Polestar 2 vs Volvo XC40

What's the difference?

The Polestar 2 was one of the first electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia to break through to the mainstream, however it has always been relegated to the Tesla Model 3’s shadow.

As a result Polestar is constantly playing catch up, releasing update after update for this premium-pushing electric liftback. The most notable was a major mid-life update in 2024.

Two years after this, Polestar has just rolled out the 2026 model year (MY26) update which introduces a range of subtle changes, largely under the surface.

It comes as Polestar is now introducing newer models, there’s mounting pressure from legacy carmakers who are only now catching up to EV tech, and Australians are moving away from buying passenger cars to SUVs.

Has this latest update improved the appeal? Read on to find out.

The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor is the flagship model for the segment leading small electric SUV from Volvo.

Well positioned in terms of price, specifications and driving range, it continues to prove itself a fierce rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQA, Lexus UX and newcomer BMW iX1.

But does it bring its A-game to every attribute buyers in the small electric SUV segment demand? In this review, we put it to test to find out.