Polestar is coming to electrify Israel

At a price starting from NIS 255,000 and with an extreme performance version - meet the new electric brand in Israel

Kenan Cohen

11/09/2022

Sunday, September 11, 2022, 4:04 p.m. Updated: 4:16 p.m.

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Different enough from Volvo?

Polestar's challenge (photo: Ronen Topelberg)

The "boom" of electric models and new brands that land in Israel does not stop and this time it is a new brand that joins the more prestigious segment of the car market - meet Polestar, formerly the performance and motor sports division of Volvo, today a Chinese-Swedish car manufacturer [Volvo is now part of from the Chinese Geely] which focuses on the narrow and interesting segment of sporty luxury electric cars.

The brand comes to Israel under the wings of the Meir company, importer of Volvo to Israel, and the first swallow for this brand to introduce a new model every year is the Polestar 2 - a car based on the Volvo platform that also serves the XC40 but in an elevated fastback configuration.

Raised fastback-sedan configuration, definitely an unusual look (photo: Ronen Topelberg)

With 461 cm from end to end and a wheelbase of 274 cm, the Polestar 2 presents the dimensions of an average family car, but due to its crossover design, it presents a relatively generous height for a passenger car - 148 cm. As a brand that emphasizes its sporty characteristics, the weight distribution of The car is close to perfect balance with the figures being 55% forward and 45% rear in the single engine versions and 51% forward and 49% in the dual drive versions. The 405 liter trunk is relatively modest, but with a very useful fifth door and the loading solutions are as smart as Built-in hard partition and lower trunk.At the front of the car is another trunk of 35 liters.

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The passenger cabin also shows a great resemblance to Volvo models (photo: Ronan Toppelberg)

The Polestar 2 comes in four drivetrain versions that are mechanically identical to those of the electric XC40.

At the base are those with the single engine and front-wheel drive and it has 231 hp, acceleration to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The two versions differ from each other in the capacity of the batteries and consequently in their driving range. The one with 69 kilowatts and 471 km are declared, the second with a battery pack of 78 kWh and 540 km.

The two higher drive configurations use two engines and dual drive, both with the larger battery pack. The first has 408 hp which catapults it to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and up to 205 km/h.

The range in this version is 480 km. The second is the performance version that receives electric reinforcement for a power of 476 hp and a jump to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 220 km/h.

Here the range is 462 km.

The home electrical charging of all versions is up to 11 kW and this from fast DC stands at up to 130 kW in the base version of the 68 kW battery and up to 155 kW with the larger battery. Charging times from 10 to 80% also vary Although not significantly - 32 minutes for the small battery and 37 minutes for the larger one.

Ohlins shock absorbers, Brembo brakes and golden calipers in the performance version (photo: Ronan Toppelberg)

As far as accessories are concerned, Volvo continues with the (correct and justified in our opinion) approach of equipping all versions with the same comfort accessories regardless of power or price.

So in all of them you can find a Harman Kardon audio system, 4 USB sockets, a 12.3-inch dashboard, an 11.15-inch multimedia system, a charging pad, split climate control with air monitoring, rear air conditioning outlets, keyless entry and via mobile phone, camera 360, panoramic roof and more.

The only differences are those in the performance version which receives specific treatment with golden calipers for the enlarged and ventilated Brembo brakes in front, a performance chassis with adjustable Ohlins shock absorbers, rims with a different design and other changes in the appearance in the passenger compartment.

With a very unusual look at the back.

Behind the fifth door there are 408 liters in the trunk (photo: Keinan Cohen)

Those who do want to upgrade and add equipment to the car will pay 8,000 shekels for 20-inch rims instead of 19, baked leather seats for 25,000 shekels or 7,000 shekels for metallic paint.

The list of safety systems is also complete and the same in all versions.

Automatic braking, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, warning of a vehicle in a "dead zone", rear collision warning, rear and front cross traffic warning and more.

The Polestar 2 receives, like all recent Volvo models, Google's excellent operating system for the car.

This means maps and a Google navigation system that is synchronized with the on-board computer and knows how to display a battery condition prediction upon arrival at the destination, voice activation using the Google Assistant, the option to synchronize the Gmail account to create personalized profiles, dedicated car apps and more.

In addition, there is a pairing option for Apple devices, but not Android.

Google's original operating system and a generous level of equipment in all versions (photo: Ronan Topelberg)

The Polestar is entering a market that is expanding in terms of competitors, so as of today it does not have a direct rival, but the ones closest to it and those it would like to attract to the online purchase and the showroom are those who are also looking at the Tesla Model 3 or the BMW i4 on their various versions.

In the future, it will also be the Hyundai Ioniq 6 that competes for the same slot.

Polestar prices in Israel start at NIS 255,000 for the single engine version with 231 hp and the 69 kWh battery.

The version with the larger battery will cost NIS 275,000.

The double engine version with 408 hp and the 78 kWh battery will cost NIS 295,000 and the performance version with its 476 horses will cost NIS 335,000.

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