Polestar 2 review - Interior, design and technology

The Polestar 2 is a fastback-styled family car with stacks of Swedish cool. Polestar’s close ties with Volvo are obvious even from a distance, as you quickly spot Volvo’s signature “Thor’s hammer” headlight design. The updated model also gets a body-coloured grille panel called the ‘SmartZone’, which houses various radars and cameras, and looks very similar to those on the facelifted Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, 

The electric fastback has a classy, Volvo-like feel to the interior too, while the frameless door mirrors and glass roof panel just add to the stylish look. The smart steering wheel, chunky door handles and excellent seats are all very Volvo, but we’re certainly not complaining. 

Leather upholstery isn’t included as standard with the 2, instead Polestar offers a ‘vegan interior’ with no animal products used in the cabin. However, if you really want to have some cowhide in the cabin, then light grey ‘Zinc’ Nappa leather upholstery is available as a £4,000 optional extra.

Instead of typical trim levels, Polestar initially included specific ‘themes’ inspired by different cities for the 2, including Shanghai, London and Berlin. Each theme brought together different colour and trim combinations for the cabin and exterior bodywork.

The manufacturer no longer offers these themes, instead buyers can select from different upholstery/interior trim combinations and add either the Pilot, Plus or Performance packs at extra cost. The respective packs bring lots of extra kit, relating to safety, additional luxury items or equipment to improve the driving experience. However, one downside to this method is that you can’t personalise your car by selecting individual options.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The Polestar 2’s 11.2-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital driver’s display offer crystal-clear graphics and plenty of functionality. Polestar has made the wise move of letting Google handle the infotainment system and user interface in the Polestar 2. As a result, the system loads quickly, brings up postcode searches or other specific points of interest with ease, and can adapt a chosen route to real-time traffic changes.

The home screen is split into four quarters, showing Google Maps, Google Search, phone and media controls. Access to functions such as drive settings and external cameras can be accessed through shortcuts at the top, while climate controls can be adjusted at the bottom. Polestar is keen to point out that its cars are continually improving though, and has sent out 15 over-the-air (OTA) updates since the 2’s launch.

The integration of Google Maps and other apps is among the best we’ve experienced, although you now have Apple CarPlay should you wish to use other apps on your iPhone. CarPlay requires a wired connection, but wireless phone charging is standard-fit.

Overall, most things work smoothly and easily, but compared to some rivals such as Tesla, the Polestar’s central display is quite small. It’s all relative, though; compared with many other cars on the market it’s a decent size. The more compact screen means some keys are smaller than they would be on the larger displays seen in the BMW i4 and Model 3, which makes the Polestar a little fiddlier to use. At least the portrait-oriented screen sits slightly proud of the dashboard so it’s within easy reach.