Cargo capacity is at a premium inside the vehicle, with just 15.5 cubic feet of storage space unless you fold the rear seats down. That said, if you’re looking to haul groceries rather than a whole lot of ass, this might not be the EV for you. You might instead consider the Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia Niro EV, because this EV is certainly not an electric SUV.

The Polestar 2 was a blast to drive through the twists and turns of CA-35. Thanks to the electric motors’ instant access to torque, a mere flick of the gas pedal at the apex of a curve had me blasting out of it faster than when I entered. That quick acceleration was apparent in normal city driving both in the relative bustle of midmorning downtown San Francisco and the sleepy, sweltering sprawl of suburban Los Gatos. The one-pedal driving system proved to be pretty useful in light city traffic, enabling me to automatically slow to a crawl simply by lifting my foot off the gas. That feature can be turned off if you prefer a two-pedal driving experience. I had no trouble keeping up with traffic either on city streets, multilane boulevards or at freeway speeds. Especially at freeway speeds. It easily kept pace with the flow of traffic — even when that flow might have exceeded the posted speed limit.

Polestar / Beadyeye

Your biggest concern will be making sure that the lane next to you is clear when you do try to pass because the Polestar 2’s blindspots are big enough to hide a MAC truck in. The A-pillars are broad, as are B-pillars. Plus, the side mirrors have been minimized to lower the drag coefficient, but they only give you a tiny peek at what’s in the lane next to you. I’d gladly take the reduced range if it meant I could get a better look at the traffic around me from larger mirrors.

The centerpiece of the Polestar 2 is the vehicle’s fancy center console. It replaces virtually every knob, dial and switch with an 11-inch screen running one of the first versions of Android Automotive OS available to third-parties. Aside from the window and mirror controls, door locks and gear shift, everything is run through what looks like an iPad Pro set in portrait mode and crammed against the front of the dash. I’ve never been much of a fan of these sorts of controls. The idea of hunting through multiple sub-menus on a glorified tablet while navigating rush hour traffic has always given me the heebie-jeebies, but the AAOS system is remarkably straightforward and intuitive. I never tapped more than a couple times to get to the control I was looking for. 

Polestar / Beadyeye

That’s not to say there isn’t a learning curve. I spent 10 sweltering minutes in 98 degrees weather trying to turn on the A/C for the first time but after that, the process took seconds. And to be fair, I could have just not been stubborn and said, “Hey Google, turn on the air conditioning and set the temperature to 68 degrees.” Because that works too and it’s pretty cool.

Typically when you pair your smartphone to your car’s infotainment system, it simply mirrors the phone’s functionality. AAOS, on the other hand, is a standalone system meaning you won’t have to physically plug your phone into it — though you will need a Bluetooth connection to make calls and send texts. 

Instead, you simply link the infotainment to your Google account. Doing so enables a deeper degree of integration, enabling drivers to use their preferred options when dealing with Maps for navigation, Google Play for media or Assistant for voice assist. What’s more, according to the Polestar press kit, if you’ve already own a Google Home, congrats, your Google account already has a bunch of recordings of your speech patterns so the infotainment system will more clearly understand you from the get-go. 

“From a security perspective, similar things that we have on the phone are things that also exist in the vehicle,” Haris Ramic, Google product lead for Android Automotive, told Engadget. “So for example, you can go set it up, if you lock your account, it gets encrypted. And [to access that encrypted data] you have to either enter a PIN into the vehicle or sometimes to do something on the phone [such as 2-factor authentication] to open it up. When the vehicle does shut down, the user partitions, which is the area where all the user information is stored, also get encrypted.”

What’s more, Google is being cautious as to which companies are being allowed access to its fledgling OS’ APIs. “The goal is, obviously, not to focus just on big companies because innovation can come from anywhere. We don’t want to provide a set of API’s that anybody can use,” Ramic continued. “But partially the reason why we’re going so slow is, rather than just opening up everything and saying anybody can develop anything they want, we’re targeting areas where we know there’s a lot of consumer value.”

Logging in to the infotainment system is not a requirement, mind you, it will work just fine without your credentials, just not with the same degree of personalization (and data privacy exposure) as if you did. During my test drive, I used a generic account provided by Polestar and paired my phone via Bluetooth. So while it wouldn’t play songs from my Google Music account, I still had easy access Maps, Assistant and Spotify. 

