New power and battery options extend Polestar 2 range and lower entry-level price

Polestar has expanded its Polestar 2 range to three distinct options. The flagship dual-motor is joined by two single motor options with both long- and standard-range battery packs. As well as providing more choice, this has had the effect of bringing the entry price to less than £40,000. 

For our money there are few better options out there than the Polestar 2 if you’re after something distinctive, beautifully built and from a brand which is really walking the walk when it comes to being green. In fact, one of our very few criticisms of the car was the cost, so the newly expanded range goes some way to addressing this. Not only this, as part of Polestar’s transparent pricing structure, the brand has curated equipment packs to provide easy-to-understand options for buyers.  

The new range 

First things first; inside and out, you’re unlikely to immediately know a high-spec Polestar 2 from a more modest one. There are no small wheels or black bumpers (remember those?) here. All cars get 19 inch wheels, signature LED lighting and styling details like the frameless mirrors. Inside, the WeaveTech vegan upholstery is still available and the 11 inch centre display, 12.3 inch driver display, and high levels of connectivity remain.  

At the top of the pile remains the Polestar 2 long range, dual motor, which has been the only option until now. It’s a fantastic EV, with 408hp and 487lb-ft offering superb performance and the 78kWh battery providing a near 300 mile range on a charge. This starts at £45,900. 

Joining the range-topper is a long range version with a single motor. This packs a front-mounted single motor with 231hp and 244lb-ft and that same 78kWh battery. In preliminary WLTP testing, this version has achieved up to 335 miles and will be the choice for those who value range over outright power. This version starts at £42,900. 

Finally, Polestar is introducing a standard range, single motor version which also has a front-mounted motor, albeit with a slightly lower output of 224hp, but the same 244lb-ft of torque. A 64kWh battery offers a perfectly reasonable range of up to 273 miles, and the car can be bought from £39,900.  

Option packs 

Polestar is enabling buyers to add pre-prepared packs to their Polestar 2 of choice, with the equipment included in each being carefully curated to fulfil specific requirements. However, the existing Performance Pack, which adds Brembo brakes, Öhlins dampers and 20 inch wheels remains only available on the long range dual motor version. It costs £5000.  

The Plus Pack and Pilot Pack (which were standard on the launch edition car) are now split out and can be specified individually. The former costs £4000 and adds to the car’s already decent levels of comfort with a panoramic sunroof, 13 speaker Harman Kardon sound system, heated steering wheel, rear seats and wipers, black ash deco panels and fully heated front seats with memory. This also adds a new heat pump which utilises thermal energy from the drivetrain to improve efficiency.  

The Pilot Pack costs £3000 and centres on driver aids and assistance. It adds Pixel LEDs and LED front fog lights, driver assistance with adaptive cruise and pilot assist, a 360-degree surround camera, all-round parking sensors and driver awareness including blind spot information system, cross traffic alert and rear collision warning.

Update 27.04.22: Polestar has updated the 2 Standard Range Single motor with a larger battery and more potent motor. Battery capacity has been lifted to 69kWh thanks to improved cell chemistry which sees the WLTP range increase from 273 miles to 295 miles, with a slight lift in power from 224bhp up to 228bhp. In addition to these changes, there are some new exterior colours and interior trim options available to buyers, whilst Polestar has reduced the carbon footprint of the production of each car by 750kg thanks to swapping to aluminium created using renewable energy. These updates are available immediately.