understeer when cornering.

Whichever one you buy, you’ll find the cabin to be extraordinarily quiet, among the quietest you’ll encounter in any car. And wait until you feel its powerful push offline. All Polestar 2’s have a steering effort that can be adjusted, transforming the steering feel from effortless to heavy. Regenerative braking effort can also be adjusted. Uniquely, the car does not have a start button. Instead, you just get in the car with the key fob in your pocket and put your foot on the brake. The car starts. Soft.

Of course, if you’ve never experienced an electric vehicle before, the Polestar is a good place to start. His stocky, vegan character and energetic, agile demeanor will make you wonder why you’ve driven a gas car all these years. And now it’s even more affordable. But Polestar is not standing still, as more Polestar EVs are expected in 2022, including the Polestar 3 SUV.

2022 Polestar 2 Single motor

Base price: $ 45,900

Motor: AC synchronous, permanent magnet motor

Horsepower / Torque: 231/243 lb-ft

Range: estimated 265 miles

Length / Width / Height: 181.3 / 78.1 / 58.2 inch

Ground clearance: 6 inches

Cargo capacity: 14.3 to 38.7 cubic feet (rear); 1.2 cubic feet (front)

Towing capacity: 2,000 pounds

(Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. Readers can email him at [email protected])

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