With 408 horsepower, understated looks and lovely cabin, is the Polestar 2 set to spoil Tesla’s party in Singapore?

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Photos: Lionel ‘Kilowatt’ Kong
Words: Leow ‘Jolt’ Ju-Len, Derryn ‘Watt’ Wong

SINGAPORE – Any day, another new electric car in Singapore. Only this one also happens to be by a new brand here. Here’s what we think of the Polestar 2.

Who or what is a Polestar?

It’s exotic, but not in the way you think. Want to drive something no one else already has? Look in Polestar’s direction, then. It’s not a new company as such, since it started off as a racing team in 1996, but it’s new as a standalone manufacturer that Volvo and its parent Geely co-own. Think Mercedes-AMG (private at first, then brought in-house), only for electric cars.

The cars are all built in China, but as a brand it’s Scandinavian through and through, with heavy focus on safety and design. Its first car, the Polestar 1, came out in 2017.

When did Polestar come to Singapore?

The brand had its official debut here just this Wednesday – you can read about it here. But CarBuyer broke the news of Polestar’s arrival ahead of its official announcement back in July. In what’s a prophetic move, dealer Wearnes Automotive ended its sales of Infiniti – Nissan’s always-underdog luxury brand which has failed to go electric – and switched to all-electric Polestar. Symbolic, that, in these electric times.    

I’m guessing the Polestar 2 is the brand’s second car?

Spot on! While the Polestar 1 is a sexy two-door coupe with 600 horsepower from a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, it’s also limited to 1,500 units in left-hand drive only, and is more showpiece than anything else. The 2 is Polestar’s bread and butter.

What are the real ingredients?

It’s straight out of the modern EV playbook: motor at the rear axle, lithium ions under the floor, another (optional) motor in the front for all-wheel drive and extra power. You get your choice between a 75kWh battery pack and a 67kWh one.

Singapore gets three versions: Standard range single motor, long range single motor, and this, the long range dual motor, which is the hero of the bunch. It has 402 horsepower under the bonnet and er, also under the boot floor, and a single charge is good for “up to 480km”.

It’s fast, despite weighing 2.1 tonnes, so you might be tempted by the press car’s Performance Pack.

Performance pack, you say? Tell me more.

Like sportier Volvos overseas. For an extra S$16,000 your Polestar 2 gets Öhlins shock absorbers with lowered suspension and Brembo brakes (somewhere in the chassis department is a group of enthusiastic motorcycle riders for sure), 20-inch forged alloys and a touch of raciness in the form of gold tyre valve caps (best avoid dodgy neighbourhoods), brake calipers and seat belts.

Page 2: Is the Polestar 2 a good dancer for a keen driver?

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