[Review] Take a look at Driving the Polestar 2 Full Electrical Automotive in Singapore

Earlier in 2022, Swedish electrical automotive model, Polestar, opened its first official location at 45 Leng Kee Street. The Polestar Area is a 210 sqm showroom providing gross sales, service and take a look at drives of Polestar vehicles.

Based by Volvo Vehicles and its mother or father firm, Geely Holdings, Polestar was first established in 2017 as an unbiased Swedish premium electrical efficiency automotive model. Polestar enjoys particular technological and engineering synergies with VolvoCars and advantages from important economies of scale in consequence. The corporate is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the vehicles are manufactured in China. Polestar autos can be found and on the street in fourteen world markets throughout Europe, North America and China, and now, Singapore.

I visited the showroom in Singapore to gather the Polestar 2 for a take a look at drive and was given an introduction to the house.

Polestar Area in Singapore

The clear, minimalistic design of the showroom follows the ethos of Scandinavian design, reflecting the roots of the model. Colors have been stored to a impartial palette from natural supplies like aluminium, stone and glass. Using artwork lightboxes that modifications periodically offers it the texture of an artwork gallery. On the show wall, you’re going to get to see the fabric and color samples of the Polestar vehicles, in addition to a showcase of automotive parts from each the Polestar 1 and a pair of fashions.

An fascinating reality – the digital display screen and music on the showroom in Singapore are linked to the Polestar HQ so that there’s a seamless syncing for all content material throughout world markets. This can make an OCD particular person very completely happy.

“With Polestar’s putting design, impeccable construct high quality and a spotlight to element, we’re assured that the Polestar 2 will do properly within the premium EV phase.” Shared Andre Roy, Chief Govt Officer from Wearnes Automotive, the official retail and repair associate to Polestar in Singapore.

With a deal with expertise relatively than exhausting promoting, Polestar Singapore is staffed by Polestar Specialists who can be found to help with the ordering course of, reply questions and coordinate take a look at drives with the model’s Polestar 2 twin and single motor variants.

In case you are to expertise the Polestar 2 for your self, you possibly can schedule a take a look at drive with them.

The Polestar 2 Expertise

To be trustworthy, that is solely the second time I’ve pushed an electrical automotive, so it was an thrilling expertise for me to check out the Polestar 2.

The Commonplace Vary Single Motor model which I take a look at drove encompasses a 170 kW/ 330 Nm electrical motor and a 69 kWh battery pack. I used to be advised that that is the preferred and related mannequin for Singapore drivers, provided that we sometimes don’t drive for lengthy distances because of the small dimension of our nation.

The Lengthy Vary Single Motor model will increase battery capability to 78 kWh and encompasses a 170 kW/ 330 Nm powertrain. The highest-of-the-line Lengthy Vary Twin Motor variant options two electrical motors and a 78 kWh battery, with a complete output of 300 kW and 660 Nm.

For the Commonplace Vary variant, a full cost will can help you drive for as much as 474km. Polestar recommends a 90% cost to protect the lifespan of the battery. For those who comply with their suggestion, this can scale back the vary to round 427km as a substitute, nonetheless greater than enough to final over two weeks for day-to-day driving in Singapore. I received by for per week with out the necessity for a cost.

The pricing of the Polestar 2 may be very near that of the mass-market Tesla Mannequin 3 with COE. Evaluating the 2 is like evaluating a premium Japanese luxurious automotive model to the entry-level mannequin of a European efficiency automotive model, with the Polestar Star 2 being the previous and the Tesla Mannequin 3 being the latter. All of us have our particular person preferences, however for me, I’m drawn to the previous extra as the approach to life facet of driving is extra necessary to me than simply efficiency.

Driving A Full Electrical Automotive

It wants some getting used to, however it is possible for you to to choose it up in a short time and make the modifications intuitively over a number of days. One major distinction is whenever you step on the accelerator and brake pedals – for petrol-powered vehicles, you management the automotive with the accelerator extra whereas for the Polestar 2, you management it with the brake extra.

