Light tweaks seem to be the order of business with Polestar, and for 2025 the Polestar 2 fastback gets another round of them. There are two new colours, Vapour and Storm, along with a new 19” aerodynamically optimised wheel and a graphite-coloured 20” design that come as part of the Pro Pack. While I’ve had enough of the word Pro in the automotive industry, in this context it also adds gold valve caps and striping in the seatbelts.

The most significant addition to the options list is called the Climate Pack which adds heated rear seats and washer jets, a heated steering wheel, and most importantly a heat pump. This is key for maximising powertrain efficiency all year round, but especially in winter as it can make use of excess heat from the battery rather than letting it go to waste. While a heat pump should be standard on every EV sold in the UK, it’s good to see that it has become available for the stylish fastback.

There are a few powertrain options available for the Polestar 2 and they have all received a slight range boost with the heat pump fitted; for the Long Range Single Motor variant, up to 409 miles is now quoted; DC quick charging from 10-80% takes 28 minutes at up to 205 kW.

With one rear-mounted motor, the model has 268 or 295 bhp and 361 lb ft (490 Nm) on tap, but the one of most interest to me is the dual motor Performance variant, which adds a second motor to the front axle for a total of 469 bhp and 546 lb ft (740 Nm). As well as dropping the 0-62 mph time down to 4.0 seconds, gaining an extra badge on the grille, bespoke 20” rims and gold Brembo brakes, the Polestar 2 Performance is fitted with adjustable dampers.

I know, adjustable dampers are nothing new on an electric car, but these ones are different. Coming from Öhlins, these are manually adjustable dampers that can be adjusted through 20 stages at the front and rear. If you prefer a neutral handling balance, you can have it. If you prefer a sharp front end, it’s configurable. For UK B-roads the damping can be slackened, or made firmer than the rind of a wedge of parmesan if you take the car on track. The front dampers can be adjusted with the wheels turned, but lifting the car off the ground is required to tweak the rear settings.

It’s a refreshingly analogue feature to have on such a digital-focussed car. The manual adjustability of the suspension with the inherent trial and error required to nail your perfect setup provides a nice contrast to the minimalist user interfaces found inside the car - where nearly every other adjustment is made via the centrally mounted Android infotainment display. The seats are excellent and can now be specified with charcoal Nappa leather as part of the 2025 updates.

My experience behind the wheel of the Polestar 2 is limited to a short stint in a front-wheel drive version, but the car didn’t need long to begin to impress. The seat can be placed low which offsets the higher-than-normal ride height of this slightly raised fastback. There are no driving modes to switch between, just levels of adjustment for the steering and energy recovery (which I set to heavy and off, respectively), and even the base model feels like it was designed with the driver in mind first and foremost.

The Polestar 2 is keen to turn in and remains composed around sharp or flowing bends, with a hint of roll detectable. The brake pedal and body control feels very natural to me and although it didn't feel like an out-and-out sports car, the 2 was more than up to the task of silently hustling along the first twisty road that I found.

What became evident was the capability for the chassis to handle a lot more power and torque, and my desire for an ever so slightly sharper front end. The Performance model can offer both of those things so needless to say, it’s firmly on my Must Drive list.

With improved energy management available with the 2025 Polestar 2 update, the model can gain more range all year round while maintaining the great looks and uniquely analogue adjustable suspension on the Performance model. While we are awaiting pricing for the refreshed 2, all signs point towards it being a busy 2024 for Polestar with the new 3 and 4 SUVs entering production, and the flagship 5 grand tourer set to be officially revealed later this year.