Polestar / Beadyeye

Assistant was surprisingly effective and intelligent during the four-plus hours I had to play with it. I didn’t have to manually input any destinations, simply told Assistant where I wanted to go and the system automatically generated a route. This was way, way easier than the navigation experience we saw with the Cooper SE back in January. Assistant was generally unfazed by background noise, quickly responding over the sounds coming from the Polestar’s 16 speaker Harmon Kardon stereo system and really only got bogged down when trying to understand me while I shouted commands with the windows down at freeway speeds. 

It did return a few incorrect results when I asked it to play specific bands. For example, when asked it to play The Coup, Spotify loaded up “In the Coupe” by Curren$y and Harry Fraud instead, or when I requested Chika, I got Chica. And yet somehow when I asked for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the system correctly loaded “Return to Zero“ without hesitation. Whether that’s a shortcoming of Assistant’s ability to parse language or Spotify simply not having those artists in its catalog is something I couldn’t discern during the few hours I had the car. But it definitely made me long to have access to my existing Google Music playlists. 

One issue I did run into was the fact that streaming media requires a 4G/LTE connection and when picking my way through the Santa Cruz hills, I often ran into service dead zones which would cut the music until the signal was restored (thankfully, it didn’t impact navigation.) This goes for streaming services like Google Music or Spotify as well as FM and AM radio stations (which are also streamed via an onboard app because AM radio signals play havoc with EVs.) Luckily you can easily get around this issue by making a hard connection between your phone and the system via one of four USB-C ports and playing media directly from the phone’s hard drive if you don’t want to chance it. The console also offers a 15w charging pad for induction-capable phones.

Volvo’s influence (as part-owner of the brand) is apparent in the vehicle’s broad array of safety and driver assist features. It will feature Level 2 ADAS, namely Pilot Assist (which is already being deployed in Volvo models like the V60 and the XC90) — it provides acceleration, braking and steering up to 81 mph; blindspot, rear crash, and cross-traffic alerts; a lane-keeping aid, crash mitigation and avoidance. It even keeps an eye on the driver to make sure they’re staying focused on the road. That’s not to say it has cameras monitoring the driver or anything, the attention monitor is based on steering wheel contact. One unique safety feature of the Polestar 2 is its front inner-side airbags. These are mounted on either side of the center console and are designed to protect both driver and passenger from either shattering their femurs against the console or slamming into one another in the event that the vehicle gets hit from the side. 

The Polestar 2 is still slated to come to the US this summer, despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Swedish company — a subsidiary of Volvo — recently announced that the all-electric sedan will start at $59,900. That’s well above the similarly spec’d Tesla Model 3, which starts at about $40,000. However, given the Volvo pedigree, the Polestar 2 may have an advantage over the Model 3 when it comes to safety. The company outlined various elements that will keep drivers safe in the event of a crash, including automatic braking, inner-side airbags and battery safeguards.

Polestar 2’s autopilot features use Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), which the company says will come to other models from Volvo. Pilot Assist provides acceleration, breaking and steering when driving at up to 81 miles per hour. The exact mechanisms that will help aid in driver and passenger safety aren’t clear, but the technology should at least help prevent collisions on highways, and help drivers stop short if they don’t see a road hazard.

At $59,900 the Polestar 2 isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s close enough to the Model 3’s $40,000 price tag to make it a solid competitor. While it’s arguably better looking than the Model 3, it has similar specs. Its 78 kWh battery delivers a range of roughly 275 miles, and it packs 408 horsepower.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Polestar began production of the EV in China last month. It’s manufacturing the car on the same production lines that its parent company Volvo is assembling the Volvo XC40. The first Polestar 2 vehicles produced will be sold in Europe, with sales in China and North America after that.

For an additional $4,000, customers can get a leather interior and for an extra $1,200, they can upgrade to 20-inch alloy wheels. The Polestar 2 is the first production vehicle to come with Google’s Android platform for its infotainment system, so you can expect Google Assistant voice commands, Google Maps, EV charging support and apps via the Google Play Store.

That means they can test everything about an app, including downloading and installing it, without having to wait for a car actually running Android Automotive. With its close ties to Android Auto, Google adds that it’s “simple” to port over any existing experiences to Android Automotive, with the company showing off examples from Amazon and Audioburst (seen below). All of this is good news if you plan to hop on Android Automotive early, since Google is taking the right steps to ensure the system has a compelling third-party ecosystem at launch. The lower barrier of entry may mean you’ll also see apps from more than just the big names like Spotify.

The system will debut in the Polestar 2 when deliveries begin this time next year. The Polestar 1, a limited production hybrid coupe, will come a few months earlier, but it will use the same system and interface used in Volvo’s current sedans and SUVs. Both cars will be built in China.

