We all carry more technology with us every day than ever before. Today, searching for an address or finding that ideal song is a question of taking out a smartphone and firing up an app. The problem is that we’ve all become accustomed to that level of interaction and ease of use which means that when it comes to our cars, there can be quite a drop-off in terms of technology.
It’s been a challenge faced by all car manufacturers and why, for many, it’s easier to hand over the job of in-car tech to a tried-and-tested partner to make sure that nothing goes wrong.
It makes a big difference in the Polestar 2 that I’m driving for the next few months. The main infotainment system runs Android’s Automotive OS and that means from the start you’ve got must-have apps like Google Maps and Spotify pre-loaded and ready to go. I’ve been able to pair my Google account with the 2, and that means I can search for a location on my phone from inside the house before ‘sending’ the instructions to the car. I get in the Polestar and everything is pre-loaded and ready to go. The navigation instructions are also sent to the screen ahead of you, which makes it a little easier to see where you’re meant to be off to without having to take your eyes away from the road too long.
The same goes for Spotify. I’ve now logged the car into my account and each time I get into it, my playlists and ‘starred’ songs are right there and waiting. It’s as seamless as using my phone, which is just how you want it to be.
There’s a bit of a drop-off when you do need to use your phone’s features, however. As I’ve mentioned, the Polestar 2 doesn’t have wireless Apple CarPlay – so you need to connect your phone via USB cable to mirror its display on the car’s screen – and when you do that, it’s not as seamlessly integrated as the ‘native’ apps. For example, if you use Google Maps through the phone, the instructions aren’t mirrored on the main display ahead of you – which seems strange, given that the same app does the opposite when used directly through the car’s system. It’s more of an oddity than an annoyance, though.
The rest of the car is as seamless as can be, though. I’m still getting plenty of charge from a full top-up – around 330 miles, in current temperatures – and that means I’ve barely had to worry about finding a place to charge. Of course, I benefit massively from having a home charging unit – which is a game-changer in the EV ownership process – but the Polestar 2’s extensive range means that I’m not having to hook on to the house all that often.
As I’ve touched on in a previous report, the lack of a rear windscreen wiper is a bit of a pain but something that isn’t isolated to the Polestar. In the recent weeks with the grimy, gritty road conditions the rear of the 2 has been downright filthy and, without any mechanical way to clean it from within the car, I’ve resorted to wiping down the rear screen. The same goes for the rear-facing parking camera which became so grubby recently it was near-useless. Without it, you’re almost reversing blind, given the small rear window aperture and streaky glass that you’re unable to clear. It’s not a problem suffered by the 2 alone – I had the same issue on the BMW iX2 that I ‘ran’ previously – but it could be solved by a simple washer and wiper.
The Polestar 2 switched to a rear-wheel-drive layout recently and, with an optimisation of the battery pack, this is how it’s been able to deliver even more range. To be honest with you I hadn’t particularly noticed a massive switch-up in the driving experience, until driving home in relatively cold conditions from the airport recently. A stamp on the accelerator coming out of a roundabout caused the 2 to step out far more aggressively than I ever thought it would. With relatively low-resistance tyres and 490Nm of torque, the 2 swings out in a much sportier fashion than I’d initially thought. It makes the whole car feel a lot more dynamic, though you do need to be on your toes when things are chilly or particularly greasy outside.
It has all combined to make the 2 even more interesting to drive on a day-to-day basis. Coupled with the user-friendly technology on-board and you have a car that feels dead easy to use on every occasion.
- Model as tested: Polestar 2 Long range single motor
- Price: £49,550
- Engine: Single electric motor
- Power: 295bhp
- Torque: 490Nm
- Max speed: 127mph
- 0-60mph: 5.7 seconds
- MPG: NA
- Emissions: 0g/km
- Range: 372-408 miles
- Maximum charging speed: 205kW
- Mileage: 2,041
