√2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 v 2022 Polestar 2 comparison

Two newcomer electric vehicles are set to take the fight to established hero Tesla. Will it be Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 or the Polestar 2 that becomes the next big name in EVs

Overview

Electric cars are no longer the sole domain of Tesla. Legacy car brands are putting out some seriously-good product and brands such as Polestar and Hyundai are at the forefront of the renewed EV push in Australia.

Polestar may ring a bell for some Australians, but not in its new form. What was Volvo’s performance arm has transitioned to a pure-electric, standalone brand of its own, and the first production car destined for our market has now landed in the form of the Polestar 2.

Hyundai’s take on the electric vehicle is the Ioniq 5 which pairs attention-grabbing design with an all-new E-GMP platform designed especially for the group’s forthcoming EVs. It’s clear that isn’t far-removed from the Hyundai we know. You only have to look as far as its retro, angular styling to appreciate that. Under the skin, too, the Ioniq 5 scores a modular-ish interior with roomy levels of interior space, and forward-thinking design and technology.

We’re putting these two newcomers together to find out which is the better fighter to take the reins from segment leader Tesla.

Introduction

Hyundai Ioniq 5

It’s fair to say that of all car launches in 2021, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 was one of the most hyped. I’ve been keen for its arrival, you’ve been reading about it, and its initial 240-strong Australian allocation is an instant sell-out.

So why is Hyundai’s latest electric vehicle play causing such a stir? It’s not like the Korean manufacturer is reinventing the wheel, nor did its line of previous electric vehicles receive this much excitement.

As a bit of background, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s new-generation electric vehicle and exists in a sole five-door, medium SUV body style.

But it is different – that’s for certain. You only have to look as far as its retro, angular styling to appreciate that. Under the skin, too, the Ioniq 5 scores a modular-ish interior with roomy levels of interior space, and forward-thinking design and technology.

Many anticipated the Ioniq 5 as a hatchback runabout in photos, but reality paints a different picture when you’re standing beside it. This low-slung mid-size ‘SUV’ is much closer aligned to its combustion-powered Tucson stablemate – in terms of size – than you’d expect.

So while the pricing lifts the Ioniq 5 to the top of Hyundai’s model tree, you can view the Ioniq 5 as the electric version of the Hyundai Tucson, at least dimensionally.

Hyundai’s secured 400 units for its initial run of Ioniq 5s, throttled by semiconductor supply issues. An extra 160 examples are on their way after the new year, though all have been sold-out through Hyundai’s online ordering portal so far.

That there are so many willing buyers at all is a promising sign, because the Ioniq 5 isn’t cheap. Selling through a fixed-price, agency-style strategy, the Ioniq 5 comes in two variants to Australia. The more affordable of the two is simply named the Ioniq 5 2WD (rear-wheel drive) priced at $71,900 before on-road costs and the top-tier specification is the Ioniq 5 AWD for $75,900 (before ORCs).

The rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 on test scores a 160kW/350Nm electric motor on the rear axle, while both are serviced by Hyundai’s dedicated E-GMP electric architecture that offers 400- and 800-volt charging capacity, the latter translating to a 17-minute 10–80 per cent charge time using a 350kW DC fast charger.

Luckily, both variants of drivetrain will come fitted with the same equipment specification. Headline inclusions start with two 12.3-inch displays nestled within the dash, 20-inch two-tone alloy wheels, electrically adjustable seats with heating (fronts score ventilation), panoramic roof, Bose sound system, coloured ambient lighting, power boot release, and eco-friendly leather trim.

Our car is painted in Galactic Grey outside, while featuring a two-tone Dove Grey/Dark Teal leather interior. Most colour combinations come at no extra cost, though the special matte-effect Gravity Gold colour costs an additional $1000 – the sole additional option for the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

In terms of charging, Hyundai supplies a standard AC type 1 charger with the car. You’ll have to pay out an extra $495 for a type 2-to-type 2 charging cable (for some public charging stations), and Hyundai also facilitates the install of a $2454.10 Wallbox Pulsar Plus through Jet Charge.

That’s enough of an intro to the Ioniq 5 for now, let’s get stuck into what it’s actually like to use.

