Polestar 2 vs Zeekr X (awd)

What's the difference?

The Polestar 2 Long range Single motor showcases a beautiful build and design. Not including the features from those optional packs just makes you focus on their individual price and devalues the relative affordability of the car compared to its competitors. The back seat isn't super passenger friendly when it comes to space, either. However, once you get used to its little quirks, it's a great car to get around in and the long driving range eases any range anxiety, which is often a cause for worry with EV ownership! My son loved the sunroof because it made him feel like he was in a spaceship, so it's a hit with the kids, too.

The Zeekr X all-wheel drive surprised me in a great way. Not only is this the first Zeekr I've driven, it's also one of the best small electric SUVs I've ever driven. There's so much to like - from the good price and quality design to the high level of safety and how easy it is to drive.

The Polestar 2 has a more conventional design approach than some of its rivals but it maintains a futuristic EV vibe with its origami-like edges in the panelling and cool pixel LED lights at the front and rear.

It is not a large car and sits at 4606mm long, 1985mm wide and a low 1479mm high but that compact design makes it look sporty.

Expect a couple of grunts from the oldies (ahem) when exiting as ground clearance is 151mm at the front and 167mm at the rear.

The interior is pared back in true Scandinavian fashion but it's a nice to see some ethically-friendly design elements, like the vegan knit upholstery on the doors and dash and the Nappa leather is responsibly sourced. All of which makes an otherwise simple interior feel warm and inviting.

There is an overwhelming sense of the Polestar 2 being of a high-quality build. There are no squeaks or rattles, joinery is flush and the doors close with a soft thump.

However, the minor update still sees the dashboard headlined by a portrait-orientated iPad-looking 11.2-inch multimedia system. It seems at odds with the rest of the sleek design.

The panoramic sunroof creates a light-filled cabin and at certain times of the day, this makes it feel airy but underneath a blazing midday sun, you might miss having a sunblind for it.

More than interesting, the design of the Zeekr X is intriguing with styling that ranges from 'ooohhhh' when you see it from the front to 'huh?' when you catch it in side profile. 

The nose design, to me anyway, looks exquisite - Porsche-SUV-like in its sporty and luxurious shape and the way the LED running lights are embedded into the bonnet is different and so special it probably makes some prestige brands a bit envious.

That side profile also looks pretty pleasing to me, until I reach that rear quarter where suddenly I feel I’m looking at panel shapes so oddly combined it’s like a puzzle with just five pieces and all of them in the wrong place.

The rear of the X looks good, but more importantly unique compared to the same templated styling many SUVs tend to safely stick to.

Zeekr and Volvo are owned by the massive Chinese car manufacturer Geely and the X is closely related to Volvo’s EX30. Once you know this you’ll see the similarities in the looks, although the less conservatively styled X is more appealing to me.

The X is also 100mm longer and all of that extra length is in the wheelbase which is 2750mm. As for the rest of the key dimensions, the overall length is 4432mm, the height is 1572mm and the width is 1836mm. So, a fairly small car.

The X’s interior is as intriguing as its exterior with the AWD version on test fitted with the no-cost option 'Mulberry & Rose' two-tone upholstery - a colour combination of maroon and off-white which you don’t see often unless it's a bespoke choice in a high-end car.

No, it’s not leather, but I don’t think this upholstery doesn't feel cheap or ‘plasticky’ as some synthetic leather interiors do.   

There are high quality touches throughout, from the dotted city scape of Hangzhou where Zeekr is headquartered that glows through the door trim fabric at night to the embossed Zeekr pull tabs on the seats.

The X’s interior feels luxurious and the styling is outstanding.

The Polestar 2's cabin is generous up front with plenty of leg- and headroom to enjoy. You don't have to jostle for premium armrest position, either, which is nice given you still feel 'tucked' into the car.

A feeling that is enhanced by the solid, and rather tall, centre console that divides you from your co-pilot.

The electric front seats are delightfully comfortable with their padding and Nappa leather trim. Both feature four-way adjustable lumbar support and extendable under thigh support.

The heat and ventilation functions will ensure comfort, no matter the season but the ventilation system is quite loud.

In the rear, space is tight with my 168cm (5'6") height just fitting behind my driving position. The footwells seem cosy as well due to the limited under-seat space but the seats are fairly comfortable, if narrow.

However, the small door apertures in the rear and the narrow seats make it feel more suited as a four- than a five-seater.

