FWD Polestar 2 launches for £40,000 | GRR
One motor or two? It’s an increasingly pertinent question in the world of battery-electric vehicles. Two motors for maximum performance, one motor for less go but also less dosh. It’s an idea the Swedish-inspired all-electric brand Polestar is embracing with a new version of its Polestar 2.
The latest model has lost a motor and gained a price cut. The new entry model is now £6,000 less than the highly regarded dual-motor version – worth having even if with a new tag of £39,900 it is still out of range of the Government’s £2,500 plug-in car grant (that only applies to cars that cost up to £35k).
You can have the one-motor Polestar 2 with a choice of two battery packs: a 78 kWh long-range (320-335 miles) model for £42,900 and a standard range (260-273 miles) 64kWh version which comes in just under the £40k.
With a single motor, driving the front wheels only, the new models have rather less power, as you might expect. The standard model has 224PS (165kW) and the long range version 231PS (170kW) while in either model torque is half the dual-motor’s, at 330Nm (244lb ft). All quite a deficit then to the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Polestar 2 which with its 408PS (300kW) and £45,900 price remains the range-topper.
Performance with one motor? Understandably down. The flagship can do 127mph and sprint from 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds. Take one motor away and drive the front wheels only and you are limited to 100mph and the 0-62 shoots up to 7.4 seconds.
That’s a difference you are sure to notice in the driving, but in other ways the single motor option is just the same: it shares the same five-door fastback body, gets the same cool Polestar design cues and LED lights, plus the same design of interior complete with vegan seat upholstery.
Polestar also claims standard equipment remains generous, with all versions coming ready fitted with Android-powered infotainment and twin displays, high performance audio, rear-view camera and 19-inch wheels. There are option packs available for those who want extra features such as panoramic glass roof, electric heated seats and more elaborate drive-assist systems.
As before, the latest Polestar 2 is available to order online only with the single-motor model available to test drive from September.