Polestar 2 in-depth review: a Tesla Model 3 beater?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
- 2021 Polestar 2 review: carbyr.uk/3mcSV0d
Watch our latest video: bit.ly/carbuyervideos
Sign up to Carbuyer’s FREE newsletter: carbyr.uk/32TH658
The Polestar 2 is an upmarket electric car from Volvo’s offshoot brand, and is a direct rival to the Tesla Model 3. It bears several design cues from its parent company, giving it distinctive styling that blends elements of both hatchback and crossover. Under the bodywork it boasts a choice of rapid powertrains, offering a range of up to 336 miles. The brand has applied the same design techniques inside, too, with a luxury interior trimmed in vegan-friendly materials, and an array of new technology including the latest Android operating system. But is this enough to make the ‘2’ a genuine rival to the Model 3? Nicola heads to the Carbuyer test track to find out.
SUBSCRIBE to Carbuyer for new videos every week: bit.ly/17k4fct
Tesla Model 3 review: carbyr.uk/30IPD9t
Tesla Model Y review: carbyr.uk/3ydr8Q4
Ioniq 5 review: carbyr.uk/3sPLMop
Kia EV6 review: carbyr.uk/kiaev6
Best electric cars playlist: carbyr.uk/2jwb47i
Best electric cars 2021: carbyr.uk/best-evs
Follow us:
Twitter: carbyr.uk/2KkYSrv
Facebook: carbyr.uk/3328zBG
Instagram: carbyr.uk/3pOhQXK
Subscribe to Auto Express magazine: subscribe.autoexpress.co.uk
Carbuyer makes car buying simple. We're the only automotive brand that's approved by the Plain English Campaign, delivering you clear, concise and easy to understand information about the things that really matter when you're choosing - and buying - your next car.
www.carbuyer.co.uk
Every week, Carbuyer's UA-cam channel brings you simple and entertaining reviews on every major make and model that's available for sale in the UK. Plus you'll find frequently-updated top 10 features and the occasional group test for good measure. If you want even more helpful information, head over to Carbuyer.co.uk where you'll find in-depth reviews of more than 500 cars, alongside the best buying advice and dozens of features helping you to narrow down your car buying shortlist.
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Batteries and range
02:15 - Interior and technology
04:30 - Electric motors
04:54 - Charging
05:01 - Equipment and trim levels
05:27 - Rear seats
06:01 - Boot space
06:41 - Towing
06:57 - Performance and driving
09:49 - Dealmakers and dealbreakers
10:24 - Verdict - Авто та транспорт
I test drove the base spec model at the IAA this year. It took my by surprise. It will be my next car.
Love the reference to gold tyre valve caps! Excellent review with a lovely personal and informative touch.
Don’t know why, but her presentation skills remind me a lot of JC from TG (witty, knows what you’re doing and couldn’t care less of YOUR opinion). Very refreshing. I don’t get the miles though were you using EPA or WLTP? The US versions seem to offer substantially different claims on mileage.
Well done 👍 Great presentation, you are a natural at presenting.
Great review again. Would be nice to see a comparison video with say this, the M3 and the Ioniq 5 or EV6.
Great review. Thank you. Can’t wait to see your polestar 3 review.
very well done and entertainin'! Thanks!
Fantastically charismatic presentation, right up there with Matt Watson. A complete natural .....
I wish they would make it with normal small tires and Öhlins dampers.
The best thing about the Polestar 2 is that is looks like a normal car with the appearance of a grille and everything. There are a lot of customers who don't want a car that looks like a plastic toy.
I always compare those things with molten hairdryers with rims.
In typical European manufacturer fashion, you have to buy additional ‘packs’ to get the required features. Particularly the ‘Pilot Pack’, which is needed to gain a lot of the assistance features that come standard on a Tesla Model 3, or even a Mazda or Toyota entry level ICE.
What about the charging infrastructure?
Yes, great video 👍🏼 More Nicola please. Auto express and whatcar need to use Nicola too.
We might let Auto Express borrow her...
@@carbuyer haha thats the spirit. Keep her busy. 👌🏼
Impressive car, I had one for a week, and excellent around town looks like a modern Saab with Volvo interior...Saab 😢😢
this host is awesome! ^_^ also VOLVO/POLESTAR design is just so beautiful! I love my current XC40 ICE car and excited for an EV future
Ah, so exciting!
