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Living with the Polestar 2: the Chiltern Hills
By Rory FH Smith | 19 October 2023 | Cars & Yachts, Motoring
We head out to the hills to see how the all-electric Swedish Polestar 2 saloon fares in the wild
Within striking distance of London, the Chiltern Hills make for a blissful break away from the hustle and bustle of city life and the perfect excuse to test the range of the Polestar 2.
Discover part one of our Living with the Polestar 2 series: initial impressions
Surrounding north-west London, the hills are a short blast up the M1 or M25 and, with a full charge stating a range of 290 miles despite the cold weather, the Polestar 2 makes for an ideal steed for a family day-trip. Loaded up with two adults, two toddlers and the endless kit that comes with that, the Polestar swallows it all with space to spare in its 405-litre boot.
Once out of the stop-start London traffic, the Polestar finds its groove on the motorway. Beautifully silent and smooth, the lack of noise in the cabin is testament to the car’s build quality. Combustion engined cars can hide the occasional squeak and rattle with the rumble and hum of the engine but the Polestar’s largely silent electric powerplant presents more of a challenge for engineering teams. Thankfully, the Polestar lives up to its Swedish roots and the cabin and interior quality of the car is one of its greatest traits.
Equipped with Polestar’s WeaveTech interior, the 100 percent vegan material is a hugely practical and comfortable alternative to leather or fabric. Twinned with the minimalist dashboard design, subtle low-level lighting and intuitive central screen that controls everything from the climate to its Google-powered navigation and entertainment, the Polestar 2 is a delightful place to pass the time.
After 40 minutes in the car, we come off the motorway and into the countryside. On the back roads, the Polestar’s smooth acceleration and well-balanced weight provide a fun driving experience, but pick the Polestar 2 with the Performance pack if you’re after a more thrilling ride. With a 0-62 mph time of 4.5 seconds, the Performance is an entirely different experience to the single-motor, long-range we’re driving, as the name suggests.
After touring some of the sights and walking, we head back to London, completing the 100 mile round trip. Once back at base, there’s still more than enough miles in the battery to see us through a week’s worth of short distance trips in the capital.
Check back next week for more adventures in Living with the Polestar 2