Polestar 2

If you haven’t heard the name Polestar, chances are you’re going to hear it a lot more over the next few years. What was Volvo’s performance arm has transitioned to a pure-electric, standalone brand of its own, and the first production car destined for our market has now landed in the form of the Polestar 2.

Three models comprise the 2022 Polestar 2 range, with the Standard Range Single Motor, Long Range Single Motor and Long Range Dual Motor starting from $59,900, $64,900 and $69,900 respectively before on-road costs.

At launch we tested the Long Range Single Motor and the range-topping Long Range Dual Motor variant. Our stats boards in this review reflect the data for the most cost-effective Polestar 2.

There’s a bit to dissect there, too, depending on which model best suits your needs and driving expectations. Logical competition includes the new to market Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the standard-setting trailblazer, Tesla Model 3. Suffice to say, the battle for sales will be fierce given the quality of the other options now available. Still, Polestar has the history and pedigree of Volvo’s engineering behind it, so you could say the brand has if not a head start, a solid foundation.

While twin screens, LED lights and heated front seats are standard across all models, some advanced safety equipment is optional across all three, despite parent company Volvo hanging its very Swedish hat on safety for decades. We’d argue that it’s not so much about whether the Polestar 2 is missing out on equipment – more that the competition has the equipment standard. That then sets the expectation for the segment.

Polestar is undoubtedly stylish, featuring the crisp, fuss-free exterior design we’d expect of the Swedish brand. There’s a classy edge to the exterior that plenty of electric vehicles can’t quite match. Standard 19-inch wheels, a somewhat unique hatch-meets-SUV design, along with the aforementioned LED headlights, mean regardless which angle you’re looking at it from, the Polestar 2 cuts a fine figure on the street.

We’ll look at powertrains in a bit more detail below, but here are the basics. The Standard Range Single Motor gets a 69kWh battery (rated at 67kWh useable) and 170kW/330Nm motor driving the front wheels with a claimed range of 470km on the WLTP cycle.

The Long Range Single Motor variant steps up to a 78kWh battery (or 75kWh useable) for a 540km claimed range, and uses the same 170kW/330Nm single motor. The Long Range Dual Motor sits atop the range and uses a 150kW/330Nm motor at each axle for combined outputs of 300kW and 660Nm, and a range of 480km.

The Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor is a lot faster than the two single-motor variants, obviously, and we’ll look at those figures below. That’s the option for those of you concentrating on outright performance.

There’s no doubt that the electric vehicle battleground is heating up – evidenced by the fact that we have three combatants now in effectively the same segment, even though Hyundai would tell you its Ioniq 5 is an SUV. The tsunami has well and truly started, though, and the Polestar 2 is right in the thick of things.

Key details	2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2WD	2022 Polestar 2 Standard Long Single Motor
Price (MSRP)	$71,900	From $59,900 plus on-road costs

Inside

Hyundai Ioniq 5

One of the first things that hits you when saddling up in the Ioniq 5 for the first time is the sheer amount of interior space. Hyundai’s products stock some of the most spacious cabins these days, but the Ioniq 5’s interior is on another level.

What’s better, the space is very configurable too. The centre console slides forward and back, both rows of seats slide electrically, and the front two pews can even contort into a flat orientation when you’re not on the move – dentist chair style.

The vibe inside the cabin is fantastically light and airy, with light-coloured materials catching all of the light supplied through the roof-length panoramic glass roof. I’d imagined the cabin might become too hot on warm days, but Hyundai has fitted a nifty shade blind to curb that.

Materials throughout feel of good quality, with silver-finished switchgear, soft leather-covered door cards, dash, and steering wheel, and hard-wearing plastic that feel nice enough to the touch. You wouldn’t go as far as calling it a Genesis level of quality, but the fit and finish are right up there with the best of Hyundai.

One thing I couldn’t get my head around is the odd red piping and stitching along the door cards and seat bolsters – seems like an odd pairing for the colour palette employed in this Ioniq 5.

Jump inside for the first time and you’ll feel the space is far more lounge room than car cabin. The feeling is a tricky one to describe, but it’s best experienced in the first row, where it’s as though you’re sitting in a chair rather than in a car seat.

As such, the driver’s position does feel a little funny for those who like to sit close to the steering wheel. That said, the position does afford a good view over the road ahead and when you look behind.