She's terrible! It's like watching an audition for Blue Peter presenters
@@carbuyer yea I love and look forward to driving my Volvo XC40 any chance I need to! And it’s been a smooth, relaxing and safe experience
It's a CHEAP car made by GEELY.
A great review Nicola, clear and to the point. If my driveway (drive is not next to the house) had the ability for a fast charge and I had the budget (I don't) this could be on my next car watch list. The good news is that prices do seem to be a tad more reasonable for what you get for your hard earned as the competition ramps up production of EV's. Unfortunately the availability of certain electronic devices due to lockdowns etc has stunted availability of some new cars.
Thanks Anthony. You are right there are supply issues on some new cars - we hope it won't last much longer!
Drove one of these over the weekend Loved it. Probably going to be buying one soon. It is so fun to drive I had to force myself to wait a couple days before deciding on the purchase because I was THAT excited about it.
Never buy excited if you can avoid it.
How long is the lead time? I’m looking at a company lease but don’t fancy waiting 6 months!
@@NickLiang Depends on if you go for an order or preconfig. I don't know if you can get a custom for a lease...
Preconfig they probably have it either in stock or in port already, so anywhere from a day or two to 2 weeks.
If you go custom, yeah, you're looking at several months.
She's going to be the second best car (UA-cam) journalist out there within the next 24 months. Matt Watson is kinda leading the way.
The way she delivers her reviews are very unique with an amazing energy.
Keep up the great work.
Matt is just a goofy guy that makes views by exaggerating everything.
Not really motor journalism when you joke about almost everything.
@@perpelle I don't disagree with you. Not one bit. I accept Matt is the top dog in this space. Nothing wrong with being number 2. She's burst on to the scene. It's a huge compliment.
@@topcat4265 Matt's format sells, period (even if I don't like it).
I much rather watch Nicola review something then Matt.
@@perpelle agreed
Matt for those who like the same dad-jokes returning in every single car review on his channel. For the rest of us, this.
Is the performance BAM?
It’s better than the model 3 because it has a hatchback, it will be better than the Model Y because it will ride less harsh
The Model Y's ride is very firm (video coming VERY soon!) but the Polestar isn't exactly soft. Worth trying both on familiar roads before you sign on the dotted line...
@@carbuyer well I wouldn’t choose the performance version of the polestar, but it seems to be the car that everybody on UA-cam tests, stuff the yellow seatbelts, who cares, after a month the novelty of them would wear out
@@carbuyer Don't get the performance pack, get 19 inch tires, and inflate the tires maybe 1 or 2 psi lower than what Polestar recommends. Then it'll ride firmly but comfortably. The performance pack makes it so firm but also makes for the very strong handling and grip.
I drove a Tesla before and I rode in one a few times. Tesla is cool but not where as fun as Polestar 2. I never drove a car like Polestar before, nothing even close. I think it has a much more rigid body frame and stronger suspension. The whole car feels like a rocket or a fighter jet. It is truly a race car experience.
Great review Nicola! Love the car! I'd have it over the T3 any day!
Thanks! 👍
Great fun. Great value for money.
Absolutely love the exterior; not so much on the interior.
The interior is so much nicer then a Tesla 3, mine had two rattles from day one, Tesla never fixed it
I think the PS2 is a great looking car. The only trouble is I live in Scotland and the nearest test drive location is Manchester. And there is a Tesla "showroom" in the town where I live.
That's what we're here for! To help you make an informed decision without having ever sat in the car... Let us know if you have any questions we can help with.
@@carbuyer thanks - it was a great review
Keep an eye out for pop up events, Polestar had one at the Ballantynes health club in stepps (random location) earlier this year. Doesn't look like there is anything on the horizon though.
in the end though, we ended up buying ours without a test drive - bit of a gamble for one pedal driving and how it operated having never driven anything like it before. The rest of the car all the reviews are pretty consistent in the pro's and con's so didn't really have any concerns.
Superb car to drive and live with
nice review
Thanks Habib!
A lot of buyers complain of very bad range. Try to drive the car at top speed at the motorway for a couple of hours and see what happends with the battery range..
That's a problem with almost every electric car, unfortunately. Range and efficiency at their best around town.
