Polestar power-up! Swedish EV specialist brings major upgrades to Polestar 2

The global EV arms race continues to gather pace with Swedish electric vehicle specialist Polestar adding rear-wheel drive to single-motor versions of its Polestar 2 as well as new motors, improved ride quality and a design refresh for all grades of the premium five-door hatch.

Launched in 2019, the Polestar 2 is closely related to the Volvo C40 (Volvo owns Polestar), and the upgraded MY24 version features a revised front end and 20-inch alloy rims in the optional ‘Performance Pack’, aligning it more closely with its Polestar 3 SUV stablemate. But the most significant changes are under the skin.

New permanent magnet electric motors and silicon carbide inverters feature across the line-up, with single-motor versions switching from front- to rear-wheel drive (as per recent changes to the Volvo C40 and XC40).

The new RWD powertrain boasts maximum outputs of 220kW (+50kW) and 490Nm (+160Nm), lowering 0-100km/h acceleration to 6.2 seconds (-1.2sec).

Dual-motor models now feature a rear-drive bias, the new motor on the rear axle providing primary drive, supported on an as-needs basis, by an asynchronous unit up front.

Combined outputs are impressive - 310kW (+10kW) and 740Nm (+80Nm), while 0-100km/h is knocked over in just 4.5 seconds.

Opt for the Performance Pack, offered on long-range dual-motor models, and you’re looking at 350kW (delivered as an over-the-air update) and 0-100km/h in a seriously rapid 4.2 seconds.

The new RWD powertrain boasts maximum outputs of 220kW and 490Nm.

No surprise these power and performance boosts are underpinned by bigger LG Chem lithium-ion batteries - 69kWh in the standard range and 82kWh in long-range models.

Polestar says improved cell chemistry also enables faster charging and increased (WLTP) range - 135kW/518km for the standard-range and 205kW/635km for long-range variants.

At the same time standard active safety has been improved with blind-spot monitoring (with steering support), cross-traffic alert (with brake support), ‘Rear Collision Warning and Mitigation’, a 360-degree surround-view camera and automatic dimming exterior mirrors included. Wireless phone charging has also been made standard on all versions.

Polestar says improved cell chemistry also enables faster charging and increased (WLTP) range.

Polestar Australia says its order books for the new Polestar 2 will open in the second quarter of this year, with deliveries scheduled to commence in the third quarter.

Local pricing is yet to be confirmed, but a clue comes in the form of recently announced German prices, which represent increases ranging from four to eight per cent.

So our early guesstimate puts the standard-range single-motor at just over $66K (up from $63,900), the long-range single motor at around $71.5K (up from $68,400), and the long-range dual-motor at roughly $80K (currently $74,400).