The seats are very comfortable and adopt a form-fitting shape that provides good support. Leg rests extend for the driver and front seat passenger as well. I’m a little perplexed about the empty space between the two front seats – the space feels like a missed opportunity that could have been used as extra storage or similar. That said, the centre console slides forwards and back, which is a nifty trick.

With that, there’s still a great amount of storage throughout the cabin – even if some of it is weird to access. The glovebox is an odd slide-out tray system, the tray between the seats is down low, and the slot beneath the dash is a long reach away. Elsewhere, the Ioniq has a large centre console, wireless charging, twin cupholders, and big door cards for water bottles and the like.

Speaking of doors, I love the door handles on both sides: the big interior pulls are impossible to miss, and the outers pop out of the car swiftly and with intuitive accuracy – for whenever you walk up to the car to unlock it.

In the back row, space is equally as commodious. I’m taller than most people and never wanted for more leg room or foot room, though my head was close to touching the headliner. There are map pockets, a little cubby behind the centre console, and door card storage to store items inside.

There’s not a lot to the boot space, though you do get a powered boot release and a 12-volt port for powering items out of the boot. Under the floor is a tyre repair kit as opposed to a spare wheel, while it’s a 593L space in total. That fares better than the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4 and Skoda Karoq.

The rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 also gets a small 57L tub under its bonnet, which brings total cargo capacity with all seats down to 1644L.

Polestar 2

The Polestar 2’s cabin is a highlight, not only for its quality and comfort, but for the stylish and minimalist design. I hate to use the term ‘very Swedish’, but it is indeed just that, in its execution certainly. What appears at first to be a high-quality cabin resonates as exactly that once you’re in the driver’s seat with the door closed.

All the touchpoints are attractive and beautifully executed with attention to detail. The mix of fabrics used, including the colours, makes for a premium and classy cabin environment. There’s useful storage, including a clever hidey-hole sitting under the top section of the centre console, and the Polestar provides somewhere to store the usual daily items.

I don’t love the panoramic glass roof, but only because it doesn’t have a shade. Australia can be a nasty place in the depths of summer, and something glass roofs don’t deal with particularly well. As such, I’d always prefer a retractable shade where possible. The Polestar’s roof is beautiful of an evening or on a not too hot day, mind you.

Interestingly, the Polestar’s wheelbase is 140mm shorter than a Model 3, itself quite compact, so it’s no limousine in the second row. That said, the window line means passengers have plenty of light and a good view, and there’s enough space for adults to be comfortable around town. The rear seat base isn’t as sculpted as the front’s, though, and tall adults will note that headroom is eaten into by the sharp curve of the roof.

The 405L boot isn’t massive but is handy enough for the segment, and there’s a small storage area under the front boot, which is perfect for charging cables and adapters. The way the tailgate opens as broadly as it does makes loading and unloading easy.

	2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2WD	2022 Polestar 2 Standard Long Single Motor
Seats	Five	Five
Boot volume	593L seats up / 1653L seats folded	405L seats up / 1095L seats folded (35-41L front)
Length	4635mm	4606mm
Width	1890mm	1859mm
Height	1605mm	1479mm
Wheelbase	3000mm	2735mm

Infotainment and Connectivity

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Sitting pride of place on the Ioniq 5’s dash are two 12.3-inch screens that house the car’s infotainment and instrument cluster. The functionality and look of the system aren’t as wild-style as the rest of the car, but what you do get is an intuitive layout and easy access to key vehicle functions.

Pertinent information is displayed clearly on the digital instrument cluster including vehicle charge status, range, consumption, etc, but I was a fan of the way it wasn’t overly complicated in terms of various screens or settings. All of that should be handled through the infotainment display to the left.

The infotainment screen handles both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but Hyundai’s proprietary system is nice itself, and I didn’t feel the need to plug in the phone for smartphone mirroring. The maps are bright and clear, the settings are easy to flick through, and media information is well displayed.

One thing I’m perpetually annoyed about in cars is the lack of a hard home button that takes you back to the main menu. This only pops up sometimes on the top of the Hyundai’s screen, but a shortcut alongside all the other buttons would be appreciated.