I'm just wondering how can there be any use of those pockets!
In my jeans? It’s where I keep the dog treats and poo bags. Fun fact.
Shame Nicola never brings treats for the CB team...
@@carbuyer she is the treat 😉
@@coops6621 🤣
Hi Nicola, who is the land of this car?
Another good review….I like this lady,s style of presentation. Well done
Thanks for watching. Plenty more to come!
Does it have cameras around the body which offer Sentry mode? Does it have HEPA filters that offer Bioweapon Defense mode? Does it come with a reliable charging network? Is the software as good as Tesla?
Thanks for the review. At 4 mins you say Apple Car play is included in the latest OTA. Is that right? P1.7 is the latest update and I don’t think it has CarPlay. I was under the impression this was now not expected until 2022…and will still be tethered when it does arrive.
At the time of filming we were told that Apple CarPlay would be included in a forthcoming over-the-air update. As we understand it, it's due soon!
Chinese Conglomerate Geele, acquired Volvo from Ford in 2010 ish… Polestar is an great combination of Scandinavia design and Chinese build. Not quite Tesla cutting edge tech, but nice effort indeed.
Super review again
Glad you liked it!
@@carbuyer Nicola is the best reviewer of them all
They need to redo the front of the car to match the beautiful minimalist rear end.
Other than the Tesla infrastructure, my Tesla 3 was a poor ownership experience, issues with panel gap, seat and door rattling that as never fixed, and poor perceived quality....my wife has BMW 330e which gives 85mpg average and its so much better to live with ...the Polestar looks so much more attractive than Tesla 3
I have a friend with a 3 who had similar experiences… Tesla have a long way to go for a quality/reliable car.
It is a shame when branding sells over quality. It was the same when Dewalt hit every shelf in the tool stores and mass advertising, same goes for Samsung, they eventually got there but were rubbish at the beginning. Personally, I cannot fathom why people would consider a Tesla when cars like this are available!
Chinese built teslas are far better quality than the Fremont ones.
Cheap at 40 grand 😳, you journalist live in another universe .
No one said ‘cheap’! But I did say it’s WAY more affordable than the £140k Polestar 1!
@@nicolahume Fair enough 🤔.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😖😖😖
I guess it’s because hardly anyone is buying cars outright these days, especially not EVs. It’s almost meaningless nowadays.
@@kunaalsoni261 not tesla because it selling like hops bread🤷
Couldn’t care less about the car. I am impressed the woman hosting. She reminds me of Johnny Smith. Maybe in Europe it’s different, but the lack of charging infrastructure in most of the US makes buying anything other than Tesla a gamble. Does look like a nice car.
Here in USA they (we) use the EPA testing system and I believe is not fair that we get on 270 miles with a single motor and 260 miles with a dual motor while you guys get over 300 with your WLTP system. something is wrong with our system.
Would I have to add much to part ex my insignia? 130,000 miles, seats have no stains. FSH to 30,000 miles. New used tyre back off side drivers side. New pollen fitter.
Stunner and the cars not bad
Looks nice but xc 40 recharge has more interior room.
I love my citreon xsara.
So now 40k plus seems to be the norm and nearer 50k with extras for most new electric cars I think the first manufacturer to bring a basic no frills small runabout EV with a reasonable range for an affordable price that you could actually buy to keep rather than `hire' they'll sell shed loads. I'm sure it's possible
Maybe you should watch our review of the MG 5...
@@carbuyer more basic, call me tight but still too much, thinking more £15k. Wishful thinking?
Welcome to 2021 car prices!!
£15k will just about get you a base spec Fiesta. Remember, 20% of the cost is VAT and imported cars outside the EU carry further import duty.
More up market cars have a higher profit margin. This combined with the limited numbers Volvo can make and the cost of development, means that most electric cars are aimed at the more affluent buyer.
The biggest advantage the Polestar 2 has over the Model 3 is (as you mentioned) the fact that it is a HATCHBACK and therefor more practical in the luggage department. You won't get a chest of drawers in the back of a Model 3 because it's a sedan with a small aperture boot. So the Polestar 2 will appeal to a lot of people. The only competition will be the Model Y when it comes to the UK in the spring of 2022. The Tesla Model Y is a hatchback SUV and is more comparable with the Polestar 2. I've ordered a Tesla Model Y - because of the Tesla supercharger network - which is one of the biggest advantages Tesla has - which you didn't mention. Their are no "Tesla beaters" or "Tesla Killers" only ICE beaters or ICE killers.
