I have the new 2024 Polestar 2 rear-wheel drive for testing. I loved the pre-update all-wheel-drive version I previously tested and am looking forward to testing this new model, a fully electric five-seater car. If you haven't heard of Polestar, think of it as a sporty, electric-only offshoot of the Volvo brand, which is bringing out some great-looking and quite luxurious vehicles. I look forward to putting them all through our BabyDrive testing but for now let's jump into the latest Polestar 2…
The 2024 Polestar 2 has been significantly re-engineered to be rear-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive. This model I am testing is the long-range single-motor variant priced around $71,400. It is the second most affordable option and has a range of up to 654km, which is 103km more than the previous version.
It is more powerful, faster and has more acceleration. It charges in just 28 minutes on a fast charger, which is another improvement on previously.
The one I am testing has the Luxury Plus pack, giving it heated and cooled leather seats, and this wonderful battleship grey colour is called Thunder.
The Polestar 2 has ISOFix in the two outer rear seats, they are within plastic guides and nice and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three seatbacks. The outer two are clearly labelled and the central one is low down in the seat back. I did find it a little tricky to post the top tether straps through to the boot as there is no space underneath the rear headrests.
I found two Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the back of the 2024 Polestar 2. I installed the Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule rear-facing behind the driver's seat and the Infasecure Achieve More forward-facing behind the front passenger seat.
Legroom is fantastic in the Polestar 2 and we found a 186cm driver can sit in front of a rear-facing child seat and even taller in front of a forward-facing child seat! Making the Polestar 2 a great electric vehicle for taller families.
Passengers in the front are well looked after, with minimal, functional storage. Underneath the central armrest, there are two cup holders…
… they are a good size for holding a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
In front of the gear lever is a wireless phone charging tray…
… and on the side of the central console is a phone storage shelf for the front passengers.
The glove box is a good size, and like in Volvos, there is a fold-out hook to hang your handbag so it is not on the floor in the footwell.
Front door bins will hold a refillable water bottle, and an iPad or wallet fits too. The little metal button on the armrest does press into your knee a bit if you are tall.
Storage is minimal in the back, and the door bins will only hold a 600ml water bottle.
A fold-down in the central seat back has two cup holders that will hold reusable or disposable coffee cups, and a child's sippy cup fits, too.
There are net map pockets on the back of both front seats which will hold but not conceal an iPad and aircon vents in the back of the central console to keep the rear passengers comfortable while you are driving along.
Storage in the boot of the Polestar 2 is generous and practical for families. It will hold 13 shopping bags when empty, which is comparable to the Volvo C40 Recharge, which holds 12 shopping bags. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 holds 14, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model Y both hold 15.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram, with its seat, fits in the boot of the Polestar 2 with three shopping bags. The Jiffle wagon holds up to 60kg of cargo inside the wagon, too, so you have heaps of extra storage, and you don't have to unload it to put it into the boot.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram with bassinet fits in the boot of the Polestar 2.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram fits in the boot of the Polestar 2 with five shopping bags beside it…
… and the Adapt More Infant Capsule installed in the car.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram cart, with up to 60kg of storage inside it, fits in the boot of the Polestar 2 with five bags of shopping beside it.
The Polestar 2 has a Volvo-like boot divider that folds up from the floor, so you can separate your boot into two areas, allowing you to hold two shopping bags on hooks.
It also has an enormous underfloor storage area, great for putting soccer balls, swimmers etc.
Underfloor storage (2022 model shown, the current one has a more regular rectangular shape area)
A medium-sized dog would also travel comfortably in the boot of the Polestar 2.
The media system in the Polestar 2 has a lovely big portrait screen. There are some great features in it like Google Maps and YouTube. So you can access videos and watch them with your kids when you are waiting at school pick up, while using a public charger etc.
The Polestar 2 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily access your phone's navigation, messaging and listening apps while driving.
Within the drive settings screen, you can change the feel of the drive between firm, standard and light, and you can turn the one-pedal drive off and on as well.
You can customise your driver assist functions on that screen, too, like driver alert, lane keep assist, etc.
Your battery range is easily visible on the charge screen…
… and the More screen allows you to customize things about the car to exactly how you like it. Like the door locks and lighting etc.
When you put the Polestar 2 in reverse the camera image is big and clear but slightly obstructed around the edges as though you are viewing through the mouth of a shark! It fills the bottom half of the screen, and you can turn the parking sensors and rear auto brakes on and off easily on the screen.