One feature I know the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has, but didn’t get the chance to test, is the car’s vehicle-to-load technology. It essentially turns the car into a giant portable battery by inserting an adapter into the car’s charge port, which provides a standard Australian power outlet for you to plug electronics into. God knows how often that’d get used (camping comes to mind), but it’s an extremely cool feature.

Each Ioniq 5 is fitted with an eight-speaker Bose stereo system that outputs high-clarity sound to replace the eerie absence of engine noise.

Polestar 2

For mine, infotainment is an area where Tesla stole a big jump on the established carmakers, but spend some time with Polestar 2’s tablet-style screen and you realise this is about to change. The screen itself is big, clear, and positioned perfectly to make the most out of it whether you’re the driver or passenger.

The portrait-style screen orientation is one not every manufacturer is seemingly keen to move to, but when you think about how much time we spend looking at phones in exactly that orientation, it starts to make a lot more sense. It’s intuitive in any case, and if the screen is large enough, it’s not like you’re losing any effective usability in something like the satellite navigation system for example.

It’s an 11.1-inch unit, which behaved impeccably in all light conditions for us on test, and it’s quick to respond to inputs as well. Once you get a handle on just how much you can control via it, there’s no hindrance to using it even when you’re on the move.

We found it quite easy to familiarise ourselves with and understand. Its party trick is the fact it uses the relatively new Google Android Automotive operating system, so Google Maps for example work amazingly well at all times as the standard navigation system. The Google system takes a second or two to load up when you first get into the Polestar 2, but once running, we didn’t experience a glitch. Even if you’re an iPhone tragic, the Google operating system is easy to use.

You can, of course, sync the system to your Google account if you like, and then personalise a whole raft of settings and controls. Currently, you can also hook into Android Auto (with Apple CarPlay coming via an update early next year) to access smartphone connectivity. That will be the kicker for plenty of buyers who’d rather use their phones to control the day-to-day stuff.

As you’d no doubt expect, there is also a raft of connected services on offer – which we’ll look at in more detail when we conduct our longer test – and a clever way of setting your smartphone up as the key. One less thing to carry into the bargain. In short, despite the complexity of electric cars, and the various systems that control them, the one that Polestar has chosen is intuitive, responsive and reliable.

The 12.3-inch digital dash is also a high-quality offering that allows you to customise the display to suit your preferences. Like the main infotainment system, there’s a bit to work out here, but it quickly becomes intuitive. Crucially, at a quick glance when you’re on the move, the main things you want to reference – like the digital speedo – are all easy to find.

Safety & Technology

Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Ioniq 5 was recently awarded a full five-star safety rating by ANCAP in October 2021. The car has a total of seven airbags throughout the cabin, including one in the centre.

Hyundai’s wide-ranging suite of SmartSense safety features do service in the Ioniq 5 including blind-spot collision avoidance assist, advanced autonomous emergency braking, driver attention warning, lane-follow assist, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit warning, and adaptive cruise control.

A surround-view monitor is of decent quality for low-speed manoeuvring, but the Ioniq 5 also gets the neat side-view camera that activates inside the cluster when indicating to show what’s in your blind spot.

Another piece of neat tech involves the three levels of braking regeneration. The car can also be driven one-pedal style with i-Pedal.

Polestar 2

Although not yet officially tested by Australian crash-test authority, ANCAP, with a five-star Euro NCAP rating, there’s little doubt the Polestar 2 is safe.

It has a broad spread of standard safety equipment. However, we’d like to see some of the optional safety features made standard, not only to match the competition, but to strengthen the value proposition of the Polestar in isolation.

Polestar would argue that having an optional safety pack means the vehicle can sneak in beneath the electric vehicle threshold for tax rebates in both NSW and Victoria on starting price, so there is some methodology there. With Polestar a Volvo sub-brand after all, and the parent company having been all about safety for decades, there feels like a philosophical mismatch of sorts.

If you want to add adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and semi-autonomous driving functionality to your Polestar 2, you’ll need to fork out $5000 for the Pilot Pack, which also includes a 360-degree camera, Pixel LED headlights with active cornering, and auto-dimming side mirrors.

Standard safety equipment includes eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, run-off-road mitigation, driver attention monitoring, rear collision warning, tyre pressure monitoring, and traffic sign recognition.

