The Polestar 2 is the latest EV to be subjected to the safety evaluation known as the moose test, an evasive maneuver designed to test a vehicle's dynamism in a dangerous situation. Despite a lack of sporting pretensions, the team over at km77.com were impressed by how the Swedish electric vehicle performed. Fitted with a pair of Continental SportContact 6 tires, the Polestar put on a good show.
The first attempt was done at 81 km/h (50 mph) with the regenerative braking deactivated. Things don't start off well, with massive amounts of understeer making it difficult to complete the test; the vehicle plows straight on instead of steering back into the correct lane. However, at a more realistic 74 km/h (46 mph), the Polestar stuck to the road like glue and navigated the test with flying colors. Here, the regenerative braking was switched on.
It's worth noting the Polestar 2 in question has been fitted with a Performance Package, which lends the electric vehicle 20-inch wheels, grippier tires, a Brembo braking system, and adjustable Ohlins dampers. Still, it performed better than its close rival, the BMW i4, a car touted as the sharpest vehicle in its class. It's interesting to see how a minimal speed increase affects the Polestar's performance.
At 76 km/h (47 mph), the quirky sedan exhibits immense understeer and hit several cones before struggling to compose itself. Weirdly, when traveling 1 mph slower, it completes the maneuver with very little fuss. While it may be better than the BMW i4, it's still not quite as good as the Tesla Model Y evaluated last year. Despite the Polestar's alarming understeer, the tester remarks that the vehicle is easy to control thanks to the predictable steering.
The Polestar did very well during the slalom test thanks to the sportier tires and stiff suspension setup. The minimal body roll kept the vehicle planted and secure, allowing the Swedish EV to shimmy through easily. There's some oversteer upon exiting, but it aids the 2 and allows it to turn around swiftly. Towards the end, however, you can notice the tires starting to lose grip - but that doesn't stop the Polestar 2 from taking pole position in the slalom rankings.
With a final time of 22.8 seconds, it's 1.2 seconds faster than the i4 and 1.7 seconds faster than the pricier (but far heavier) Mercedes EQS 580. It even managed to beat the BMW X3, an SUV that managed to complete the moose test at 48 mph. This was a rather impressive showing, and we cannot wait to see what the upcoming 872-horsepower Polestar 5 is able to achieve when subjected to the same tests.