To ease the transition, Polestar 2 comes with a driving mode that mimics how petrol-powered vehicles drive. You possibly can swap on this mode and progressively alter the settings as you get used to driving an electrical automotive.

Total, I like how quiet the electrical automotive drives and there’s this expertise play to all of it which geeks like me completely dig. The expertise of driving a Polestar 2 feels nearer to experiencing the most recent iPhone or different way of life tech devices than simply assessing how briskly or highly effective the automotive strikes.

Oh and in case you have no idea, as electrical automotive don’t want a chunky engine to be hid below the entrance bonnet, there’s further space for storing on the entrance the place the engine often sits for a petroleum automotive:

For those who nonetheless want extra space for storing, the automotive boot is offered as properly:

The Exterior

The very first thing you’ll discover concerning the Polestar 2 is the absence of nearly any chrome bits or the likes of faux vent pipes and different for-show options, giving it a clear, futuristic look. I really like the Scandinavian design rules utilized to the Polestar 2, presenting a minimalistic, however well-conceived ergonomics to intensify solely the necessities.

Even the Polestar brand is seamlessly built-in into the general aesthetics:

The rear finish of the automotive is an actual magnificence with its signature single band of sunshine, clearly distinctive from most different vehicles on the street.

The outside of the Polestar 2 is clearly a head-turner for its magnificence and rarity, provided that the model remains to be comparatively new in Singapore, with a small adoption fee for electrical vehicles right here.

In case you are one who helps the electrical automotive motion for a extra sustainable mode of transportation and doesn’t wish to be too showy about it with a Tesla, The Polestar 2 would be the excellent electrical automotive for you.

The Inside

Climb inside a Polestar 2 and it exudes an understated luxurious really feel, exuding premium charms however but not overly showy with pointless bells and whistles.

The inside of the Polestar 2 is decked out in an eco-friendly vegan cloth, in-sync with its sustainability narrative. Wooden, cloth and plastic are built-in collectively in a easy, but artisanal method, presenting clear traces, a impartial color palette and minimal switchgear. You’ll not discover any pointless design options, preserving to the minimalistic design theme, with every of the required knobs, buttons or gears fitted in a method that’s intuitive to seek out or use at first look.

Know-how is on the forefront of the Polestar 2 expertise, with the automotive’s infotainment powered by its personal Google’s Android Automotive OS, permitting you to sync up your Google preferences with the automotive. As an alternative of pairing your cellular to your automotive system, you log in straight with WiFi into the automotive’s software program. You possibly can obtain native apps like Spotify and Google Map into the OS and management them straight from the touchpad.

Different tech highlights embody the Polestar App. The app incorporates the Polestar Digital Key, which helps you to lock and unlock your automotive, in addition to entry data just like the automotive’s battery and charging standing in your cellular.

For audiophiles, you’ll be completely happy to know that the Polestar 2 comes outfitted with harmon/kardon audio to ship top-notch automotive audio:

There are additionally many nifty security options equivalent to adaptive cruise management, lane-keeping help, collision warning and braking help system to maintain you safer when driving. I discovered these options to be extraordinarily helpful when parking in small spots or at awkward angles.

For individuals who prefer to drive with some daylight within the automotive, there’s a glass panel sunroof which you’ll be able to tune to let in some pure daylight:

Total, the Polestar 2 is a really lovely automotive from the skin and the offers a comfortable driving expertise, with tech options which might be intuitively and seamlessly built-in. It provides a wonderful various for these seeking to swap to a premium model electrical automotive, however need one thing totally different from what the market chief, Tesla, provides.

Pricing and Availability

The Polestar 2 is offered with 3 variants, with costs ranging from S$219,000 for the Commonplace vary Single motor; S$236,000 for the Lengthy vary Single motor; and S$263,000 for the Lengthy vary Twin motor, with an extra S$16,000 add-on for the efficiency pack.

E book a take a look at drive right here.