One of my favourite features of the Polestar 2 EV is when you put a destination into the navigation, it tells you how much battery you will have when you arrive there. This is gold and takes away the range anxiety you feel for some journeys, especially when you have kids onboard.
The 2024 Polestar 2 is really lovely to drive. It is much smoother and quieter than the previous model, and having the rear-wheel-drive, you are very confident pulling out at junctions that you are not going to wheel spin which was a bit of an issue in the front-wheel drive version I briefly tried.
It is very quiet, being an EV, and the visibility is very good too. Even with two child seats installed in the back, I can see easily out of the rear and side windows, and the clear, crisp camera image makes reversing easy, too.
The Polestar 2 is quite a narrow car, and the turning circle is good, so parking and maneuvering in school and tight supermarket car parks is good.
The Polestar 2 is a really enjoyable and elegant car to drive around town as well as out on the open roads. Being fully electric, you can drive your little ones to sleep, or you can sit while they sleep in the back with the air-conditioning on, and it won't pollute the local environment or chew through fuel.
I really like the 2024 Polestar 2; it is practical for our family of four with its excellent legroom and spacious easy to use boot, and its minimal interior and elegant, fast and smooth drive make it a pleasure.
The Polestar 2 scored a 5 star ANCAP safety score and has seven airbags as standard.
Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard on all variants.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2024 Polestar 2 EV?
The 2024 Polestar 2 EV has a generous-size boot that will hold 13 shopping bags when empty, which is impressive and the same as some quite big SUVs. It is bigger than you get in the Volvo C40 Recharge, which holds 12 shopping bags. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 holds 14, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model Y both hold 15.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram, with its seat, fits in the boot of the Polestar 2 with three shopping bags. The Jiffle wagon holds up to 60kg of cargo inside the wagon, too, so you have heaps of extra storage, and you don't have to unload it to put it into the boot.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram with bassinet fits in the boot of the Polestar 2.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram fits in the boot of the Polestar 2 with five shopping bags beside it…
… and the Adapt More Infant Capsule installed in the car.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram cart, with up to 60kg of storage inside it, fits in the boot of the Polestar 2 with five bags of shopping beside it.
The Polestar 2 has a Volvo-like boot divider that folds up from the floor, and you can divide your boot in two, allowing you to hold two shopping bags on hooks.
It also has an enormous underfloor storage area, great for putting soccer balls, swimmers etc.
2022 Polestar 2 under boot storage (2024 version it is a bit more rectangular)
A twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot of the Polestar2 with three shopping bags.
A medium-sized dog would also travel comfortably in the boot of the 2024 Polestar 2.
The boot floor is flat, which is good for an emergency nappy change, and there is a netted storage area on the right and an elastic strap on the left side, which is good for holding balls in place.
How good is storage inside the 2024 Polestar 2 EV?
Storage in the cabin of the 2024 Polestar 2 EV is minimal but practical. In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console underneath the armrest…
…they will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup, and a large refillable water bottle fits in them too.
Below the media screen is a wireless phone charging dock and USB-C ports.
On both sides of the central console are phone or glasses storage shelves.
The glove box is a good size; it has a shelf in the top for the manual, and the bottom section will hold my wallet and iPad with the manual. You also get a fold-out hook to hold a bag above the footwell so it doesn't get dirty, wet or just roll around down there.
The door bins in the front will hold a refillable water bottle, and an iPad or wallet fits in them too.
There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors but no glasses case in the ceiling.
In the back, the door bins are small and will only hold a 600ml water bottle.
There are net map pockets on the back of both front seats in the 2024 Polestar 2 EV that will hold but not conceal an iPad. There is a USBC socket in the back of the central console box, below the air vents, for rear passengers to charge their devices.
A fold-down armrest in the central seatback has two cup holders. They will hold a disposable or reusable coffee cup or a child's sippy cup fits in them too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2024 Polestar 2 EV?
The 2024 Polestar 2 EV is a lovely quiet BabyDrive! Being fully electric it is silent to start making morning drop-offs a little calmer!
Like the Volvo C40, Porsche Taycan and MG 4, you don't press a button to turn the car on; just sitting in the driver's seat turns it on, and you move it into gear and off it goes! This does mean you can't let your kids sit in the front seats, pretending to drive, when the car is stationary because it is VERY easy for them to accidentally drive the car!
The 2024 Polestar 2 EV has been significantly re-engineered to be rear-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive. It is smoother and quieter than the previous model, and you are cocooned from a lot of the usual exterior road noise and stimulation when driving, which is great. The model I tested is the long-range single-motor model, which is the second most affordable option.
