Winter is Here, And So Is The 2024 Polestar 2
I tested the 2024 Polestar 2 electric car in the depths of winter. This Scandinavian beauty made sure I was taken care of in the bad weather by being utterly prepared inside and out.
Sara Lacey
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The 2024 Polestar 2 reminds me of the Scandinavian phrase, “there is no bad weather, just bad clothing.”
The Polestar 2 is a beautiful car and is surprisingly prepared for the elements. I was able to test the 2024 Polestar 2 in a frigid time during which we experienced negative-degree temperatures, blowing snow, and ice. Nationwide, football games were postponed, and airports closed. I was reminded of my Norwegian roots during this time and got excited about the snow and ice on the way. And I was also a little worried because, despite my personal experiences, I couldn’t shut out the noise going around that EVs aren’t supposed to do well in bad weather.
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Skis in the Polestar 2, maybe could have put them through that center door. Photo: Sara Lacey
I Was Worried about the 2024 Polestar 2 in the Winter Because it’s an EV
The Polestar 2 looks like a regular, gas-powered sedan, but in reality, it’s an all-electric sportback. That means it’s got a rear hatch instead of a trunk. It’s not a car that screams “I’m an EV,” but it’s modern and sleek, inside and out. The Polestar 2 starts at $53,500. The model I tested was a long-range performance edition with added Nappa leather and a gorgeous metallic blue paint called Midnight, bringing the price tag to $68,250 before destination charges.
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The 2024 Polestar 2 shines in the snow. Photo: Sara Lacey
The Most Notable Change in the 2024 Polestar 2 is on its Face
The 2024 Polestar 2 has an updated grille; it used to be a matte black grid. For 2024, it’s updated with a body-colored panel. It looks polished and clean and adds a more luxe look. The profile of the car looks very sedan-like; it’s a bit more sinewy than many EVs. My favorite exterior feature is the LED taillights. They form a rectangle across the rear deck lid and it’s so distinctive, not to be mistaken for any other brand. My test car had the performance package, and part of it was bright yellow-gold brake calipers.
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2024 Polestar 2 rear corner angle. Photo: Sara Lacey
Polestar Gives Buyers Three Different Power Options for 2024
The single-motor rear-wheel drive is the least expensive option, starting at $49,900, and gets about 320 miles of charge. The dual-motor all-wheel drive starts at $55,300 and gets 276 miles of charge. The dual-motor with performance pack starts at $63,000 and gets about 247 miles on a charge. Polestar refers to all their models as long-range, yet the long-range single-motor model also has additional battery capacity.
Gorgeous interior details of the 2024 Polestar 2. Photo: Sara Lacey
If It’s Wrong to Love an Air Vent, I Don’t Want to Be Right
Even though the exterior is gorgeous, the interior is where the Polestar 2 won me over. It’s got the Scandinavian-minimal look nailed. And no, it’s not sparse; it’s edited. There is an array of materials and colors on the inside of the car, making it feel like a regular luxury car. It doesn’t feel as though anything has been skimped on, whether for cost or for efficiency. There are different fabrics, wood trim, metal knobs and trim, and gloss black plastic details. It’s all beautifully balanced with a chevron-ish pattern on the seats, and lastly, there is a pop of bright yellow on the seat belts. The yellow belts are a part of the performance pack. It’s a really cool touch, giving a nod to the same color on the Brembo brake calipers, and even the seatbelt buckle is embossed with a stamp that says “Since 1959.”
I’m going to add a special note here about how pretty the interior LED lighting was. It extended along the dash and was a lovely, subtle reminder that the car wanted me to feel at home.
Polestar 2 interior is perfection. Photo: Sara Lacey
Paradoxically, the 2024 Polestar 2’s Interior was Tricky to Adjust To
It took some time to find my ideal seating position. It is a smaller car than it looks, and it was a narrow fit. Two people in the front together are definitely in close quarters. But living with the Polestar 2 for a few days allowed me to tinker with it and settle in. I wound up sitting much higher up than I normally do. I’m 5’ 5” tall and was oddly close to the ceiling. Visibility was good, however, and once I realized I needed to be higher up, I stopped hitting my funny bone on the pointed (yet cool-looking) center console lid. Truly tall people will want to be sure they can find their seating sweet spot when they take the Polestar 2 for a test drive.
The multimedia system took some time to get used to, as well. However, once I understood the layout, it was easier to navigate. But it wasn’t easy to remember, and I was grateful that at least the icons were easy to see. Once inside any given app, the functions were clear and mostly easy to find. I was grateful for the Apple CarPlay compatibility, though I didn’t use it for several days to see how I adjusted to the native system.
The Polestar 2 provides a wireless charging pad and four USB-C chargers, two in front and two in back. There is one open cupholder in the front and one cupholder concealed in the center console.