Although Google is working with many other automakers, the Polestar 2 will be the first car to get this system in its entirety. FCA, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are also currently working with the tech company and will use its open source operating system in future models, however, Polestar will be the first to use its platform as well as offer its applications and services.

Audi offered Google Earth in its navigation system for years, but didn’t use Google’s platform to support it, and Haris Ramic, the lead product manager for Android Automotive, says that became a problem. “Google Earth with the operating system underneath just wasn’t scalable,” he says.

Ramic admits Tesla has been an inspiration, but the system’s entire interface was designed in house at Polestar, including all the graphics, menus and its massive 11-inch touchscreen, which replaces the car’s center stack. It’s similar to the design found in the Model 3, however, unlike the Tesla’s screen, the Polestar’s unit is mounted vertically, which Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design, says is better to display maps and lists.

Also, unlike the Tesla, the Polestar 2 still has an instrument cluster ahead of the driver. It’s a 12.3-inch screen but there aren’t any round gauges or needled instruments, just clean digital readouts for speed, battery charge levels and other vitals. The navigation system map is also mimicked in the space and there are three configurations chosen with a button on the steering wheel; car centric, minimal and map centric.

“We call that the Now Area,” says Missoni. “It displays information the driver needs right now at a glance. The other screen is the Whenever Area and offers less important information for when the driver can afford to look away from the road.” Surprisingly, a head-up display will not be available.

Most of the magic happens in the Whenever Area. As on an Android phone or tablet, there are four large tiles on the home screen, one each for Maps, Phone, Audio and the cars battery charge consumption. Each tile scrolls within itself to reveal clusters of apps for each genre, or you can touch the tile and open it to full screen. Unlike Volvo’s current system, there is no scrolling to the side.

It’s well organized and the graphics are clean and colorful. And everything is big. Google says the graphics have been optimized for driving with larger “tap targets” so drivers can use the screen quickly with as little distraction as possible. The maps have also been simplified and display less detail so they’re easier to consume at a glance. Satellite view is available and the system will come equipped with FM, SiriusXM and Spotify.

The screen’s response to my touch is quick — not as fast as my iPhone 6S, but close. Polestar says the production version will be faster than this prototype. At the bottom of the screen is a virtual home button, but there isn’t a back button and that seems like an oversight. As in all Teslas and current Volvos, the Polestar’s climate controls are also housed within the touchscreen, along with other functions like settings for the car’s headlights, seats and door locks.

Google Assistant is another important part of the package, and it may be the best voice command system we’ve tried — but it’s not perfect. During our 20 minutes inside the car a Google product manager, quickly starts throwing commands at the system’s AI. “Ok Google,” she says. “Take me to Monterey.” Within about two seconds the screen reveals a route and the trips distance in miles in relation to the car’s current state of charge. It’s close enough that no recharging would be required to cover the distance.

“Ok Google,” I say. “Take me to Los Angeles.” To my surprise the system understands my New Jersey accent perfectly and quickly displays a route complete with charging stations along the way.

Then she says, “Ok Google, play ‘At Last.'” One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississip… Etta James has been found on Spotify and her soulful vocals are coming filling the cabin. And then we hit a small glitch. “Ok Google,” she says. “Turn up the volume.”

No response.

“Ok Google, turn up the volume.” Nothing. She changes the language of the request. “Ok Google, increase the volume.” This time it works, but the volume increase is small. Missoni must like his tunes cranked. He kept a large volume knob on the Polestar’s console and volume buttons on the steering wheel, which is shared with the Volvo XC40 along with the sedan’s platform.

In another smart move, the system will support Apple CarPlay, which will be wireless. The entire system will system will also be personalized to the driver, recognizing you from your smartphone and remembering all your settings and favorites. “In the future your identity will come with you,” says Ramic.

Your smartphone will also act as the cars key, unlocking the doors from within two meters and the ignition from the driver’s seat. Buyers will also get a traditional key fob for valets and a waterproof activity key.

Although the system is impressive and its interface is clean and well thought out, it doesn’t seem to break any new ground from a function or feature standpoint. It all seems kinda familiar. In fact, if you’ve used Android Auto then you’ve probably used Google Assistant in your car before. The difference is it was through your phone, which had to be plugged into the car, here the system is embedded into the car.

Ramic says there will be regular over the air updates, and the real innovation will come from third party media application developers. At this point, however, there haven’t been any apps approved for the automotive system and the guidelines are still in progress. YouTube is called out as an example of an app that wouldn’t qualify, as watching videos while driving would be clearly dangerous.

