• Google infotainment system is intuitive
• Integrates seamlessly with any smartphone
• Clean design looks smart and classy

How is the quality and layout?

We are really impressed with the interior quality and design. Unlike with other high-end cars, the Polestar 2 manages to make the cabin feel luxurious without the need to cover everything in leather. In fact, unless you pay extra for leather seats, the interior is completely vegan.

The choice and fit of materials is one area where we rate the Polestar 2 more highly than the Tesla Model 3, which while modern and trendy, doesn’t have the depth of quality that the Polestar offers. The ambience onboard is cool and calm, and the cabin is bathed by natural light from the full-length sunroof.

Infotainment and tech

The Polestar 2 was the first car in the world to feature Google’s Android infotainment system, set on an 11.0-inch, freestanding portrait touchscreen. Once you’ve logged in to your Google account, it works just like your phone or tablet, with all your regular apps and contacts already saved to the car.

As well as large and easily jabbed virtual buttons, this system has been designed to be as easy as possible to use on the move (not something we can say about every touchscreen in a car).

The sat-nav uses Google Maps, with live charging station availability if you need a top-up on the way. The maps have a specific skin with reduced on-screen information to help you read them while driving. It works really well, which is no surprise considering how effective Google Maps is on your computer or phone.

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The Polestar 2 comes with its own connected sim card onboard with Polestar picking up the tab for Spotify streaming and maps usage for three years. Over-the-air updates are free for the lifetime of the car, but Google services are only covered for the first three years in the UK.

The heating controls are accessed via the touchscreen, which is a bit of a pain while on the move as you’ll need to attempt a few stabs at the screen to access the menu, which can be difficult as the ride is not the smoothest.

Comfort

• Excellent Volvo-sourced seats
• Lots of natural light
• Noisy at motorway speed

The seats are a highlight here. All versions we’ve sampled are supportive, nearly endlessly adjustable and are comfortable to sit in for hours at a time.

Although this is a unique Polestar cabin, some of the Volvo provenance is visible from the interior: the steering wheel and electric window switches are borrowed from its Swedish siblings.

Being an electric car, the Polestar 2 is blissfully quiet in the cabin thanks to a lack of engine noise. Well, until you really get moving. Wind noise is well suppressed until you get to motorway speeds, where it will make a bit of a racket. Wheel and suspension thuds are more apparent at these speeds too.

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