Individual storage options are okay throughout the car with a couple of cupholders in each row, drink bottle holders in the front door storage bins, as well as a middle console and glove box.

There are two skinny shelves on either side of the centre console that would reasonably fit a wallet or phone and the rear also get two map pockets.

Amenities in the rear are enough to satisfy a mature occupant on a longer journey as the outboard seats feature a heat function and there are directional air vents, a fold down armrest and two USB-C ports.

Front occupants enjoy two USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad to charge their devices.

The rest of the technology is a bit awkward to use. The 11.2-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive to touch but you can't access a lot of basic information on it and I didn't like how the climate control is embedded in it as you have to touch the screen a few times to even see the controls.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel looks nice but isn't all that customisable. It takes a while to get used to how to access all of its functions, too.

It's easy to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay and there is wired Android Auto and in-built google apps, too.

The optioned Harman Kardon sound system with its 13 speakers means you can listen to your music as if you're in a private show performed by your favourite artist!

To round out the practicality of this sedan, the boot is large enough to carry your gear at 405L and the large compartment underneath the floor is super handy to store smaller items.

There is a panel that lifts up to make a cosier storage area, say if you only had a couple of bags of groceries you didn't want rolling around.

And because the Polestar 2 lacks an engine, there is frunk storage of 41L at the front which is perfect for any charging cables.

The compromise for getting all of this space is that you only get a tyre inflator repair kit, which is housed in the frunk storage area.

And lastly, having a powered tailgate is always a bonus but I miss having a good old-fashioned button on the boot lid to open it.

Small cars don’t generally have the practicality of larger ones because of the obvious space limitations but the Zeekr X has a long wheelbase for the class (longer than the Mitsubishi Outlander’s) making it roomy compared to rivals.

Second row head- and legroom is good and even at 189cm tall I can sit behind my driving position. Back there are two cupholders in the fold down centre armrest, directional air vents in the pillars and bottle holders in the doors. 

Back seat downsides? No USB ports and the way the rear door sill kicks up means my two children (both under 10 years old) can’t see out of their windows well.

Up front space is good with plenty of elbow and foot room. Storage is good, too, with big door pockets, a couple of cupholders, a deep centre console bin and even a hook for a handbag or to hang a takeaway bag. There are USB ports up front and a wireless phone charger, too.

Front seat downsides? No glove box, and while we're at it the panoramic glass roof doesn’t have a sun shade and even though it is tinted I found that over summer in Australia the car heated up quickly and I’ve even had to wear a hat while driving to keep the sun off my head and face. 

The Zeekr X has a decent-for-the-class 362L rear boot capacity and a tiny 21L front boot which is where the charging cable lives.

The Zeekr X tested is the top-of-the-range all-wheel drive which lists for $64,900. The only other variant in the X model line-up is the rear-wheel drive which lists for $56,900.

Sure, $65K might seem a lot for what is a small SUV, but the X AWD is reasonably priced compared to rivals like the tinier Smart #1 for $58,900, its Volvo EX30 Performance Ultra twin for $69,990 and the Xpeng Long Range for $59,800.

We’ll get to the technical specs soon, but the all-wheel drive variant offers more than just AWD, there’s also more standard features than the RWD.

The RWD X comes with two-tone body colour with a black roof, a panoramic glass roof, a six-way power driver’s seat, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch media screen.

There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-speaker audio system, dual-zone climate control and wireless phone charging.

The AWD has all of the RWD’s features and adds 20-inch alloy wheels, a 24.3-inch head-up display, an intelligent B-pillar which provides information on charging, a power adjustable front passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 13-speaker Yamaha stereo and LED ambient lighting.   

The RWD has just one motor while the AWD has two and more power, which we’ll cover soon.

The name of our model says it all, as it has a long range, single motor electric powertrain.

Coupled with a large 82kWh lithium-ion battery, which is a 4.0kWh increase from the previous model, the maximum power output is 220kW and 490Nm of torque, which is also up from the previous model.

The Polestar 2 is now rear-wheel drive, superceding the previous front-wheel drive model.

The regen braking isn't as strong as the previous model and although it is called 'one-pedal' braking on this system, it's not truly a one pedal driving experience.

You can change the strength levels from low to standard and I kept it in low for most of the week.

On test is the all-wheel drive version of the Zeekr X which has two motors while the rear-wheel drive has just one.

Two motors brings the AWD variant more power and torque than the RWD. A lot more. Zeekr’s specs state the combined output for the AWD is 315kW and 543Nm, while the RWD has 200kW and 343Nm.