Cool seat belt buckle. Photo: Sara Lacey
There is No Shortage of Safety Features, Naturally
Because the Polestar is rooted in Volvo history, it’s no surprise there are plenty of safety features. The Performance Plus Polestar 2 comes with adaptive cruise control. One of my favorite things is that you can go into the multimedia menu and select if you want regular cruise control or adaptive cruise control. It also has LED fog lights with cornering lights. It’s also got a ton of safety features like lane-keep assist, run off-road mitigation, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, and rear collision warning with mitigation. Of course, I like the 360-degree surround view camera and road sign information that displays the posted speed limit.
The posted speed limit is good to know, as you’ll want to check out the Polestar 2’s speed. As you may know by now, EVs are known for their incredible speed and torque. The Polestar 2 is good in regular driving mode. It’s quicker off the line than a gas-powered engine. I was surprised it wasn’t quicker, though, given I had the performance version of the car. And then, as I was playing around in the menus and looking to see if I was missing something, sure enough, I needed to put it into sport mode to get a real burst of power similar to that felt in other EVs. In a way, this is a good thing because speeding around like that can reduce your charge quickly, so it’s a mindful way to zip around.
The heat pump was part of the Plus Pack (which is standard on the Performance Pack) that also adds premium sound, a gorgeous glass panoramic roof, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and more.
Charging to 100 percent in the 2024 Polestar 2. Photo: Sara Lacey
Let’s Talk About Cold Weather and Charging the 2024 Polestar 2
I tested the Polestar 2 during a cold snap in January. Temperatures dropped below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and I was curious to know whether the Polestar 2 would lose charge overnight. I charged the car to 100% at 5:00 p.m. (it was 6 degrees out) before leaving it alone for the night. The temperature dropped below zero, and when I came out in the morning at 10:00 a.m., it was -6. I was excited to see how much charge the car lost. I blinked at the readout on the dash and checked again. The car was still at 100%. I was expecting even a small amount of decreased charge, but the Polestar 2 lost none. Clearly, the Polestar 2 has good “clothing” for the cold weather.
2024 Polestar 2 front seats, and the charge meter indicating 100%. Photo: Sara Lacey
As I drove the Polestar 2 in a blizzard, complete with ice and heavy slush, I was dazzled. This little EV was indeed ready for everything. I had concerns about the performance tires on the car, and worried that grip was going to be an issue. Fortunately, the Polestar 2 has instant traction, and combined with the dual motors and one-pedal driving, I really stuck to the road. With one-pedal driving, the motors on the car not only accelerate the car but also slow it down. I learned that if I decelerated slowly, I retained a ton of traction, and it worked better than putting on the brakes. Again, no bad car “clothing” here; just joy at how safe I felt in the horrible driving conditions.
Side note: the Polestar 2 has an “energy-saving heat pump” that collects any heat from the motors and makes it available to warm the cabin; the heat pump makes it so you don’t have to use the HVAC system, which can drain a battery. Pretty cool, even for those of us without an engineering degree.
Cool Polestar logo projected on the moonroof. Photo: Sara Lacey
I Blew Through the Battery When in Sport Mode
All that charge still left in the battery was compelling. I set my Tesla Model Y outside, and it lost 7 miles that night. Eliminating the loss of charge in the cold weather takes away a compelling argument about EVs. That said, I lost a lot of charge when I was using Sport Mode (which was a lot of the time). This is not unique to the Polestar 2 or even to gas-powered engines. I think you should just be aware that when you put the pedal to the metal, you’re going to pay for it in terms of charge. It’s also important to remember that when you own an EV, you rarely charge it to 100%. Most cars have you charge to 80%, as it reduces the longevity of the battery to charge it completely all the time.
2024 Polestar 2 rear passenger heat and charging. Photo: Sara Lacey
What We Loved
- Beautiful interior with thoughtful, clever details
- Updated grille
- The sleek exterior looks sharper than most EVs
What You Should Know
- The native multimedia system takes time to get used to
- Performance Package is fun, but speed reduces the charge
- Does not qualify for federal tax credit as it’s not built in the U.S.
- Not as intense an acceleration compared to other EVs unless you’re in Sport Mode
2024 Polestar 2 rear angle. Photo: Sara Lacey
The 2024 Polestar 2 took time to Fully Appreciate, but it was Well-Spent
The Polestar 2 is deceptively small, and it took me a little bit to adjust to its size. Once I did, I found it to be comfortable and accommodating. The subtle interior also made me love it the more time I spent in it. At the end of my test, I had acclimated to the Polestar 2 and was sad to see it go. I realized that like any Scandinavian, it’s not only good-looking but it’s also prepared for anything.
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