I think you're overthinking the word "Tesla beater". If someone picked Polestar 2 over a Tesla, then it did indead beat Tesla (for that someone) so it is a Tesla beater then. The word Tesla beater doesn't mean that it will beat Tesla for everyone nor that Tesla will go bankrupt, I don't think anyone thinks that :P
I watch reviews only when led by Nicola. She's fantastic.
Simp energy exuding
Absolute quality....
But enough about the review, the car looks superb too.
So the mid range does MORE than the top of the range !?
The mid-spec cars get the same battery and the top-spec ones, but make do with a single motor rather than the dual-motor setup in the more expensive model. The lower kerbweight makes it more efficient and therefore capable of more miles on a charge!
Seems u guys in the UK are somewhat gifted at reviewing cars. You are hilarous miss! 😂
Very kind of you to say!
That logo is made by drunk Citroën designer, like he got the chervons completely wrong. =)
Ha! It's funny you should say that, someone actually asked us if it was a Citroen while we were filming...
😂👌🏽
Great review! There's definitely a tsunami building of "affordable" EV's that you'd want to own.
Honestly dont see the point of releasing £40k electric cars in a time where we need them cheap and available. I must have messed up somewhere if this is affordable
btw, i would say, a BMW 3-series with 250 ps is a valid competitor to this one and it is also about 40k GBP.
Again we love you from Iraq 🇮🇶❤♥
Dont forget reliability and parts availability
Reliability? It's an electric Volvo in all but name!
Polestars can be serviced or repaired at any Volvo dealer
Volvo implemented the Portrait screen before Tesla was as thing…..
Love Tesla,but in my opinion these are better quality .
Tesla build quality is improving very quickly, but the Polestar still edges it in this regard.
UK car reviewers should use “froot” instead of “frunk”.
Nicola just gave serious competition to Almighty Matt Watson 🤔🤔😉
In my opinion it looks so many times better than a Tesla Model 3
@2:31 you are killing me oh you naughty gal
I’ve had Polestar 2 for a year now.
It’s a great car - fast with a quality interior and people always ask about it when I stop.
The Over The Air updates have improved the car over the last months. Recently adding faster charging and improved cold weather range thanks to better battery pre- conditioning.
It”s easily the best car I’ve owned, coming from a BMW 5 Series Touring (G20), Golf R and several 1 Series BMW’s. The only thing I miss is a rear wiper but that seems to be a common missing item these days, probably due to the aero impacts.
As for the Tesla M3 comparison - if you don’t need to regularly rely on public chargers then this is a great option. The M3 interior is too sparse and feels like driving a washing machine 🤣
Other great options are the Ford Mach-E, Kia EV6, BMW i4 and Hyundai Ionic 5
POLESTAR 2 is a CHEAP made car in CHINA.
the MIC model 3 is BETTER made & Engineered.
@@markplott4820 - Europe Model 3's are made in China too. In fact Chinese made TM3's are better quality than the ones made in the US. Panel gaps, fit and finish isn't random
@@SDK2006b - NOPE, as MIC Tesla are Better Assemble , and FIT & Finish are better than FREMONT.
Tesla from BERLIN will be even better.
Fremont & China will get Upgraded once TX & CHINA are Ramped.
then, ALL model 3/Y will have TOTAL underbody Megacasting.
@@markplott4820 - Have you driven BOTH, the TM3 & Polestar 2?.
I have and TM3 NOISE, VIBRATION and HARSHNESS is MUCH worse.
Yes the TM3 is more efficient and it has a better charging network, BUT looks like that unique selling point is disappearing soon.
@@SDK2006b You're debating a child ( or one with a child-like mentality). Unfortunately, all he does is bash the Polestar in all his comments throughout youtube. I seriously doubt he's even seen a Polestar 2 in real life let alone drive one. Tesla is going to face huge competition next year and beyond. Yes, they've accomplished a lot but they're not there in terms of being overall complete cars. They excel in some areas but fall short in others.
