- Polestar is updating the 2 for the 2024 model year with additional range and power.
- The base model, which previously had a single motor powering the front wheels, is now rear-wheel drive.
- Range increases to 320 miles for the single-motor version and 276 miles for the dual-motor version.
UPDATE 6/13/23: Polestar has announced pricing for the updated 2 EV, which now starts at $51,300 for the single-motor version and $56,700 for the dual-motor version. Those prices represent a $1500 increase for the base model and a $3400 increase for the AWD model. Final range figures are also a bit higher than previously announced, with the RWD car rated at 320 miles and the AWD car at 276 miles; those numbers are up from 270 miles and 260 miles previously.
Polestar has been continuously improving the 2 electric car since its debut, and the 2024 model year brings some significant revisions that improve the four-door hatchback’s range and power. There are also some visual differences and additional equipment.
Power is up across the board, with the base single-motor model going from 231 horsepower up to 299 horsepower, the dual-motor model increasing from 408 horsepower to 421 horsepower, and the 2 with the Performance package offering 455 horsepower. More significantly, the single-motor car now has its electric motor powering the rear wheels rather than the fronts. Even the all-wheel-drive dual-motor model now has more of a rear bias, Polestar says, and the front motor can disengage under certain circumstances. The company claims that each model is quicker than before, and we look forward to driving the updated cars to see how the shift to rear-wheel drive (and the reconfigured AWD system) affects handling.
A larger battery for the single-motor car increases range from 270 miles up to 320 miles. The dual-motor cars have the same battery as before, but Polestar says that improvements in efficiency help it deliver a bit more range than before, too, with the EPA estimate rising from 260 miles to 276 miles.
You’ll get more equipment for your money in the 2024 model, as the base car now has driver-assistance features as standard and the dual-motor car now comes with the Pilot package as standard. Polestar says the updated car will go on sale later this year.
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This story was originally published on January 24, 2023.
Senior Editor
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
