Updated Polestar 2 gets RWD layout and 395-mile range

The updated Polestar arrives with an array of changes under the skin, such as a move to a rear-wheel-drive layout

Single-motor variant of Sino-Swedish brand's electric saloon now sends power to rear wheels for improved efficiency

Increased power, performance and range, as well as a move to a rear-wheel-drive layout, are key changes to the updated Polestar 2, which will arrive later this year.

Available to order now with a £2800 bump in starting price, the 2’s update is more than just cosmetic. Single-motor versions of the electric saloon are now rear-driven, having previously been front-driven, in a move to increase efficiency and improve range. 

Parent company Volvo has recently undertaken the same move with its XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge EVs.

This move to a rear-drive set-up has been something that Polestar has been looking at “for some years”, chassis-development head Joakim Rydholm told Autocar.

The change has also helped with other aspects of the car, giving it “slightly improved comfort and handling” while “keeping the same DNA”, he said.

“We start from a very good platform; we were very happy. But now when we change the rear wheel, we have lifted comfort [and] improved the agility, the steering position and the speed of response at the front axle.

“The whole car feels a little bit more agile and even a little bit lighter.”

This is similar to the dual-motor version of the 2, which is now tuned with a rear-biased torque split that “increases driving pleasure and performance”. 

The four-wheel-drive 2 is also able to decouple its front motor for efficiency, thus creating a similar set-up to the single-motor 2. The front motor then re-engages when the driver wants more power. 

The refreshed dual-motor 2 is now boosted by 14bhp to 416bhp, while torque has been increased by 59lb ft to 546lb ft, thanks to a new rear motor – now the primary drive source – supported on the front axle by a new asynchronous motor.

This gives a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.5sec, 0.2sec swifter than previously.

A new permanent-magnet motor is fitted to the single-motor 2, which provides a significant increase in power and torque over the previous model, up by 67bhp (to 295bhp) and 118lb ft (to 361lb ft).

This means the single-motor 2 can now dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in a claimed 6.2sec, 1.2sec quicker than before. 

New batteries also arrive with the refresh, with a 82kWh pack for long-range models providing a considerable increase in the 2’s WLTP range. It's up by 65 miles for the dual-motor variant (to 368 miles) and 52 miles for the single-motor (to 395 miles).

Long-range cars can now charge at rates up to 205kW, a 55kW improvement.

The standard-range model retains its 69kWh battery capacity, but efficiency improvements provide a 25-mile uplift (to 322 miles). Charging speed has been boosted by 20kW to 150kW.

On the outside, the 2 gets a refreshed, more solid-looking front end, bringing it in line with the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV. This is due to the addition of Polestar's Smartzone, which hosts active-safety features including the front-facing camera and mid-range radar.

“Typically in the car industry, a facelift introduces superficial visual changes that often destroy the original intention of the car’s design theme,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

“With the new-model-year Polestar 2, we rather went below the surface and upgraded substantial tech and mechanical components of the electric drivetrain.”

The updated 2 is available to order now, with first deliveries expected in the third quarter of 2023. Prices for the single-motor model start at £44,950, while the dual-motor long-range model starts at £52,950.