Volvo’s electric car arm Polestar has upgraded its rival Tesla Model 3 with more power and driving range, and the installation of additional key safety features as standard.
an updated Electric car 2024 Polestar 2 has been revealed, with more power, increased driving range, faster charging and revised looks, ahead of the first Australian deliveries expected between July and September 2023.
In addition to substantial mechanical upgrades, the Chinese-owned arm of the Swedish brand that built its reputation on safety has finally addressed a blind spot in its standard driver-assist technology.
Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are now standard on all polar star 2 models, after previously being exclusive to a $3400 option package, despite being standard on other cars at less than half the price.
polar star australia It has yet to confirm pricing for the updated model, and order books won’t open until April at the earliest, but prices have risen in the UK by between four and seven per cent.
This points to a starting price of $66,500 plus highway and options for the entry-level model, roughly $2,500, or $78,500 plus highway and options for a higher-end model (versus $73,400 today).
At these prices, the entry-level Polestar 2 will still fall below the threshold for government electric car rebates in some Australian states and territories.
Also new for 2024 vehicles is a surround-view camera, side parking sensors, a wireless phone charging pad and auto-dimming side mirrors, but adaptive cruise control will remain part of an options package.
The standard-range single-motor base versions retain their 69 kWh (gross) capacity, but are now connected to a more powerful 200 kW/490 Nm rear electric motor, compared to the previous 170 kW/330 Nm front motor .
It reduces 0-100km/h acceleration time from 7.4 to 6.4 seconds, and is more efficient, increasing the claimed driving range to a maximum of 518km in European WLTP tests, an increase of 40km .
The long-range single-motor model is upgraded to an 82kWh battery pack from Chinese company CATL, up from 78kWh previously, and a 220kW/490Nm rear electric motor (versus the previous 170kW/330Nm front motor).
Polestar claims that the 0-100 km/h acceleration time has been reduced from 7.4 to 6.2 seconds, and it has claimed that the driving range in Europe’s WLTP protocol has increased from 551 km to 635 km.
The enlarged 82kWh battery is shared with the flagship long-range dual motor, which gets new electric motors, directing more of the car’s power to the rear wheels, developing 310kW and 740Nm (up from 300kW/660Nm).
The Chinese-owned electric carmaker claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than before, and up to 592km of WLTP range, 105km more.
The front electric motor of the twin-motor model can be disconnected to improve energy efficiency on the road, while the company claims that the new motors offer “greatly improved traction”.
The optional performance software upgrade, which increases horsepower and acceleration for the dual-motor, downloaded via the Internet, is now included in the variant’s $8000 performance package, as well as being offered as a standalone $800 option. 1600.
It increases outputs to 350kW and 740Nm, up from the previous 300kW/660Nm, and reduces 0-100km/h acceleration time to 4.2 seconds.
Polestar says the updated battery packs allow for higher charging power – up to 205kW on long-range cars and up to 135kW on the standard-range base model, up from 155kW and 130kW respectively on the 2023 model.
Along with the mechanical changes and increased standard features, the Polestar 2 sedan was updated with a new body-color front grille panel inspired by the Polestar 3 SUV.
There’s also a new set of 20-inch Performance Pack alloy wheels available on the Long Range Dual Motor, which are designed to resemble the 22-inch wheels on the Polestar 3 Performance Pack.
Polestar has confirmed that the ‘Pixel’ matrix LED headlights have returned to the optional Pilot Pack, after being withdrawn in early 2022 due to semiconductor shortages.
Pricing for the revised Pilot Pack, which was called the Pilot Lite Pack when the headlights weren’t available, has yet to be confirmed.
However, the standard equipment of blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, side parking sensors and a 360-degree camera, rather than as extras as part of the Pilot Pack, means the option package actually it may be cheaper than before.
The Plus Package (previously $6,000) now includes a hands-free kick sensor for the standard power liftgate and a digital key to unlock the car from the owner’s smartphone.
The ‘activity key’, a waterproof key fob designed to take to the beach or pool, which used to come standard with the car, is now an optional extra.
Polestar also claims that “carbon emissions for versions with the new 82kWh battery have been reduced by 1.1 tonnes to 5.9 tonnes per car” due to the new battery chemistry.
Orders for the 2024 polar star 2 in Australia they will open in the second quarter of this year (April to June), ahead of the first deliveries scheduled for the third quarter (July to September 2023).
Pricing and other Australian details will be released closer to launch.
The MY24 updates represent the second round of updates for the Polestar 2 since Australian deliveries began in early 2022, following minor exterior and interior updates for the 2023 model year.
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