At a glance	2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2WD	2022 Polestar 2 Standard Long Single Motor
ANCAP rating & year tested	Five stars (tested 2021)	Not tested
Safety report	ANCAP report

Value for Money

Hyundai Ioniq 5

After you drive away from the dealership in a brand-new Hyundai Ioniq 5, you’ll be warranted for five years with no kilometre-distance stipulation. Hyundai warrants the vehicle’s 72.6kWh battery for eight years too.

A full 12 months of roadside assistance is included from delivery day, though it’ll be extended by 12 months every time you service the Ioniq 5 at a Hyundai service centre – until nine years post-purchase.

Service intervals occur every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever is first. The first three services are $220 each, though after five services you will have paid $1684.

The Ioniq 5 is equipped with 800-volt charging architecture, which was previously only found on cars such as the Porsche Taycan. Ultra-rapid chargers should charge the Ioniq’s battery from 10–80 per cent in around 18 minutes.

A more user-friendly solution involves the installation of a type 2 high-output alternating current (AC) wallbox system at home, which could charge the Ioniq 5 in roughly six hours.

Hyundai claims the Ioniq 5 2WD will use 17.9kWh/100km on a combined cycle, which our test car actually beat after returning a 16.4kWh/100km reading. That’s about on par with other electric vehicles I’ve driven, such as the Nissan Leaf.

Polestar 2

Calculating the value equation with electric cars at the moment is difficult given the significant differences in the price we all pay for our electricity. Some of you can charge for free at work, or top up at a shopping centre for free, while others among you can’t. Likewise, if you’ve got a solid array of solar panels, you’re probably not paying for your electricity at all (or very little), so the actual running costs will vary widely depending on how and when you can charge your electric vehicle.

One thing we always advocate for owners to do is install a home charging box with smart capability, so that you can monitor the power use and when your vehicle is charging to best mitigate the cost of doing so. Likewise, accessing free charging where it’s available and when it makes sense is always good practice.

On pricing, the Polestar 2 is situated right in the battleground for electric cars, regardless of make, with the exception of the more costly, high-end options. A Tesla buyer is going to be very difficult to pry away from a Tesla, but I think it’s fair to assume other middle-of-the-market EV buyers will take a close look at the Polestar 2’s spec sheet. By middle of the market, I’m excluding the expensive stuff like the Porsche Taycan and the more affordable EVs like the MG ZS EV.

Another Polestar positive is the five-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, which is boosted by complimentary roadside assistance for the same period. Beyond that, Polestar 2 buyers also get complimentary servicing for the same five-year period too. That’s a real saving to buyers’ hip pockets, so it’s something to factor in.

Battery warranty covers eight years or 160,000km for a 70 per cent state of health; however, Polestar states it expects the useful life of the battery to last the lifetime of the vehicle.

The Standard Range Single Motor claims 17.1kWh/100km from its 67kWh battery pack for a 470km range on the WLTP cycle. It’s always difficult to test real-world usage on launch drives given the compact nature of them, but we saw real-time usage as high as 30kWh/100km and as low as 13kWh/100km. The average for our test hovered around the 19-21kWh/100km mark.

That’s a real-world range around the 300km mark, but we expect that to improve once we can more accurately mirror the regular city driving that most buyers will do. We’ll dig into consumption more once we have the Polestar 2 through the Drive garage.

We didn’t have the chance at launch to discharge the batteries in either car enough to require a boost, but you can read our pricing and specification guide for the charging data. We’ll also monitor that more closely on a longer drive loop.

At a glance	2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2WD	2022 Polestar 2 Standard Long Single Motor
Warranty	Five years / unlimited km	Five years / unlimited km
Service intervals	12 months or 15,000km	12 months
Servicing costs	$660 (3 years), $1684 (5 years)	Complimentary (5 years / 100,000km)
Fuel cons. (claimed)	17.9kWh/100km	17.1kWh/100km
Fuel cons. (on test)	16.4kWh/100km	19-21kWh/100km
Fuel type	72.6kWh (451km range)	67kWh (470km WLTP range)

Driving

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Cautious electric vehicle adopters will be pleased to learn the Hyundai Ioniq 5 doesn’t require the big learning curve you’d expect from an EV. You jump in with a regular key, turn it on with a normal push button, slot it into drive, and away you go. The gear selector itself is the most out-there part of the experience, and is found where you’d traditionally insert a key.

