Can the new RWD Polestar 2 take on the Tesla Model 3? (Polestar 2 2024 walkaround review)

Most facelifts will only see minor changes made to the car but the Polestar 2 has made radical changes as the electric vehicle market becomes much more competitive in 2023.

Not much has changed on the inside, or the outside for that matter, but there are some key details that are still worth checking out as we explore in today’s walkaround video.

The single-motor variant has switched from front- to rear-wheel-drive while the 350kW all-wheel-drive model is now more rear-biased to provide more driving engagement, Polestar says.

Bigger batteries and other smaller changes have also seen a big boost in range, with some variants claiming up to 645km of travel on a single charge!

So is this the update Polestar needs to finally beat the Tesla Model 3? A full video review is coming very soon so stay tuned

Timecodes:
0:35 Design
1:01 Pricing
2:07 Drivetrain specifications
3:28 Batteries and range
4:19 Interior
5:43 Quick driving
7:56 Conclusion

Chasing Cars is Australia's most independent source of new car reviews, car industry news, comparisons and car guides. We give you a critical look at every new car you should consider!

[thomaseriksson]

Thanks for this!👍 Hope you can try a standard equipment car with 19 inch wheels soon

[tunechance]

Am I alone in hating glass roofs, so hot in a Queensland summer.

[CaiandtheMoose]

A great iterative improvement. The extra outlay over the Model 3 might be worth it given the nicer interior, slightly better range and instrument cluster. Would have liked to know if there have been suspension changes and how the car rides.

[graemetimmins]

Man that screen has strictly 1st Gen iPad bezzles, could definitely had gotten another inch or more of screen in that enclosure. Those bezzles just stick out in the interior when the rest of it is so top notch.

[tonyhove]

Thanks for the update.
One can't really get a full picture without knowing the "options" package pricing which in previous model were arguably essentials. Case in point adaptive cruise control was bundled in the pilot package.
But at this point it just feels like a niche product not aimed for mass market and that's not necessarily a bad thing....
But let's not then pretend it is otherwise.

[drifteen]

Nice coverage of the polestar - would like more from this guy.

[Stan-at-KangarooIslandTV]

Hey Zak - great pre-review review! This new car ticks all the boxes for me, so much so that ordered one last month and it’s due at the new Polestar Adelaide space in a few weeks. The RWD, amazing range and efficiency, slick infotainment, and tidy cabin/fastback design and overall quality did it for me, plus I reckon it just looks great. I went with the long range single motor with the Pilot option, and look forward to some long, long road trips right across the country next year, and now that we have access to 30 more superchargers that’s even easier, which is great for electrification.

[BennnWJK]

Would be great if it wasn’t trying to be a sedan crossover type thing

[UTube-gsyf]

Can it take on BYD's new model? I doubt it.

[TheYoyoma]

It’s a nice car but I felt really cramped in the base mode without sunroof. It gets quite expensive with a few add ons, will be hard to justify over a Tesla

[jacedonnelly]

Looks good, but I think the Tesla Model 3 is still a better value proposition.

[jasonr]

This isn’t a Chasing Cars critique, but overall I’m very suspicious of all the Australian initial reviews of this model update that include a focus on how well the update rides. I expect to be criticised for this comment but I can’t grasp how two countries known for poor roads - UK and Aus - can have motoring journalists with such differing views. Many of the reviews out of Britain are still referencing the harsh ride and suspension-travel-thumps having only been marginally improved and still not being up-to-scratch. Is this maybe a case of the cars provided to journalists here not being representative, or hand-picked roads for the initial testing period being unrepresentative of typical road conditions to disguise these shortcomings? I’m also a little suspicious when some Australian initial reviews don’t focus on ride at all - given the issues with last year’s model it seems strange to exclude this is a focus..

[theosiris]

“Feels like you’re sitting in Ikea, really premium and good quality”

“Runs android automotive, not great if you’re using an iPhone. But it does now include Carplay”

Some things in this review do not make sense to me..

[YananoBere]

Seeing complaints about the price and I'm baffled? 😅 Polestar has NEVER been a value brand. If anything it's even more high-end than the already premium Volvo. If the brand doesn't resonate, that's also fine but go to a value brand if you want value.

[Outrage]

Not worth 10k over the model 3; when the model 3 project highland comes out (bigger screen, instrument cluster, better interior etc) the polestar 2 will be even more unpopular especially if the highland variant maintains the same price point.

[JoshuaMcTackett]

The problem with Polestar: it’s not a Tesla and doesn’t measure up, but it’s priced like it’s better.

[michaelnefedov]

This 2 tonn EV has an inferior NMC battery, be aware

[TalismanPHX]

Ummm, no. Overpriced in comparison to the Model 3, especially the upgraded Highland generation

[vsboy]

Previous video had a badass M3 the ultimate badass machine, this video has a glorified battery 😂

[wt]

the tesla is cheap as chips, that's why people will go still go for it.

it's super budget friendly