The media system in the Polestar 2 has a lovely big portrait screen. There are some great features in it like Google Maps and YouTube. So you can access videos and watch them with your kids when you are waiting at school pick up etc.
The Polestar 2 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily access your phone's podcast, music, messaging and navigation apps while driving.
Within the drive settings screen, you can change the feel of the drive between firm, standard and light, and you can turn the one-pedal drive off and on as well.
You can customise your driver assist functions on that screen, too, like driver alert, lane keep assist, etc.
Your battery range is easily visible on the charge screen…
… and the More screen allows you to customize things about the car to exactly how you like it. Like the door locks and lighting etc.
When you put the Polestar 2 in reverse the camera image is lovely and clear. It fills the bottom half of the screen, and you can turn the parking sensors and rear auto brakes on and off easily on the screen. My only criticism is the weird mouth-shaped shape around the edge of the camera view.
One of my favourite features of the Polestar 2 EV is when you put a destination into the navigation, it tells you how much battery you will have when you arrive there. This is gold and takes away the range anxiety you feel for some journeys, especially when you have kids on board.
The 2024 Polestar 2 is really lovely to drive. It is much smoother and quieter than the previous model, and having the rear-wheel-drive, you are very confident pulling out at junctions that you are not going to wheel spin.
It is very quiet being an EV, and the visibility is very good too. Even with two child seats installed in the back, I can see easily out of the rear and side windows, and the clear, crisp camera image makes reversing easy, too.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2024 Polestar 2 EV?
Installing Infasecure child seats into the 2024 Polestar 2 is easy. It has ISOFix in the two outer rear seats, they are within plastic guides and nice and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three seatbacks. The outer two are clearly labelled and the central one is low down in the seat back. I did find it a little tricky to post the top tether straps through to the boot as there is no space underneath the rear headrests.
I found two Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the back of the 2024 Polestar 2. I installed the Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule rear-facing behind the driver's seat and the Infasecure Achieve More forward-facing behind the front passenger seat.
Legroom is fantastic in the Polestar 2 and we found a 186cm driver can sit in front of a rear-facing child seat and even taller in front of a forward-facing child seat! Making the Polestar 2 a great electric vehicle for taller families.
Posting Bub into their child seat when inside and outside the car is really nice and easy in the Polestar 2 EV. The doorways are nice and wide, and although the ceiling is lower than in an SUV, there is still a good height to post Bub into their seat.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed bub in the back of the Polestar 2 if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2024 Polestar 2 EV? And How good is the 2024 Polestar 2 EV to drive?
The cabin is beautifully minimal in the front of the 2024 Polestar 2 EV.
The front seats are very comfortable, with adjustable base length and electronic adjustments.
The perforated cream leather in the front and rear seats in this car may prove a little tricky to keep clean for families against the usual kids, crumbs and drink spillages! Luckily Polestar offers quite a few options for seat upholstery.
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are comfortable at the sides, but in the central seat, I could feel the firm back caused by the drop-down armrest.
I could not fit beside two child seats in the back, but not between two child seats. I find the back of the Polestar 2 EV very comfortable to travel in with a generous amount of legroom.
For the first year of my baby’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down. Cruise control is incredibly accurate in the Polestar 2 EV, and the controls are nice and simple to use and located on the left of the steering wheel.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard, one at either end and two behind the central media screen.
There are aircon vents in the back of the 2024 Polestar 2 EV, which is great for keeping rear passengers at the right temperature while driving. There are also rear heated seat controls and a USB-C socket for rear charging below them. The controls for the aircon are within the media screen and are quite simple to reach and use while driving.
Visibility is very good out of the windows in the Polestar 2 EV, and I especially like the clear, crisp camera images when parking and manoeuvring.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Polestar 2 was easy to park.
Aesthetically, the 2024 Polestar 2 EV is a great-looking electric car, especially in this Thunder grey. WAY cooler than a Tesla Model 3 if you ask me!
The interior is calm and minimal, which helps when transporting the family. It is very practical for families, with the large boot space and excellent legroom even when using rear-facing child seats. As well as all the benefits of being fully electric.
For Child Occupancy protection, the Polestar 2 EV scored 87%.
ANCAP said of the testing: In both the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection was GOOD for all critical body areas for both the 6 year and 10 year child dummies.
The Polestar 2 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, however the Type A capsule could not be correctly installed in the rear outboard seating positions, one of the selected Type A convertible seats could not be correctly installed in rearward facing mode using the ISOfix anchorages, and one of the selected booster seats could not be correctly installed in the centre rear seating position.
Seven airbags come as standard;
Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard on all variants
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub's asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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