We all know that teslas are very optimistic regarding range compared to other manufacturers so I take their numbers with a grain of salt.
Very informative and entertaining review. Love the panoramic sunroof. I see quite a few Polestar 2's on the roads in the Netherlands. Volvo must be doing something right!
I’m still a bit confused as to what the Polestar are trying to be. The whole design says Volvo and I see Volvo but not a Volvo badge or reference, it’s similar to the Cupra brand from Seat
Just like Cupra, that's likely to change soon. The Polestar 3 SUV is due next year and we'll start to see a bigger departure from the Volvo design language we've seen so far...
Polestar was the performance arm of Volvo in much the same way that AMG is to Mercedes or the M Series is to BMW. But Geely, Volvo's owners have decided to hive off Polestar into a brand in it's own right, this Polestar was designed and engineered by Volvo and was one of their concept cars.
@@chrisaskin6144 Yup. the Concept 40.2 40.1 is the xc40. These cars look very, very close to the concepts.
ET5 to dominate the entire entry-to-mid luxury sedan segment no doubt ! If you look at the quality (no gap between panels and no mismatched colors like Tesla cars), interior design and materials used, build quality, craftmanship, utility, range (topping Model 3's long range 334 miles) even in base model of ET5 already provide 341 miles (550 km) per full charge) not to mention highest trim's 1,000 km per full charge that is a whopping 621 miles!, service quality (where Tesla let you wait for months for available parts), upgradable batteries (where Tesla let you have your depleting batteries), exclusive NIO Houses and Places that let you enjoy exclusivity and enjoy time off from other things (which Tesla does not provide any Tesla clubs - you wish), and many other goodies of being an owner of a NIO. This is just no-brainer. I just don't see why Tesla will continue to dominate now that NIO's ET5 has said its "Hello World !"
What about the charger network? Tesla cars are superior on different levels, but the charging network makes travelling effortless.
The Kia ev6 gt just makes this redundant sadly
I actually like it, much more interesting than the boring Tesla 3
All pretty irrelevant really as my nearest testdrive location is a 280 mile round trip and Polestar have never responded to several test drive requests by me ! I only live in Devon not the outer Hebrides ! Im not a Tesla fan boy but the advantage Tesla has is they were designed to be electric and not based on a petrol car and converted. The Polestar is nice but the enormous weight is worrying -- 300Kg more than my X3 !
Are you Mat Watsons sister? You know the Carwow guy?
Way better looking than the Tesla's
Polestar 2 IS the best!!!
"Affordable"
“More affordable”…..than the £140k polestar 1. 😊
@@nicolahume yes I see what you mean. I guess I would say "less expensive than". I'm sure Windsor Castle might technically be described as "more affordable" than Buckingham Palace.
@@SamOwenI 🤣 I can see what you’re saying. I think I said WAY more affordable. £100k less is definitely that. I mentioned it’s an upmarket electric family car. Sorry if there was confusion. Thanks for watching 😊
@@nicolahume very true. Tongue firmly in cheek
Getting pretty boring seeing everyone constantly compare this to the tesla. Can't people review a car on its own merits? Also the pano roof doesn't come with the performance pack.
Think this car is so much more stylish than tesla.
the interior looks like Volvo xc90
There's a reason for that!
More like xc40. But, the dash and door panels are quite different than the xc40.
You missed a massive negative - you will never own the car, you can only lease it.
Lol, no...
Wrong. You can buy it in Sweden, the US and a lot of other countries.
Why is not owning a car a downside- I would rather not own the car as it cost less in the long term
@@Popdog76 Good point man!
@@Popdog76 Because I would prefer to drive a car till it goes to 10-15 years.
The DelBoy (girl) of car reviewers
She is beautiful then that car ♥️
I think this Polestar 2 cannot be a match for Tesla. I can find any advantage of owing this Polestar. Even without mentioning autopilot, Polestar has nothing to enjoy in the car. It also needs to provide its own charging network like Supercharing
I can tell you a few since I have worked for both companies. Polestar advantages would be: fastback, super convenient, higher ground clearance, built-in android and google maps/assistant, way better built quality, the 4 piston Brembo brakes (only on the performance pack) adaptive dampers (if you track it) and in my opinion better ride quality. However, tesla still has their own supercharge stations which is a big plus for them, but in reality, you shouldn't charge your car with a fast charger that often because its not good for the battery. Also, not sure where you live, but in Canada, there has been an increase of charging stations around and they will keep on building more. Yes, the Tesla performance is faster 0 to 100 km. Drive this Polestar and your perception towards it will change, I promise you
Styling isn't great at the back but the price is reasonable
Good challenger to Tesla and "green' - pity that Volvo is now owned by the Chinese - see you in Glasgow!