Polestar is now taking deposits for the Polestar 2, as well as the Polestar 1 and the cars will be sold through standalone stores. “This car will never be in a Volvo showroom,” says the brand’s COO. The Polestar 3, a coupe-style SUV, will get a new platform. It will also debut the brand’s next design language, inside and out, which will separate it further from Volvo’s offerings. It’ll arrive in the backend of 2021.

This meant we had to wait until we hit the ground in Geneva to check out the first electric vehicle from (parent brand) Volvo. What we encountered was a vehicle that’s nearly on par design-wise with the breathtaking (yet hybrid) Polestar 1.

This shouldn’t be too surprising considering that a focus on design is part of Polestar’s DNA. CEO Thomas Ingenlath started his career in the auto industry as a designer. That experience gives him a unique outlook.

“As a designer, you’re on your own taking a decision about what design you propose and stuff and that kind of mixture of having very rational aspects in it. But at the same time, acknowledging that certain things are driven by emotions and the gut feeling and being brave enough to make a decision where you have not one hundred percent certainty — I think that is indeed a very good preparation for the job that I have to do now,” Ingenlath told Engadget.

That experience helped shape the look of the company and the Polestar 2. It’s not as sleek as the Polestar 1, but it does carry the design language of the brand with a bit of Volvo’s visual heritage thrown in for good measure.

The front of the vehicle hits you with Volvo’s Hammer of Thor headlight. But Polestar is a bit more reserved when it comes to its own logo which is the same color as the vehicle. Meanwhile, the car itself has a beefier stance than its predecessor both in the front and back.

The Polestar 2 looks like someone grabbed the Polestar 1 and squeezed the two ends of the vehicle together resulting in a taller, stockier car. The only design aspect that seems to have suffered is the rear three-quarter view of the car. It still looks good, but it’s lost some of the magic seen in the automaker’s first vehicle.

The interior, with its large vertically-mounted touchscreen in the dash, seems like its mimicking Tesla, but other than fewer knobs and buttons than what you would find on a Volvo, it’s minimalistic design doesn’t feel nearly as sparse as the EV out of Fremont. The steering wheel and volume knob are borrowed directly from Volvo which is a good thing, plus, (thankfully) the gear selector is a lever instead of a series of buttons.

Wherever you look, the advantage of Polestar having Volvo as a parent company becomes clear — Volvo’s influence is everywhere. From the headlights to the interior, it’s clear how closely the sub-brand relies on its automotive parent — but it’s more than just stylized headlamps and steering wheels that help Polestar.

The automaker has the advantage of the financial backing of an established automaker behind it with access to factories, capital, and technology that Volvo has been working on for decades. “It’s super beneficial. And they will enable us to be successful with the new enterprise,” Ingenlath said. “But of course, it comes with something else, we have other problems. We have to be really careful at monitoring that balance between an agile, fast-moving startup spirit and being linked to that industrial system that helps us to develop the whole thing.”

Even with all Volvo resources at its disposal, Polestar is happy to work with other partners. Even those that aren’t traditionally in the automotive world.

The Polestar 2 is the first production vehicle to use Google’s Android platform for its infotainment system. Unlike Android Auto (which requires a smartphone), the Android platform in the car is a native system. It brings with it immediate access to Google’s suite of services and something that Ingenlath recognizes is becoming more important in the automotive world: voice control. The CEO said the feature will result in less distraction while behind the wheel. “It’s us recognizing where are our borders. Of course, we will never compete with the Google machinery having so many people feeding the system. Its learning and getting better every day. Of course, we should benefit from that kind of pace and put it into our car.”

So, the Polestar 2 is full of tech, has an impressive expected range of 275 miles, uses dual motors that output 408 horsepower and 487-foot-pounds of torque, and can go from zero to 60 in about 4.7 seconds. That pits it directly against the Model 3. The Polestar’s $40,000 price tag helps cement that comparison. But Tesla still has the advantage: Its affordablish EV is available now, while we’ll have to wait for the Polestar 2.

Production is supposed to start in early 2020 and even when that spins up, for the first 12 months, the “launch edition” will cost $63,000. A lot can happen in the nearly two years it’ll take for the $40,000 version of the Polestar 2 to hit the road. The EV market is heating up with more and more options appearing all the time.

But none of the electric cars at this price range look quite as nice as the Polestar 2. Turns out hiring a designer to run the company has its advantages. But more importantly, having a CEO that’s willing to make strategic partnerships could mean the difference between a failed automaker with beautiful cars and a successful brand ready to take on the number one electric car maker in the world.

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