The shift action, twist upwards for drive and twist down for reverse, didn’t feel particularly intuitive when compared with other cars, but it’s something you’d get used to quickly.

The Ioniq 5 2WD is powered by a single electric motor that produces 160kW/350Nm and sends it to the rear wheels. Claimed range from the 72.6kWh battery pack stands at 451km, which is further than its more powerful alternative, the Ioniq 5 AWD (430km range).

Though it’s not the full push-you-back-in-your-seat-type acceleration that electric vehicles have become known for, the Ioniq 5 2WD’s outputs are more than enough for its application and provide it with peppy, swift acceleration. You’re never wanting for more poke when overtaking, nor do you feel short-changed on power.

Where it does feel a bit sluggish is when handling it round bends and through intersections in town. There is no hiding its 2020kg heft as you lug over speedhumps, though it does remain super comfortable across road imperfections and bumps of all kinds. The cabin is well-insulated from too much road noise across a variety of surfaces.

For a car that’s hasn’t undergone Hyundai’s Australian road-tuning program, it’s remarkably well-suited to our local – sometimes less than satisfactory – road network. It requires next to no effort to steer the deceptively large body, and slotting it through tight city streets is made as simple as can be.

It’s not the easiest thing to creep through traffic in. Acceleration is either on or off, and it’s hard to roll to a slow stop. It’s a minor thing, but something I noticed when sitting bumper-to-bumper.

Despite an instantaneous supply of torque solely to the rear wheels, the Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber grips well in most scenarios, allowing the driver to push on with confidence no matter the weather. I didn’t take the Ioniq 5 for a back-roads burn – it’s not the car’s intention – but I wouldn’t be surprised for it to put a smile on my face if I found myself in that setting.

Polestar 2

Base-model outputs of 170kW and 330Nm are hardly skimping for this segment, and as such, the most affordable Polestar still performs impressively on the road. Our real-world consumption wasn’t miles away from the claim, and we did a short highway run as well as part of our test. We did find the ride to err on the firm side, but that’s a factor common to both European vehicles and electric vehicles in general thanks to the weight.

Despite being front-wheel drive against the Dual Motor’s all-wheel drive, this model was sharp off the mark. The complete lack of any lag when you hit the accelerator pedal means the Polestar 2 gets moving rapidly enough to out-sprint most regular cars. Claimed 0–100km/h acceleration takes 7.4 seconds in this model, and it feels sharp enough that you’re not lugging it around.

That performance keeps delivering as you speed up, too, with more than enough in reserve for easy highway overtakes, nipping from, say, 60km/h or 80km/h up to 110km/h to execute a freeway merge or dart into a gap.

You’d have to assume, though, that this model is focused mainly on efficiency and efficient use of the power available, and as such it’s no rocketship. On coarse-chip, pockmarked road surfaces, you do feel the firm ride, but the Polestar 2 always feels solid and well put together.

Key details	2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2WD	2022 Polestar 2 Standard Long Single Motor
Motor	Single rear-mount electric motor	Single electric motor
Power	160kW	170kW
Torque	350Nm	330Nm
Drive type	Rear-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive
Transmission	Single-speed automatic	Single-speed automatic
Power to weight ratio	79.2kW/t	87.6kW/t
Weight	2020kg (tare)	1940kg
Turning circle	11.98m	11.5m

Conclusion

For all the attention these vehicles get both online and in person, it’s certainly deserved. Both are excellent new-generation takes on what an electric vehicle should be – futuristic, boundary-pushing, and tech-infested.

The Polestar 2 is a fantastic first-go at a battery electric vehicle and delivers on style, drive experience, build quality and premium presentation in spades. It’s just a shame the brand suckers you in with a low price, but then makes you spend big on options to items which should come as standard – such as safety tech.

It’s actually the Hyundai Ioniq 5 which presents the better battery electric vehicle case. It’s roomier inside, has a more expansive level of equipment, and is nicer to drive especially in terms of ride control.

Both are fantastic alternatives to the electric-vehicle status quo of Tesla but the Ioniq 5 is a more well-rounded product for the money.