Polestar has given its Polestar 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) a facelift, plus some other improvements for model year 2024.
The maker of the fastback electric sedan has improved its drivable range (up to 300 miles on a single charge) and added more powerful motors.
It’s also introducing a rear-wheel drive model alongside several smaller changes like wireless phone charging and driver awareness features now included as standard.
The new Polestar 2’s most visible change comes in the form of a new flat front grille design, one that matches the look of the automaker’s latest Polestar 3 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
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Polestar calls this new grille the “SmartZone,” which houses components and sensors that are used for the car’s advanced safety and driver assistant features.
SmartZone includes a camera, midrange radar, accelerometers, ultrasonic sensors, and heating wires to keep it all from freezing in colder climates — something this Sweden-based carmaker should understand all too well.
Polestar 2 now features a maximum 300- mile range on the single-motor RWD model, an increase on the 270-mile range of the FWD version released stateside last year.
This improvement is largely thanks to the inclusion of a larger battery pack that has grown from 78kWh to 82kWh.
The bigger battery pack is able to charge at a faster 205kW rate (up from 155kW) at compatible stations.
The car’s performance is improved as well due to a new permanent magnet motor capable of 299 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque, versus the FWD’s 231 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque.
The RWD is quicker now, too, with a 5.9 second zero to 60mph acceleration (reduced from 7.0 seconds).
The RWD’s new battery is also more environmentally friendly, according to Polestar. The automaker states that the new pack has improved cell chemistry that reduced carbon emissions from seven tons per car to 5.9.
Polestar is planning a full life cycle assessment of the battery pack later in 2023.
Oddly, the dual-motor all-wheel drive versions of the Polestar 2 don’t get the bigger battery, but they do sport a new drivetrain and efficiency improvements.
The car now moves primarily on the new rear motor while the new front asynchronous motor kicks on for support.
In total, the system pushes 421 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque — up from 408 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque.
The new SmartZone grille (white) has more sensors and a flatter finish.
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