Yes, but they are going public shortly and swedish pension funds will be big owners again, along with those who are buying shares
@@antondjurberg3267 Geely will remain the largest shareholder and the scale of the IPO has been reduced. Sorry but I'm heading closer to home for my next car
I don't think of Volvo as being owned by "the Chinese." They have an ownership of a Chinese-based company that has done way more positive than negative for them. I don't find it a pity at all.
Cheap 40 grand your having a laugh
NEWS FLASH: We Polestar owners do NOT care about Tesla’s. Most Polestar owners don’t want to buy a commodity like car, such as a Tesla. Those are for people that need to conform.
Why the constant need to compare to Teslas? The only thing going for Teslas is the charging network, which has nothing to do with the cars themselves. Otherwise they're just an iPad on wheels, housed in an ugly body and designed by people who don't drive cars for people who don't like driving cars! Enough!
Still not close to the practically of a Internal Combustion car short range long charge times expensive to buy , for anyone doing any amount of distance useless.
Tonka Toy for the affluent
Tesla - Tonka toy for the effluent.
I don't like it...it hasn't got Netflix.
I am literally watching this because she is easy on the eyes.
Holy mega center console!!! You have more room in a tank.
You know it’s not better when EVERY EV has to be compared to Tesla S3XY.
Supercharging network > ALL.
Model 3 was the top-selling vehicle in Europe, the first time an electric car has outsold rival models with gasoline engines ... technology comparison was hilarious fsd, charging points, batteries efficiency etc etc ah ah ah
Tesla still haven’t launched FSD, despite taking the £6.8k cost for the option from people for several years. Take my money 🤣
polestar will never be a tesla beater, not even close in my opinion.
it is better than Tesla because I drove both. Tesla is not a professional racing team, Polestar is.
I put may rear into a Polestar. seat too low. dash too large. tunnel restricted vision front view. interior depressing black. tight interior. headliner too low. nice and simple exterior. in my opinion better choices for ICEs for less.
I think geeley not volvo created the polestar. Chinese car manufacturer Geely makes the Polestar.
And Chinese manufacturer Geely makes Volvos. Full circle!
Polestar existed before Geely bought Volvo. And the Polestar 2 is a rebadged Volvo Concept 40.2 The Polestar 2 was designed by Volvo's ex chief designer, who is German and by another executive at Polestar, who is Austrian. The engineering is Volvo and European. The only thing Chinese about it is its assembly, and even at that, it's full of Swedish engineers, at least when it started off and now Volvo has bought one of the Chinese factories outright.
Lovely car, however, i think i do prefer the Tesla !!
"A contender worth condidering if you're in the market for an upmarket electric family hatchback"...
em...How many other contenders are there? Three? Four? Wake me up when there's actual competition in the 45-55K electric family car market, 10x more charging stations in Europe, and some sort of reassurance the electricity prices won't skyrocket once they've got us all trapped in electric cars that in reality aren't even that much cleaner than modern diesel technology.
This comment is not aging well
Those jeans look really silly.
40 grand cheap lol your having a laugh.
Watch another review about yet another friggin SUV - well, no, thank you. Watch a review with incredible and so passionate Nicola - yes all the way! What a dilemma...
The Polestar 2 isn't really an SUV... more of a slightly SUV-looking executive hatch. Don't write it off until you've seen one in the metal.
@@carbuyer hm, you're right. 150 mm of ground clearance, my bad. I guess, it's this plactic 'side skirt' thing that confused me. Best wishes to your channel, guys! You're doing a great job!
@@Ekaterate Right. It is not an SUV. It's a fastback sedan (saloon in British terminology). It sits a bit high but really, not that high.
Great review but I don't think you can say the polestars infotainment is a match to Tesla's.
Well it runs Google infotainment so just as good really. Google assistant is awesome !!