What you see now is the most affordable Polestar to date: the single-motor front-wheel drive Polestar 2 in 2022. However, its basic price may still cause double concern, as this "low-priced" Polestar 2 starts at $47,200.

To be fair, this is before federal and state incentives, which can subtract more than $10,000 from the price, depending on where you live. This is because this is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) with a battery capacity of 78 kWh and an estimated cruising range of 270 miles.

Still, it’s a lot of money for a hatchback, right? Yes. It certainly is. But 2022 Polestar 2 offers a truly unique look, a lot of interesting technology, and even a little extra complacency for those who are interested in filling their "I am more of an environmentalist" rather than your vault. But first, to understand how we got here, let's take a quick look at the Polestar lineup.

In 2020, Polestar entered the automotive market at an amazing speed-619 horsepower, 738 pound-feet of torque, $156,500, plug-in hybrid, GT car splash, called Polestar 1. It basically looks like a lively Swedish coupe, which is logical because Volvo is the parent company. Polestar 1 is interesting. And it's very rare. Even if you have that kind of disposable income, Polestar only sells 150 vehicles to the US market each year. Three years later, Polestar 1 was completed.

Last year, the brand expanded, adding a five-door, fast-back, dual-motor, all-wheel drive BEV with a total power of 408 horsepower and 487 pound-feet. The one with large torque is called Polestar 2. It also looks very Volvo. You can say that this is the first real car of this emerging brand. 2 is $100,000 lower than the price of 1, but you still need at least $51,200 to get out of your pocket before government incentives take effect.

Now, further expansion comes from contraction. This new 2022 Polestar 2 variant loses the electric motor mounted on the rear axle. As a result, 262 pounds were lost. Curb quality, but get a more palatable starting price and an estimated range of more than 20 miles, for a total of 270 miles. This number can indeed relieve mileage anxiety, because even if it is completely discharged, it is easy to charge it on a 240-volt charger for 8 hours. More importantly, using a fast charger, Polestar 2 can be charged from 10% to 80% in more than 30 minutes.

The battery pack provides energy for a permanent magnet AC motor, which produces peak power of 231 hp and 243 lb.-ft. The torque. Comparing this with the curb weight of 4,396 pounds, your weight to power ratio is 19.0:1. But because this is electric torque available at any time, Polestar claims that it takes only 7.0 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill.

More importantly, you rarely feel that you need power. The accelerator response is instant and consistent, which makes it easy to overtake on two-lane roads or through slow-moving interstate traffic throughout the day. The only time that makes you feel unremarkable is when you bury your right foot outside the line, hoping to be pushed onto the seat back. you will not. Yes, I officially announce here that this is not a trailer.

But it is a very customizable car. With very little effort, you can change the power steering assist, automatic brake regeneration (single pedal drive), and whether the Polestar 2 will travel as slowly as an automatic transmission. When regen is set to normal, you can decelerate up to 0.3G with your foot completely off the throttle, which is sufficient for most daily driving.

The car will come to a complete stop. This makes the actual brakes on this car effective emergency brakes because there is no need to touch them unless things don't go as planned. If you want, you can set a pedal driver to low or turn it off completely to get a more traditional driving feel. Polestar 2 will still use the motor as a generator to help you stop, but only if you step on the brake pedal.

In addition to these adjustments, you can also easily turn on or off driver nanny, such as lane keeping assist and road sign information. The important thing is not control to do these things (many cars do), but how easy Polestar makes it.

This is because Polestar uses the so-called Android car operating system. In other words, the entire system is Google, except for the touch screen of the center console connected to an Apple or Android smartphone. Google is good at making easy-to-use and intuitive interfaces. And this Polaris system is no exception.

Of course, you can get Google Maps, and of course the company’s voice-controlled virtual assistant and Google Play, which allow you to access media applications. In addition, you can connect your Google account to the car, which will automatically give you access to all your personal data. Of course, you can still connect via your mobile phone.

Android Automotive OS is standard equipment, as are the vertically installed 11.2-inch center console touch screen, 12.3-inch all-digital instrument panel, and a large number of USB ports throughout the cabin. You also get two-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, and a host of safety systems such as collision avoidance, driver alerts and nine airbags.

However, my test car was equipped with a Plus Pack, which cost an additional $4,000, and added a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, panoramic glass roof, and heat pump.

This heat pump is important for people in more northern climates because it transfers excess heat from the battery pack system to the cabin, thereby reducing the energy required to keep the interior warm. Think of it as a cold weather range extender. Or maybe it's a relief of anxiety in the cold weather range.

Whether hot or cold, you will also get a machine that is fun to drive. The 1,100-pound battery pack will undoubtedly make the 2022 Polestar 2 heavier, but it also keeps the center of gravity quite low. Despite providing a completely comfortable ride, the front pillar and rear multi-link independent suspension can still maintain good body control, even if you push it into the corner with a little enthusiasm.

If you find yourself on a set of curved roads, you can definitely play in this car. This is a place of great help with adjustable steering force. Unfortunately, heavier steering does not improve the lack of steering feel. In this Polestar, your number is significantly less than the Volkswagen GTI. However, it is still easy to feel the limits of the car in general and hear the screaming of tires occasionally.

Okay, we have introduced cool technology and unique styles, so what about free smugness? This is provided internally by vegetarians. The standard of Polestar 2 is that it does not contain animal products inside. In addition, Polestar claims that most of the interior is made of recycled materials. And, even in addition, Polestar claims that by using "modular assembly technology", cars are more recyclable at the end of their useful life. Accept this and you "become part of the solution" Prius owner!

Is 2022 Polestar 2 suitable for everyone? Not at all. But it is a smart alternative built by other manufacturers. And, at least with this lower-priced variant, it may suit more people than ever before.

For more information, you can check Polestar's website.

As an educated engineer, Robin likes the technical aspects of cars. But he has an insatiable desire for racing, and he also likes the absolute pleasure of extreme driving. Robin combined these two passions when reviewing cars. From a technical perspective, look at how and how to make the car feel like driving.