Good traction and plenty of grunt means the AWD can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds, while the RWD gets there in a respectable time of 5.6 seconds.

Electric cars are known for their rapid acceleration but just to put those numbers in context, a new base model Porsche 911 ($280K) has 290kW and 450Nm and does 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds.

The Polestar 2 Long range Single motor has a great driving range of up to 655km (WLTP). Goodbye range anxiety!

It also has a Type 2 CCS charging port and can accept charging speeds of up to 205kW, which is 50kW more than the previous model, and that means you can hook up to an ultra-fast 350kW charger.

On DC you can expect to see a charge time of 28 minutes to get from 10 to 80 per cent. On an 11kW AC charger, expect to see that time jump to around eight-hours for a zero to 100 per cent charge.

The official energy consumption figure is 14.8kWh (WTLP) but my on-road average was 15.0kWh after a fair bit of open-road driving, which is a great result.

The Zeekr X all-wheel drive has a range of up to 470km (WLTP), but if anything under 500km already has you twitching with anxiety, the rear-wheel drive's 540km range might alleviate some of that.

We found the range of the AWD to be fine for the city, but also learnt that we chewed through a lot of energy at an average of 18.4kWh/100km according to the trip computer.

Zeekr says after a combination of open and urban roads you’ll likely use 15.5kWh/100km, but you’d need to be a smooth driver that’s not tempted to test the acceleration at every traffic light and drain the battery.

Speaking of which, the Zeekr X has a 66kWh battery with a DC charging capacity of 150kW and at that rate can be charged from 10-80 percent in about 30 minutes. 

The Polestar 2 is a pretty conventional car to drive because an EV newbie will be comfortable behind the wheel… once they start driving it!

You see, there is no 'ignition' switch but so long as you have the key with you, you simply get in and shift into gear to 'start it' or get out and lock the car to 'turn it off'. It's weird and I'm not sure I will ever get used to it!

The motor has a lot of grunt and it's fun to put your foot down whenever you need to get up to speed or overtake. The power output is responsive and well-balanced with the rear-wheel drive delivering a sporty on-road experience.

If you're tackling winding roads or sharper corners, you can customise your steering responsiveness to 'light', 'standard' or 'firm' but remained on standard for most of the week. It's the best mode to handle stop-start running in town and highway cornering.

The Polestar 2 sits quite low to the ground and feels stable when you hit corners or the open-road. Although, the suspension feels on the firm side, which can make a bumpy road very noticeable.

Overall, the parking experience is good but the 360-degree view system is just too wiggy-woo for me to love it.

The images from the four cameras aren't well-stitched together and the angles seem to distort the overall image, too. It just looks confusing. So much so that you might not depend on it all that much.

In short, the Zeekr X is outstanding to drive for the class - it’s composed, comfortable as well as easy and fun to pilot. 

Everything feels good - from the steering and the pedals to the seats and visibility.

The tech works well - the head-up display is large and shows directions and speed clearly, and the shifter being on the steering column makes three-point turns and just getting out of car parking spaces easy.

The acceleration is ridiculously good, but that novelty wears off after you’ve shown everybody in your family, which is why it’s lucky it's not the only thing this small SUV does really well.

While it’s not as spacious as the other large SUV I was testing at the time - the Zeekr X’s short length means it was the car I picked if I needed to go somewhere close where I knew parking spaces would be a bit squeezy.

The Zeekr X scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating under the stringent 2024 criteria with a high 91 per cent for adult occupant protection and an impressive 87 per cent for child occupant protection.

The advanced safety tech is also impressive with AEB that not only detect pedestrians, cyclists and other cars on a straight road but also while turning at junctions and T intersections.

There’s lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert and airbags covering the front and rear occupants including a front centre airbag.

I used the Zeekr X to drive my own kids around and for child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row. 

The ongoing costs for the Polestar 2 are fantastic because the servicing costs are complimentary for the first five-years or up to 100,000km, whichever occurs first!

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every two years or 30,000km, which is a usual term to see for an EV.

The normal car components are covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty but the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty.

The X is covered by Zeekr’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty while the drive battery has an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. Roadside assistance and connected services are also offered for five years.

Servicing is recommended every two years or 40,000km. 

Service pricing is $690 at two years/40,000km and $1420 at the four-year/80,000km mark, which covers the warranty period. For reference, the same $690/$1420 sequence is repeated at the six-year/120,000km and eight-year 160,000km intervals.